Tuggerah Lakes 21 (Photo: Marine Rescue NSW) 
Search and Rescue

VESSEL REVIEW | Tuggerah Lakes 21 & Batemans Bay 21 – Australian volunteer rescue group expands RIB fleet

Baird Maritime

Australian volunteer maritime search and rescue (SAR) organisation Marine Rescue New South Wales recently took delivery of two new rigid inflatable boats (RIBs) in a series from local builder Yamba Welding and Engineering and New Zealand-based Naiad Design, partner companies under Australia-based The Whiskey Project Group.

Photo: Yamba Welding and Engineering

Sister boats Tuggerah Lakes 21 and Batemans Bay 21 both utilise a split console RIB design developed by Naiad. Marine Rescue NSW selected the "walk-through" layout afforded by the split console design since it created a safer environment for its volunteers. Specifically, crews no longer need to stand or walk along the cabin sides to get around the small deck on each boat, thus reducing the risk of them falling overboard.

The new boats each have a length of 6.3 metres, space for two crewmembers plus additional personnel, and two Suzuki outboard engines that can deliver speeds of up to 38 knots. Operations can be undertaken from inshore waters to as far as seven nautical miles from the coast. The boats are also trailer-transportable, providing an additional option for quick redeployment depending on Marine Rescue NSW requirements.

Photo: Yamba Welding and Engineering

Both RIBs are fitted with a full Raymarine suite of maritime navigation equipment. Tuggerah Lakes 21 also has additional equipment in the form of a Teledyne FLIR rotating thermal camera. Batemans Bay 21 meanwhile boasts a quick catch launch system that will allow the boat to be quickly launched from a trailer and into the water, thus minimising deployment times as well as ensuring operators' safety.

An additional protective feature on each boat is a wrap-around guardrail to minimise the risk of impact damage on the outboard engines.

Photo: Yamba Welding and Engineering
Tuggerah Lakes 21 & Batemans Bay 21
SPECIFICATIONS
Type of vessel:RIB – Search and rescue
Flag:Australia
Owner:Marine Rescue New South Wales, Australia
Designer:Naiad Design, New Zealand
Builder:Yamba Welding and Engineering, Australia
Length overall:6.3 metres
Main engines:2 x Suzuki outboards, each 223 kW
Maximum speed:38 knots
Night vision:Teledyne FLIR
Other electronics:Raymarine
Crew:2
Operational area:New South Wales, Australia