Rescue Boat News

Fairbanks Morse Defense (FMD) has introduced AutoHook, a first-of-its-kind fully autonomous vessel recovery interface developed by FMD’s Norway-based business, Vestdavit. AutoHook is designed for fully autonomous launch and recovery systems (LARS) supporting unmanned surface vehicles (USVs) and other assets requiring zero human intervention. The compact, lightweight form factor is designed for interoperability across allied fleets in demanding maritime conditions, removing the…

In 2010, the Monterey Bay Aquarium Research Institute (MBARI) began the process of replacing its research vessel, R/V Western Flyer. With Glosten at their side as vessel designer, MBARI considered three types of ships for their new project. The Western Flyer was a small waterplane area twin hull (SWATH), but the parties agreed on a monohull design for the new vessel. In 2021, Freire Shipyard won the bid to build the vessel, and R/V David Packard came to life.There is no “I” in TeamWill Moon…

The city of Milford, CT, took delivery of a 21-ft. Ribcraft 6.5 for its fire department’s marine unit, replacing a smaller, 20-year-old vessel. This larger specialized model enhances their search and rescue capabilities while providing a safe platform for expanded environmental protection efforts on Long Island Sound.Operating on Long Island Sound and its tributaries, the department uses the RIBCRAFT to support their search and rescue missions to reach areas their larger fire boat cannot access.

Interest in hybrid government and patrol boats is growing as boat builders demonstrate their many benefits.Launched last year at Seawork, Sweden-based Marell Boats says its M17 Patrol was the star of the show with its hybrid powertrain from Scania and propulsion system by Marine Jet Power.Like others in the patrol boat market, Project Manager Mario Celegin is seeing increasing interest in hybrid patrol boats. There’s a lot of reasons why: near-silent patrolling in electric mode…

The Henriksen HLH 3500 rescue boat and liferaft hook has become a key element of a new fall protection system invented by BC Ferries, the Descent Control System (DCS), which is now installed across its fleet of 38 ships. As launching boats at sea is a high-risk activity, BC Ferries embarked upon a two-year development program for its DCS. Now, whenever BC Ferries rescue crews board their boats, they will each clip onto a webbing line that is controlled by an auto belay unit. As…

Glomar Offshore’s offshore supply vessel (OSV) Glomar Venture has reportedly hit the foundation of an offshore wind turbine in the Dutch North Sea, leaving two crew members injured in the accident.The Royal Dutch Sea Rescue Society (KNRM)  received a distress call for medical evacuation from Glomar Offshore around 7.00 am local time on April 20, which reported that two of the crewmen aboard Glomar Venture OSV have been injured.KNRM deployed its lifeboat Irene & Henk for the assistance…

Norwegian supplier of boat-handling systems Vestdavit has demonstrated the operational efficiency of its davits during sea trials of the equipment on U.S. Navy fleet refueling vessels being built by General Dynamics NASSCO.The pair of high-specification PLRH-5000 rescue boat davits were subject to rigorous operational testing in the recent trials performed with USNS Robert F. Kennedy, or T-AO 208, that is the fourth and latest so-called T-AO oiler to be delivered in the series…

Palfinger Marine won a contract with the Finnish Meyer Turku shipyard to provide lifesaving appliances (LSA) for Royal Caribbean International’s fourth Icon Class ship, set to debut in 2027. The fourth Icon Class ship, built at the Finnish Meyer Turku shipyard, will have a comprehensive package of state-of-the-art LSA. This includes 18 lifeboats, one of the largest totally enclosed lifeboats on the market, each with a capacity of 450 passengers. Complementing this, 18 hydraulic pivoting davits ensure the secure and seamless deployment of the lifeboats.

A Norwegian shipping company rejected an accusation from Dmitry Medvedev, deputy chairman of Russia's Security Council, that it refused to rescue sailors from a sinking Russian cargo ship in the Mediterranean Sea.Medvedev accused the Norwegian-flagged Oslo Carrier 3 of not coming to the aid of sailors on board the Ursa Major cargo ship, which carries out missions for the Russian Defence Ministry's military construction arm. The Ursa Major ran into trouble on Monday and then sank…

The 73-meter-long German oil and chemical tanker Annika caught fire on October 11 whilst northeast of Kühlungsborn, Germany, in the Baltic Sea. The Maritime Rescue Co-ordination Centre (MRCC) Bremen, operated by the German Society for the Rescue of Shipwrecked People (DGzRS), led the response.The sea rescue boat Wilma Sikorski rescued all seven crew members shortly after the fire was reported, and Reuters reports that the fire was extinguished and the vessel is now safely into the port of Rostock.The vessel was carrying around 640 tonnes of oil…

An oil spill off the Spanish island of Gran Canaria forced local authorities to close several beaches in the popular holiday destination on Thursday and declare an environmental emergency.Emergency services said on social messaging platform X that they were alerted on Wednesday night of the accidental spill during a vessel's refueling stop at La Luz port of Las Palmas, the island's capital. It involved a maximum of 3 metric tons of IFO 180, which is designated as a Very Low Sulphur Oil.The name of the vessel was not disclosed.According to the president of Gran Canaria's governing council…

Annapolis, Md. based boatbuilder Ocean Craft Marine (OCM) reports it has delivered a new firefighting/search and rescue (SAR) boat for first responders in Michigan.Built for water-related incident management and rescue operations on Lake Erie, the 9.5-meter newbuild is aimed at reestablishing the emergency response capabilities of the Monroe Township Fire Department and the neighboring agencies.“This new Fire/SAR boat restores our capabilities to conduct water rescues and firefighting missions on the lake.

