VESSEL REVIEW | Ibis III – Versatile amphibious boat for Western Australia-based rescue organisation
A new rigid inflatable boat (RIB) was recently delivered to the Broome rescue station of Volunteer Marine Rescue Western Australia.
Custom-built by Western Australia-based Westerberg Marine, the 9.5-metre (31-foot) Ibis III boasts amphibious capability, allowing her to operate on water and on land. Her area of operations is Broome on the southwest side of the Kimberley region of Western Australia, approximately 2,400 kilometres (1,500 miles) north of Perth.
“The vessel takes our existing 8.5-metre (28-foot) RIB and integrates the amphibious capability that suits the needs of the operators in the challenging Kimberley Environment,” Westerberg told Baird Maritime. “The hull performs just as well off the water as it does on it.”
Able to adapt to a broad range of tidal conditions
The builder said Broome Sea Rescue's operational area extends from 80 Mile Beach in the South to Cape Leveque in the North. The coverage area is between Cape Leveque to the North and 80 Mile Beach to the South of Broome. The volunteer sea rescue group is responsible for assisting people and vessels in distress covering an area of over 300 kilometres (190 miles) of coastline.
Because massive tidal fluctuations in the area of service present significant problems launching vessels at times of low water, an amphibious capability was deemed essential in the vessel's design.
“With the tidal movement in Broome reaching as high as 10 metres (30 feet), the local marine rescue group must be able to get on the water in any tide,” said Westerberg. “The amphibious system from Anura has allowed Ibis III to do this.
“The brief also includes simplicity of operation and maintenance. This led to opting for electric over hydraulic (EOH) power over the traditional internal combustion system. This quiet and simple to operate system has exceeded the operators’ expectations on usability.”
The Anura S45 EOH amphibious system delivers high traction, excellent ground clearance, and robust load capacity for rapid deployment in challenging coastal conditions.
Power is provided by two Mercury Seapro Verado 300hp (200kW) outboards when the boat is on the water. On land, the hydraulic drive system for the boat’s three wheels relies on a 48V lithium battery bank.
Full electronics suite and emergency response fitout
“Being a search and rescue vessel, an extensive array of electronic equipment was installed to assist the operators with best chance of detecting vessels and people in distress,” Westerberg told Baird Maritime. “[There are] multi-screen Simrad displays linked to FLIR, RDF, AIS and radar, multi-band marine radios including [one connected to the] WA emergency radio network, a satellite phone system, a cel-fi booster, and a remote controlled searchlight.”
With the inclusion of the large 48V lithium power supply for the EOH amphibious system, there was significant supply available for the boat’s house circuit. The builder achieved this by installing a power converter, effectively reducing the 48V to a stabilized 12V supply, which was ample for the extensive console equipment.
The RIB was also expected to perform towing of vessels in distress on a regular basis. A purpose-made tow rope with bridle is stowed under the aft bench seat while a large central Samson post and side bollards were engineered to allow towing of vessels up to twice the displacement of the RIB itself.
The console-mounted midships area stores vital lifesaving equipment including first aid medical supplies, an oxygen therapy kit, a defibrillator, and handheld searchlights.
A 12V refrigerator meanwhile stores cool water, which is also essential in emergency situations.
Suspension seats from Ullman Dynamics provide comfort for the operators in adverse conditions while bow- and stern-mounted bench seating is available for both crew and passengers.
Compact platform incorporating maximisation of space and ease of operation
Westerberg said that, as with most custom vessels, the design process of Ibis III entailed extensive communication with the owners to get a good balance of requirements and practicality incorporated into the vessel.
“The most challenging aspects of the design on this build was ensuring the vessel performed well on the water and is a capable and practical vessel to perform rescue operations, as well as maintain its purpose of performing while fully loaded with gear and crew and still operate on varying terrain on land,” the builder told Baird Maritime.
Fitting all the required rigging and equipment in the relatively small console also proved challenging. These vessels normally require a lot of search and rescue equipment, but adding other key equipment and the batteries for the amphibious system resulted in a reduction in available space
Another challenge lay in controlling the temperature of the lithium power system given the extreme climate in the Kimberley region. Nonetheless, the boat was able to satisfy operator requirements in the areas of usability, seaworthiness, and adaptability to a range of tidal conditions.
