Australian volunteer rescue organisation Marine Rescue NSW has commissioned its newest response boat.
Port Kembla 20 was built by Sentinel Boats based in Tasmania. Measuring 5.5 metres long by 2.47 metres wide and with a draught of only 0.42 metre, the centre console boat will be stationed at Marine Rescue Port Kembla's Lake Illawarra base at Oak Flats in New South Wales.
The new boat is a fast response rescue craft, designed to tow disabled vessels and recover people from the water, while also operating effectively in Lake Illawarra’s often challenging and shallow conditions.
Sentinel said the boat was designed from the outset to be capable of operating in both inshore and near-shore waters and features a highly configurable layout as well as the ability to house enhancements to suit operational requirements.
Marine Rescue NSW Fleet Manager Kelvin Parkin said that Port Kembla 20 is the first vessel of her kind in the Marine Rescue NSW fleet and introduces a number of features that make her exceptionally well suited to the conditions on Lake Illawarra.