Focus on Emergency Service Vessels

Emergency service vessels are among the most interesting boats we review. Because they are smaller than many other commercial vessels, their designers, builders and owners are able to experiment with their design and equipment to a greater degree.

Though the need to meet basic requirements of safety and durability are almost universal, it is always interesting to review the innovative variations of craft that we see delivered from shipyards around the world.

Firefighting • Search and Rescue • Police • Coast Guard

Emergency service vessels encompass numerous roles, such as search and rescue, law enforcement, firefighting, salvage, disaster relief, pollution control and medical care.

This week’s reviews range from police and fireboats to rescue vessels and hospital ships. Their designers, builders and owners come from all over the world, and we expect these newbuilds will spark ideas aplenty, regardless of which sector of the work boat world you work in.

Vessel Reviews:

• Nawi 1 – Rugged incident response landing craft for Australian national park service
• VESSEL REFIT | Waitoa Barrier Rescue – Ex-racing chase boats take on SAR duties with Coastguard New Zealand
• Rescue 17 – Locally-built self-righting boat for South African sea rescue organisation
• Dresden & Prag – Hybrid firefighting vessels enter service at Port of Hamburg
  
• SPN 23 – First in new series of harbour patrol boats for Belgian Federal Police
• Haixun 06 – Large oceangoing patrol and rescue vessel to serve China’s Fujian province
  
• Coastal interceptor delivered to US Customs and Border Protection
  
• Haishi 01 – Emergency response command vessel for Yangtze River
  
• Dr Wahidin Sudirohusodo – Indonesian Navy’s newest hospital ship boasts 242-patient capacity

News and Gear:

• Inadequate hot work planning caused fire on fish factory vessel in Washington, NTSB report finds
• US Coast Guard’s tenth Legend-class cutter floated out
• Damaged Russian warship sinks while under tow in Black Sea
• Blast kills one on boxship off Talisay City, Philippines
• One killed, six injured following explosion on product tanker off Hong Kong
• NOAA Fisheries expands law enforcement vessel fleet
• Estonian border guard orders patrol boat trio from local builder
• US Coast Guard commissions cutter Clarence Sutphin Jr.
• 10 bodies recovered following tour boat disappearance off Hokkaido, Japan
• Construction to start on US Coast Guard’s fourth Heritage-class cutter
• New sheriff’s patrol boat delivered to Milwaukee County, Wisconsin

Recent Important Features:

OPINION | Order at sea: Southeast Asia’s maritime security

– “These external contributions to the local maintenance of good order at sea should be conducted even if only for showing recognition of the fact that we are all in the same boat.”

– by Geoffrey Till, Emeritus Professor of Maritime Studies at King’s College London and Director of the Corbett Centre for Maritime Policy Studies

AWARDS 2021 | Best Small SAR Boat – JB41 – Harwood Marine

– “The specially designed hull shape makes for a very dry vessel, with special equipment selected to help the operator respond to emergency situations effectively.”

AWARDS 2021 | Best Medium Fifi Boat – Thor – Kewatec Aluboat

– “It is a very well-balanced combination between technical demands and possible technical solutions for this size of vessel.”

AWARDS 2021 | Best SAR RIB – Cape Rose – Dongara Marine & Southerly Designs

– “The project has been really important in enabling us to demonstrate our capability in RIB production, and thus provide buyers with another proven local builder of this type of vessel.”

EDITORIAL | 2021 – A bad year for ferry fatalities

– “Following an excellent performance in 2020 when the global ferry fatality toll was the lowest since the Baird Maritime Passenger Vessel Accident database commenced in 1966, there have, tragically, been more than five times as many deaths in 2021.”

– by Dr Neil Baird, Co-Founder and former Editor-in-Chief of Baird Maritime

OPINION | Boosting maritime law enforcement in Southeast Asia and the South China Sea

– “The lack of a unified ASEAN stance and response on China’s claims is also explained by fence-sitting among member states that are not directly affected by the South China Sea disputes.”

– by Michael Heazle, adjunct professor at the Griffith Asia Institute at Griffith University

AWARDS 2021 | Best Large Patrol Boat – Gyptis – OCEA

– “Aside from boasting a range of operational capabilities and cost-effectiveness, she stands out due to her excellent seakeeping coupled with significant noise reduction on board and optimised interior spaces.”

Remember to come back every day to see the latest news, opinion and vessel reviews!

Call for content!

Any news or views about the global emergency services industries? Send it through to [email protected] ASAP (between now and April 29), so we can add it to this current edition of Emergency Services Week!

We are after:

• Vessels – Orders, new deliveries, under construction
• Gear – Latest innovations and technology in the emergency services sectors
• Interviews – Owners, operators, equipment manufacturers, etc.
• Reminiscences – Do you have any exciting, amusing or downright dangerous anecdotes from your time in the emergency services world? (example here)
• Other – Any other relevant news

Stay updated on future Emergency Services Weeks

Sign up here to be notified in advance about future Emergency Services Weeks.

Subscribe