New Marine Rescue Woolgoolga vessel labelled 'best ever'
by Marine Rescue NSW 26 Jul 2023 18:00 PDT
Woolgoolga 30 at Yamba on the NSW Northern Rivers © Marine Rescue NSW
Senior crew at Marine Rescue Woolgoolga have taken part in a sea trial and induction on the unit's new replacement vessel Woolgoolga 30 at Yamba on the NSW Northern Rivers.
Marine Rescue NSW Northern Zone Training Manager Mitch Harvey said the new vessel has been an exciting three-year project.
"What's come to fruition is a boat that that's exceeded our expectations at every turn.
"The manoeuvrability, the comfort, the ease of use, it just far exceeds any other vessel that we've had (at Woolgoolga).
"This is my third vessel at Woolgoolga since I joined (Marine Rescue NSW) in 2011 and this is by far the best that we've had," Mr Harvey said.
Marine Rescue NSW Senior Manager Fleet Kelvin Parkin said the 9.5 metre Naiad (NYE-ADD) Hamilton Jet boat is powered by a 575 horsepower Cummins engine and features FLIR (Forward Looking Infrared) night vision and replaces the unit's former Ellis Jet rescue vessel.
"This boat performs really well.
"It's going to add more capability to Marine Rescue NSW in the region.
"It's a special boat and I'm looking forward to seeing it on the water," Mr Parkin said.
The new vessel will carry the name of Tamieka Lee, the late daughter of Woolgoolga's Deputy Unit Commander Shirley Teague.
Ms Teague said the new vessel is a much welcomed upgrade to the previous rescue boat which was in service for a decade.
"This one is so much lighter and easier to handle," she said.
After completing the sea trial, newly appointed Woolgoolga Unit Commander Brian Taylor said the vessel's manoeuvrability far exceeds the unit's previous vessel.
"It really has impressed us as being a vessel that's going to handle well at sea and we look forward to taking her back to our base at Woolgoolga," the Unit Commander said.
Crew members from the Woolgoolga unit will undergo further training over the coming weeks before the vessel goes into active service on the NSW Mid North Coast.
Marine Rescue NSW is a volunteer based not-for-profit professional organisation dedicated to keeping boaters safe on the water and supporting local communities.
Watch the video grabs of Mr Harvey, Ms Teague and Mr Taylor.