VESSEL REVIEW | Ranger – Compact patrol and rescue catamaran for New Zealand Police

The Waikato Police District of the New Zealand Police has begun operating a recently acquired compact catamaran boat for use in river patrols. Named Ranger in honour of retired NZ Police Sergeant Vince Ranger, the centre console vessel was supplied by local builder Kingfisher Boats.

The new boat has an aluminium hull, a length of 4.5 metres, a beam of 2.07 metres, a draught of only 0.25 metre, and a minimum displacement of 400 kilograms, making it trailer-transportable. Its duties will include law enforcement patrols and search and rescue (SAR).

As a catamaran craft, it is highly stable and can generate only minimal roll even when all four of its occupants – two crewmembers and two additional personnel – are on one side of the deck.

A Yamaha 52kW outboard engine propels the boat to a top speed of 30 knots, allowing it to quickly respond to emergencies. Other important features include a drop-down bow ladder, a self-draining anchor well, a fully integrated boarding platform, dry storage for the battery, a seat for the coxswain, two bilge pumps, and dedicated rails for an MOB recovery basket and handheld radios.

Ranger replaces the Waikato Police’s earlier boat, which was originally delivered in the late 1990s and had already reached the end of its operational service life.

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