VESSEL REVIEW | RIBs to support UN relief efforts in DR Congo

UAE boat builder Asis Boats recently delivered two new rigid inflatable boats (RIBs) to be operated by the United Nations' World Food Programme. The 12-metre-long vessels will provide transportation and resupply support for the World Food Programme's humanitarian efforts in the Democratic Republic of Congo, particularly in the remote coastal areas of the country.

The RIBs are capable of operation even in harsh environments when transporting supplies and other relief aid. The first boat has Ullman Dynamics suspension seats and can accommodate up to 14 seated passengers, while the second boat has two Ullman suspension seats and six bench seats. The second boat can accommodate 24 people, with a capacity of four passengers per bench.

Each boat is powered by three Mercury Verado 260kW outboard engines fed by three 300-litre tanks. The navigation and communication electronics were supplied by Garmin and include a GMR 18HD+ radar, an AIS, a GPS, an in-hull transducer, and a Blue Chart G2 Vision HD map.

Four heavy-duty lifting points are also fitted to allow the RIBs to be easily loaded and unloaded from trailers and other transport platforms. This will permit more flexible operations, particularly when it comes to deploying the boats in more remote areas.

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