UK builder Redbay Boats has delivered a new search and rescue (SAR) optimised rigid inflatable boat (RIB) to the Dublin Fire Brigade in Ireland.
The 7.4-metre Dublin Fire Brigade Rescue One replaces an earlier 6.5-metre Redbay RIB operated by the same agency. The new boat's area of operations is from east of the O'Connell Bridge upriver to the Dublin Port area. It may also be called on to operate in Dublin Bay to conduct rescue missions upon the request of the Irish Coast Guard.
The new RIB has Ullman Dynamics suspension seats with handles and that can be removed to provide the operator with various layout configurations to suit mission requirements. The seating layout complies with P6 passenger boat licence standards and Marine Survey Office (MSO) guidelines. A maximum of 14 people can be transported when the boat is used for SAR missions.
The boat has a dual role as an operational frontline boat with three crew seats and three additional seats that can be clipped in for training. A fold-out ladder is fitted to help SAR personnel easily get back on board the boat following water rescues.
Two consoles are available for a coxswain and a radio operator/navigator. The A-frame and the consoles were kept as low as possible to allow the RIB to sail underneath bridges even during high tide.
Two Yamaha 85kW outboard engines deliver a top speed of 39 knots. Fuel is supplied by two 180-litre underfloor tanks, and the fuel system is completely isolated from the electronic systems as per MSO guidelines. The boat is refuelled near the stern away from the console.
The craft also features a recovery davit, a Garmin navigation system that includes a GPS and chart plotter, a McMurdo EPIRB, and an ICOM VHF radio. The Garmin plotter has built-in search patterns and is integrated with the outboard engines to enable the crew to effectively manage the boat's fuel consumption.
In-helmet radios are fitted so that communications with the shore-based control centres of the fire brigade and the coast guard will still be possible even when the RIB is operating in heavy seas and the crew are exposed to the elements. A standby handheld VHF radio is also available for use should the main radio set become inoperable.
The RIB has under deck bilge alarms, a deck wash pump and hose, a radar reflector, and a manual emergency steering system. A locker has space for helmets, lifejackets, first aid kits, and other safety equipment.
| Dublin Fire Brigade Rescue One | |
| SPECIFICATIONS | |
| Type of vessel: | RIB – Search and rescue |
| Classification: | Marine Survey Office |
| Flag: | Ireland |
| Owner: | Dublin Fire Brigade, Ireland |
| Builder: | Redbay Boats, UK |
| Length overall: | 7.4 metres |
| Main engines: | 2 x Yamaha outboards, each 85 kW |
| Maximum speed: | 39 knots |
| Radios: | ICOM VHF |
| GPS: | Garmin |
| Plotter: | Garmin |
| Other electronics: | McMurdo EPIRB |
| Other equipment installed: | Boarding ladder; recovery davit; wash pump; hose; radar reflector; locker |
| Seating: | Ullman Dynamics |
| Fuel capacity: | 360 litres |
| Crew: | 2 |
| Passengers: | 12 |
| Operational area: | Dublin, Ireland |
