A NEW $211,000 offshore rescue vessel has been commissioned on the Hawkesbury River, boosting the emergency capability of Marine Rescue NSW (MRNSW) volunteers on one of the State’s busiest waterways.
Hawkesbury 22, named Jill McGrath, was commissioned at the Marine Rescue Hawkesbury rescue base at Mooney Mooney.
MRNSW Deputy Commissioner Dean Storey and Board Director Bob Wilson joined Member for Hornsby MP Matt Kean, Member for Gosford Chris Holstein, Hornsby Mayor Cr Steve Russell and volunteers from Marine Rescue Hawkesbury and other Sydney Marine Rescue units for the commissioning ceremony.
The 7.5m aluminium craft, built by Yamba Welding and Engineering, is the first Ocean Cylinder vessel to be introduced to the MRNSW fleet.
MRNSW Deputy Commissioner Storey said it was an ideal rescue vessel for the operating area covered by Marine Rescue Hawkesbury.
“It has the confident handling characteristics and speed of a traditional Rigid Hull Inflatable Boat but with the toughness and durability of puncture-proof foam-filled aluminium sponsons,” he said.
“This makes the boat particularly well suited to operate along the oyster shell-encrusted rocky foreshores in many parts of the Hawkesbury.”
“With its advanced communications and navigation equipment, thermal vision camera and Automatic Identification System, the vessel has met every challenge we’ve given it.”
