Marine Rescue Merimbula volunteers upskill ahead of new vessel going into active service
by Marine Rescue NSW 11 Mar 2023 17:26 PST
MB31 arrival © Marine Rescue NSW
The newest addition to Marine Rescue's fleet in NSW, Merimbula 31 has arrived at its new home on the South Coast as it prepares for operational service.
The 11.3 metre Naiad (NY-ADD) is one of 38 new rescue vessels funded by a four-year $37.6 million NSW Government investment to support the vital, life-saving work of Marine Rescue NSW volunteers.
Minister for Emergency Services and Resilience and Minister for Flood Recovery Steph Cooke said the rescue vessel is a valuable investment in the safety of Merimbula's active local boating community and visitors.
"With the latest in marine navigation and safety equipment, this new rescue boat has the speed and technology to quickly and safely get rescue crews where they need to be when vital seconds count," Ms Cooke said.
Marine Rescue NSW Senior Manager Fleet Kelvin Parkin completed the induction in Batemans Bay this week after MB 31 was transported from the Northern Rivers following its construction at Yamba Welding and Engineering.
"Induction with the Merimbula senior crew and trainers went smoothly," Mr Parkin said.
"This vessel is a step up from their previous boat and the crew embraced learning about it.
"They are being upskilled to be able to operate this new vessel to its full capability," he said.
Parkin said MB 31 is the latest in the evolution of Marine Rescue's vessel program which includes the agency's standardised equipment and improvements on earlier fleet.
"There a number of new inclusions such as augmented reality for water tracking and field of view display on the navigation system.
"If you've got a person in the water, the FLIR (infrared heat detection) camera can lock on their position, so if there's a lot of swell or poor visibility the crew will still know where to navigate to retrieve the person," he said.
MB 31 has an under chine anchor which Parkin said improves crew safety and ergonomic seats to reduce fatigue.
Marine Rescue Merimbula Unit Commander Bill Blakeman said all crew members will undergo comprehensive training over the coming the weeks after the vessel arrived in Merimbula on Thursday.
"We are getting all of the crew members up to speed and are being very thorough with their training on the new vessel prior to going into active service.
"Our crew will spend multiple sessions learning the new vessel because their safety is paramount.
"All our crew have to be 100 per cent up to speed on all of our assets before they head out on the water.
"This boat will be able to handle any situation well offshore." the Unit Commander said.
"I'm very pleased to have this incredible new vessel as it will enhance our mission of saving lives on the water," Mr Blakeman said.
Watch the b-roll of the new vessel is below (Kelvin Parkin provides some commentary).