Article from the Mercury, Hobart

Saturday August 26, 2006

by JOCELYN FOGAGNOLO

TWO Tasmanian-built search and rescue vessels will be an integral part of Australian Volunteer Coast Guard's flotillas in southern Victoria next year.

Sabre Engineering is owned by adjoining company North Western Shipping and Towage, whose managing director and owner Graeme Phillips said this week that the briefs for naval architect Michael Hunn and Sabre Marine for "two custom-built boats" had certainly meant exactly that.

The basic vessel specifications (including a "pleasing profile"), performance requirements, construction, stability, manoeuvrability and fit-out had been extensive and extremely detailed.

"They will be very good boats," Phillips said.

"We're delighted with the design."

Phillips praised the Hobart-based Hunn, designer of the Coast Guard boats and many other vessels in Tasmania and interstate.

He said a similar hull vessel was due to be launched next month at Sabre Marine to be used as a pilot boat by NWST out of Portland, Victoria.

The first of the Victorian Coast Guard vessels is due to be launched in about six months.

Its main sea trials are planned to be in Tasmanian waters.

The boats will have twin-engine configuration and be capable of speeds up to 25 knots.

Each will carry fuel for up to 15 hours' running.

The twin Cummins 335hp engines will power a jet propulsion system.

After setting up Sabre Marine in 1986, Phillips took over NWST in 2002.

NWST owns and operates a fleet of tugs and barges working out of Hobart, Portland, Sydney and Brisbane as well as operating the Bruny Island ferry Mirambeena.

Sabre Marine employs 14 permanent staff as well as permanent part-time workers and contractors as required.

It has built boats up to 15.2m and a variety of monohulls and catamarans for buyers including fish farms.

The successful tender to build the two Coast Guard boats was announced earlier this month by Victorian Transport Minister Peter Batchelor.

He said the boats would operate out of Portland and Warrnambool.

They would be crucial to the search and rescue capabilities of the Australian Volunteer Coast Guard off the southern Victorian coast.

Victoria's Boating Safety and Facilities program has partly funded the boats. The program is funded by re-investing money from recreational boat operator licensing fees and boat registration revenue.

It is similar to the grants given by Marine and Safety Tasmania for a wide variety of facilities and projects from money raised through boat registrations and mooring fees.

The balance of the money has come from the Australian Volunteer Coast Guard and the Federal Government's Department of Transport and Regional Services regional partnership program.