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The National Sea Rescue Institute in Gqeberha is keenly awaiting the arrival of its new Offshore Rescue Craft, which began its maiden voyage from Cape Town on Tuesday.
NSRI spokesperson, Craig Lambinon, said the rescue craft was designed for high performance in harsh maritime conditions.
“It is self-righting and purpose-built for rescue operations in extreme conditions.
“At 14.8m long and 4.8m wide, it can be deployed as far as 50 nautical miles from land and has an expected lifespan of at least 40 years,” he said.
Lambinon said the NSRI introduced the offshore rescue craft to its fleet five years ago in Durban.
He said the crew on Rescue 6 includes training manager, Graeme Harding, outgoing NSRI CEO Dr Cleeve Robertson, executive director, Mark Hughes, and three Gqeberha volunteer crew members.
They will sail from Cape Town to Mossel Bay on Tuesday where they will do a crew swap and rest before continuing their journey to Gqeberha.
Lambinon said Rescue 6 is expected to arrive in the port of Port Elizabeth late on Wednesday afternoon.
