Waihī Beach Coastguard Launches $1 Million New Rescue Vessel
Waihī Beach Coastguard unveiled its brand-new primary rescue boat on Saturday 11 October, with a community launch held at Bowentown Boat Club. The 10-metre Fantom RV1000, named Gallagher Rescue in honour of key sponsors Sir William and Lady Judi Gallagher, replaces the unit's previous 9.5-metre Naiad vessel that had been in service since 2013. The new boat, which cost $1,020,000, was built by Whakamārama business Fantom Fabrications, owned by experienced boat builders Kim Bertelsen and Teia Dunster.
The vessel is powered by twin V6 350HP Yamaha outboard motors giving a combined 700hp, with a top speed of around 43 knots and a cruising speed of 25–30 knots. It carries the latest search-and-rescue technology, including multiple electronic display units, VHF radios, a cellular wifi system, a full weather station, remote-controlled searchlights, and a FLIR thermal night-vision camera capable of detecting a person in the water from roughly a kilometre away. Former president and current master Sam Dunlop said the boat had been sea-tested before the launch and performed extremely well.
The launch included a karakia, a hīmene, and a blessing dedicating the waka to Tangaroa, atua of the moana, performed by Otawhiwhihi Marae chairman Reon Tuanau alongside his father, kaumātua Roger Tuanau. The hapū of Te Whānau a Tauwhao gifted a design element to the vessel — a light blue kōwhaiwhai pattern of the Mangōpare (hammerhead shark) taken from inside the wharenui at Otawhiwhihi Marae. Reon said the pattern represents perseverance, determination, and never giving up.
Waihī Beach Coastguard has a team of 40, including 26 active crew and 14 radio-room volunteers, with their three vessels responding to roughly 50 callouts per year. The new Gallagher Rescue will serve as the primary vessel working the notorious Bowentown Bar, while the 5.8-metre Avoco Rescue RHIB covers the channels and shallow areas of the Northern Tauranga Harbour. Dunlop noted that spring and summer are the unit's busiest period, with up to three or four callouts in a single week.
Originally published in Katikati News (Sun Media).