Emergency Service Vessel News Roundup | February 10 – Rescue boats for Denmark, Netherlands, and Norway plus a UK-built unmanned recovery craft

Two new response boats have been delivered to separate operators in Denmark and the Netherlands as a UK company starts construction on a new series of unmanned rescue vehicles. A Norwegian owner meanwhile places orders for two catamaran ambulance boats to be built in Finland.

Danish Coastal Rescue Service expands response boat fleet

The Danish Coastal Rescue Service has taken delivery of a new rescue boat built by French shipyard Chantier Naval Couach.

The FRP-hulled newbuild has an LOA of 17.05 metres, a beam of 5.25 metres, a draught of 1.1 metres, and space for six crewmembers and up to eight additional personnel. Deck space is also available for an inflatable tender.

The rescue boat can reach a maximum speed of 27 knots whereas sailing at 25 knots is still possible even under Sea State Four conditions.

Royal Netherlands Navy’s newest boat to support police rescue operations

The Royal Netherlands Navy recently acquired a new rescue boat from local builder Stormer Marine.

The six-metre vessel is of all-aluminium construction and has a draught of only 0.4 metres. A maximum of six personnel can be accommodated.

Stormer said the new boat will be used by the navy in supporting the operations of the local military police.

UK firm starts construction of unmanned rescue craft

Devon, UK-based boatbuilder Coastal Workboats has begun construction on a new fast unmanned rescue craft.

The vessel will be the first of a new series of unmanned craft designed for the search and rescue (SAR) role. Once completed, the craft will have a length of eight metres, an AI-based detection system that can spot and track multiple casualties in the water under a range of weather conditions, and a specialised rescue conveyor from SAR technology company Zelim.

The craft is designed to be deployed from a mothership. Once casualties are recovered, the craft will bring them back to the relative safety of the larger vessel.

Finnish builder secures additional Norwegian ambulance boat orders

Finnish boatbuilder Kewatec Aluboat has been awarded a contract to build two additional catamaran vessels that will be used as floating ambulances in Norway.

The vessels will be near identical sisters of Austevolljenta (pictured), an ambulance boat delivered in early 2022 to serve Austevoll Municipality.

Each boat will have a length of 22 metres, a beam of 7.5 metres, seating for 12 people, and compartments for patients on stretchers. Two Volvo Penta diesel engines will deliver a service speed of approximately 30 knots.