VESSEL REVIEW | LT30 – Fast-response RHIB for Australian rescue service

Australia: Marine Rescue New South Wales recently took delivery of an 8.5-metre RHIB, named LT30, to replace its existing vessel.

LT30 will operate from Lemon Tree Passage, a suburb of Port Stephens in the Hunter Region of NSW and surrounded by the waters of Port Stephens. The vessel meets local AMSA 2C NSCV regulations for offshore operations.

LT30 will also operate in and around the sheltered waters of Port Stephens, which is a major tourist area, especially for boating activities.

Built at Yamba Welding and Engineering (YWE) in northern NSW, the vessel joins the growing fleet of Naiad-designed vessels in service with the rescue organisation.

Marine Rescue requested YWE design an easier way for the volunteers to retrieve victims from the water. A davit system was suggested and fabricated for this purpose, with a safe working load of 125 kilograms. YWE also fabricated spigots to the side door for future use with a ramp-style stretcher for retrieval from the water. There is also a single aft tow post and twin forward bollards for emergency towing.

Typical of all Naiads, the vessel is built in all-aluminium construction, featuring a deep vee hull with progressive deadrise. LT30 has the new knuckled bow, which extends waterline length and provides additional buoyancy/lift forward in heavy seas.

The lock-up cabin has four high-back seats. The forward-rake windscreen and large side windows provide excellent visibility and give the cabin an airy, spacious feeling. The cuddy cabin forward is primarily used for storage. Marine Rescue NSW also opted for a portable chemical toilet.

The exterior is clear-coated and vinyl wrapped and the interior is a mix of painted finish and upholstered material.

LT30 is fitted with the latest Raymarine navigation equipment, including FLIR imaging system; Raymarine Quantum Q24D doppler radar; GME 27MHz and Tait TM9355 DSN 136-174 MHz radios; Icom VHF transceiver; Raymarine Axiom 9″ MFD, Axiom Pro 9″ RVX and Axiom Pro 12″ MFD plotters; and Raymarine AIS4000 class A transceiver.

She is powered by twin Suzuki 250AP outboard motors which give the vessel an operational range of 250 nautical miles at a cruise speed of 25 knots with 20 per cent redundancy.