New Point Danger rescue vessel an investment in boating safety

by Ken McManus on 13 Jan 2016 Marine Rescue NSW will tomorrow commission the newest vessel to join its rescue fleet, Point Danger 20, a $277,000 investment in boating safety on the State’s northern waterways.

Richmond MP Justine Elliott, Tweed MP Geoff Provest, Tweed Shire Cr Barry Longland and Gold Coast City Cr Chris Robbins will join MRNSW Commissioner Stacey Tannos, Chair Jim Glissan, Director Bernie Gabriel and Point Danger volunteers to officially welcome the new rescue vessel.

The Commander of the NSW Police Force Marine Area Command, Detective Superintendent Mark Hutchings, also will attend the commissioning ceremony, starting at 10.30am at the Ivory Coast Marina.

Commissioner Tannos said the new 7.5m Naiad RHIB (Rigid Hull Inflatable Boat) was a significant boost to the capability of marine search and rescue volunteers operating on the State’s northern border.

“This state-of-the-art vessel, which is able to travel up to 15 nautical miles offshore, further strengthens Marine Rescue’s strategic search and rescue safety net covering the NSW coastline,” he said.

“It is the latest of 65 new and refurbished vessels delivered to date, at a cost of almost $15 million, under our landmark fleet modernisation program.

“Providing safe, modern and reliable vessels is the greatest investment we can make in the safety of our volunteers and the boaters we assist.

“Built by Yamba Welding and Engineering on the Northern Rivers, this boat is also a valuable investment in local business and jobs in regional NSW.”

The new boat supplements the unit’s larger vessel, Point Danger 30, an 11.3m Naiad.

MR Point Danger Unit Commander Glenda Ashby said Point Danger 20 was built and equipped to meet the unit’s operational demands in a variety of conditions, both offshore and in the more confined waters of the Tweed River and its inlets.

“The boat was delivered in late November and our crews have committed a great deal of time and energy over the holiday period to a process of intensive familiarisation and training on board,” she said.

“PD 20 is a stable and safe vessel for our volunteers and is a really valuable boost to our capability, giving our crews additional capacity and flexibility to respond to help boaters in trouble quickly and efficiently.”

The vessel is powered by twin 150hp Suzuki outboards and it is equipped with a state-of-the-art suite of search and rescue, navigation and advanced first aid equipment, including a cardiac defibrillator and oxygen.

Commissioner Tannos acknowledged the vital support of the State Government and the boating community for Marine Rescue’s essential services.

“The financial support we receive from the Government and through boaters’ registration and licence fees provides about 50 per cent of the annual budget we need to provide NSW with a world-class marine search and rescue, radio network and education service for safer boating.

“Even with this funding support, as a community-based organisation, we still need to rely on our volunteers’ energetic fundraising.

“I thank the community for its generous support of the Point Danger unit and its efforts to raise funds towards the cost of this new vessel, particularly through our new Great Outdoor Getaway art union,” he said.

Boaters heading out on the water should remember to Log On with MRNSW via their marine radio, telephone or the MarineRescue mobile app, suitable for Apple and Android devices and available on the App Store and Google play.