Volunteer lifeguards from Spanish charity Open Arms assisted 54 migrants stranded on a rubber dinghy in the Mediterranean Sea off the Italian island of Lampedusa on Tuesday, according to a Reuters witness.The group said it gave the passengers, who were mainly Syrian nationals, life jackets and water after alerting the Italian Coast Guard, which later took them to Lampedusa.The central Mediterranean is one of the most dangerous routes for refugees seeking asylum in Europe. Last year…

California shipbuilder Moose Boats announced it has secured a contract with the City and County of San Francisco to build an M1-46 fireboat to service the San Francisco International Airport (SFO). The vessel will be operated by the San Francisco Fire Department’s Airport Division.The 46-foot catamaran will be the rescue boat used by the San Francisco Fire Department in case of emergency at the airport—the 13th busiest in the U.S.According to San Francisco Fire, “The Airport Division is responsible for providing fire protection…

Rigid hull inflatable boat (RIB) manufacturer Fluid Watercraft has unveiled its newest line of purpose-built search and rescue boatsFluid Watercraft’s new SAR 26 and SAR 23 RIBs feature a forward-pushed command and piloting console to increase aft deck space for enhanced victim and equipment recovery, and medical treatment capabilities as well as 16- and 10-person capacity respectively. To make the boats mission ready, the SAR 26 comes with two nRoads dome lights, stainless steel bow and aft tow posts…

In the commercial maritime and offshore industries, where worker safety and competency are crucial, effective training practices are an absolute must. While hands-on, in-the-field learning will always be a vital component of any mariner’s training, marine simulation has become a welcome enhancement to the education process. And in some cases, it’s seen as a safer alternative to traditional survival craft and rescue boat training.A leader in this space is Virtual Marine, based in Newfoundland and Labrador.

The volunteer fire department in Greene, Maine recently took delivery of a 16-foot RIBCRAFT 4.8 rescue boat. This specialized RIB expands the department’s response capabilities while providing a safe platform for rescue missions. Funded by a grant through Firehouse Subs, RIBCRAFT worked with the department to build a boat that met all of their operational requirements.Located on several rivers and lakes in Androscoggin County, the department receives many distress calls from recreational boaters.

A new high-speed low-draft landing craft Island Guardian has been delivered to the Great Barrier Reef Joint Field Management Program in Australia.The new 21-meter vessel has been custom-designed by Incat Crowther and built by Norman Wright & Sons to enhance island protected area management, research, incident response and facilitate more efficient management of the Great Barrier Reef World Heritage Area.The Great Barrier Reef Joint Field Management Program is delivered jointly by the Great Barrier Reef Marine Park Authority and the Queensland Parks and Wildlife Service…

U.S. Army Mariners assigned to 7th Transportation Brigade (Expeditionary) aboard the LCU 2032 Palo Alto rescued an overboard fisherman 10 miles off the western coast of Obi Island, Indonesia Sept. 1, 2023.Sgt. Seth Leonard, a watercraft engineer, was on the bridge of the ship when he observed the typical calm waters in the path of the ship were more active than usual.“I noticed what looked like someone waving their arms, which is the signal for distress in water,” said Leonard.

A fishing vessel quickly sank after colliding with a pilot boat near Newport News, Va. on Tuesday.The U.S. Coast Guard said it was alerted at 7:50 a.m. that the Virginia Pilot Association pilot boat Swift and a 38-foot deadrise fishing vessel Miss Heather collided near the Newport News Small Boat Harbor.A pilot aboard the Swift rescued two fishermen from the Miss Heather and brought them aboard as the fishing vessel rapidly took on water and sank.A rescue crew aboard a 45-foot…

Canada-based marine simulation training firm Virtual Marine Technology Inc. announced it has signed a strategic market representation agreement with New Zealand's Global Marine Technical Services (GMTS), extending its in-country coverage to Australia and New Zealand. The deal includes representation for Virtual Marine’s products within New Zealand and Australia, as well as other areas in the Indo-Pacific region.With a range of desktop to full mission motion systems, Virtual Marine…

Five mariners were rescued by the crew of a U.K. Royal Navy patrol ship after their tug started to sink in rough seas last week in the Caribbean.The oceangoing tug began taking on water after suffering an engine failure some 20 miles west of Sint Maarten. The vessel's crew sent out a distress call around 1 p.m. on Friday and took refuge on the large sand barge their vessel had been towing.Patrol ship HMS Medway, the Royal Navy’s permanent presence in the region, was slightly more than a dozen miles away and promptly responded to the Mayday call.

Operating on Liquefied Natural Gas (LNG) from day one in service, the MV George III, the first of Pasha Group’s two new ‘Ohana Class’, Jones Act-qualified containerships, features a state-of-the-art engine, an optimized hull form, and an underwater propulsion system with a high-efficiency rudder and propeller. George III is the first LNG-powered vessel to fuel on the West Coast and the first to serve Hawaii. The 774-ft. Jones Act vessel surpasses the International Maritime Organization (IMO) 2030 emission standards for ocean vessels.