"There is little better than a day out on the water. Whether it's a gentle sail, a blast up the coast, lines over the side, a dive to explore the bottom, or a get together with mates....
...there is little worse than finding yourself in trouble in that patch of paradise, wishing that you knew more, or that your family or crew could get you and your boat safely back to shore if ever they had to."
Coastguard looks out for the safety of every person who goes to sea off our coast or enjoys any of the region's harbours, or beaches.
Today a crew from Coastguard Mana traveled up to Wanganui to pick up the replacement rescue vessel on loan from Coastguard NZ.
This video has been uploaded to show interested parties (including the rest of the volunteer crew) what the conditions and ride were like on the way.
Hopefully we will see quite a few of you tonight when we will be going through the new way we plan to run call-outs and SAR work and also talk about specialisation of roles and the new protector.
Outcomes:
The "new" Trust Porirua Rescue: Refurbishment almost complete
The replacement for Coastguard Mana's aging Waveney rescue boat, Trust Porirua Rescue, has come one step closer to Mana while it is being refurbished by Coastguard New Zealand. It is now in Wanganui for the finishing touches and a crew will be travelling up to Wanganui in early February 2010 to bring it down.
One of the divers rescued off Kapiti Island by Kapiti Coastguard yesterday had this to say:
"I was next to the boat and saw this wave come in. The next thing the whole thing was full of water and it rolled straight over. The guys had to jump." 1
Trust Porirua Rescue: Heavy weather training excercise off Plimmerton 12/12/2009
Dramatic photos shot by local Plimmerton residents of the Coastguard Mana rescue vessel Trust Porirua Rescue in rough conditions whilst on a "heavy weather training excercise" highlight the need for a sturdy replacement vessel for the ageing lifeboat. The 44ft ex-RNLI Waveney class lifeboat is about to be replaced with a loan vessel from Coastguard New Zealand while funding for a new replacement is found.
Information for members/stakeholders – October 2009
NZAS Rescue: 12.5m Protector
The unit is expecting the arrival of a new vessel within the next few weeks.
A 12.5 metre Protector has been provided by Coastguard (National) as a loan vessel for 2-3 years while the unit raises funds for a permanent replacement for the Waveney. The boat, NZAS Rescue, has been in operation in Fouveaux Strait and our brothers and sisters at Bluff are sorry to see her going. The new vessel will require a new way of operating from everyone, masters and crew, as it presents a radically different performance signature (speed and handling characteristics) from the displacement vessel it replaces. Biggest factor – cruising speed around 20 knots (twice as fast as the Waveney). Top speed – in ideal conditions – nearly 40 knots. The arrival of the loan vessel presents an opportunity for the unit to re-energize, re-commit to the task of protecting the sea-going public in our area of operation, and put Coastguard back in the public eye.
Mana CCMana Cruising Club is hosting a presentation by Wellington Provedoring in association with Humminbird, Garmin Electronics and Altex Paints this Wednesday 16th September starting at 1900hrs.
Mana Coastguard works closely with the Mana Cruising Club, which provides a training venue, a berth for the Waveney rescue boat and the portacom shed the unit uses as an operational base.
Comments attributed to Mana Coastguard master Grant Porter were unfortunate and not the view of the Royal New Zealand Coastguard, nor the Mana unit.
In an article published 5th March 2009 in the Kapiti Observer, Mr Porter appears to describe local recreational launch owners as uncooperative and ungrateful.
"That's just not the case" says Mana Coastguard President Laurie Watkins.
Coastguard New Zealand celebrated the organisation’s heroes over the weekend by announcing the recipients of its national awards.
Coastguard New Zealand CEO Bruce Reid said the Annual Conference which ran from the 12th to 14th of September, was the perfect opportunity to celebrate the achievements of the organisation and the bravery of its personnel.
