Willard Marine to Develop SOLAS FRBs for NOAA

Willard Marine, Inc. has been awarded contracts to develop two new sizes of Safety of Life At Sea (SOLAS) Fast Rescue Boats (FRBs) for the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Association (NOAA).

An inboard-powered 5.9-meter SOLAS rescue boat with waterjet propulsion will be built for the NOAA ship Nancy Foster and a 5.4-meter outboard-powered SOLAS rescue boat is contracted for the Hi’ialakia in Hawaii. The SOLAS self-bailing fiberglass-hull RIBs are gel-coated international orange. Willard Marine will acquire the necessary U.S. Coast Guard SOLAS certification for both vessels. Both NOAA ships require SOLAS FRBs per the International Maritime Organization’s life-saving appliance code to facilitate NOAA’s research-and-survey missions.

“Willard Marine is the only American manufacturer of SOLAS rescue boats, which are rigorously tested by the U.S. Coast Guard and only certified when proven to be of the highest safety standards,” explained Ulrich Gottschling, president and chief executive officer of Willard Marine. “NOAA expects the very best in vessel safety, durability and performance from Willard Marine, and they can count on our SOLAS rescue boats to help get people to safety when they need it most.”