In a maritime milestone, the new Coastguard boat for Tauranga Volunteer Coastguard has made its grand arrival into Tauranga Harbour.

The new TECT Rescue vessel, met by a flotilla outside the Tauranga harbour entrance, was welcomed with a water salute from the tug Tai Pari on Monday, December 18, after a three-day passage from Whanganui.

Skippered by Tauranga Volunteer Coastguard volunteers Scott Lee, Todd Wakerley and John Cox, the boat left Q-West Boat Builders on Saturday, stopping overnight in Wellington and Napier.

“We left Whanganui approximately 12pm on Saturday,” says John.

“We headed down, basically a straight route, to Wellington. The seas were reasonably choppy with about a 1.2 metre swell and the boat handled it fantastically.”

Tai Pari tug welcoming the new TECT Rescue vessel with a water salute at the entrance to Tauranga harbour. Photo: Rosalie Liddle Crawford.

This was the first time for John, Todd and Scott helming the new vessel, apart from some boat practice during the boat trials and checks the surveyor and designer did the previous week at Q-West.

The trio have built up skills over the years skippering the current TECT Rescue, and found they quickly picked up what was required to manage the new boat with the bigger engines and hull.

The new TECT Rescue Coastguard vessel arriving in Tauranga. Photo: Rosalie Liddle Crawford.

“Picked it up pretty quick. It was a good voyage down to Wellington, about four-and-a-half hours,” says John.

“A little bit choppy as we were coming around from Makara Beach into the heads. A bit of tidal flow with current which caused quite sharp standing waves - the unusual wave patterns coming through there slowed us for a little bit.

“Apart from that it was a nice soft-riding trip. The boat ride is very soft, you don’t get that bang that you get on other vessels and such-like. It’s very stable. The sea that we had was causing the vessel to buck on to the port side but then it would just come back down and ride very nicely across the swells.”

Being a catamaran design helps with this stability.

“Plus having the foil enables us to pull the boat down and give it more stability in rougher water. That’s really a game changer for us as well.”

The current TECT Rescue boat, new TECT Rescue boat and Port of Tauranga’s pilot vessel Arataki heading towards Tauranga through the Tauranga harbour entrance. Photo: Rosalie Liddle Crawford.

Scott Lee took the helm for the Wellington to Napier leg on Sunday.

“We left at 20 to six in the morning, got out of Wellington quite easily.”

He says they experienced a bit of Wellington’s “windmaker” weather.

“A little bit of weather there but again the boat handles it just so nice, no risk of broaching or anything like that, it was very smooth,” says Scott.

“And once we got up east we were pretty much in the clear weather, in the calm, just a straight line, cruise up to Napier. We arrived seven-and-a-half hours later.”

Averaging 30 knots on the trip to Napier, they arrived about 2.30pm.

“It was a little bit slower in the chop but once we were in the clear we opened her up, and it just handled like a dream.  It’s surprising – crazy – how well it handles.”

Sealegs, Coastguard Waihi Beach’s boat Gallagher Rescue, Tirikawa, the current TECT Rescue boat and Port of Tauranga’s pilot vessel Arataki accompanying the new TECT Rescue boat through the Tauranga harbour entrance. Photo: Rosalie Liddle Crawford.

Todd Wakerley took the third leg from Napier to Tauranga with a stop in Gisborne to fuel up again. Then it was around the East Cape towards home, with the North Island making it enjoyable by providing them with shelter from the westerly.

“It’s absolutely beautiful all the way along that coastline,” says Scott.

“We came inside of White Island, with Whale Island on our port. Came around the end of the knoll on Motiti Island. It was pretty much a straight line.”

The current TECT Rescue boat greeting the new boat's arrival through the entrance to Tauranga harbour on Monday. Photo: Rosalie Liddle Crawford.

Tauranga Volunteer Coastguard volunteer and previous skipper Simon Barker drove from Whanganui on Saturday, meeting the boat and skippers in Wellington, and then Napier, before arriving back in Tauranga a few hours before them.

Coastguard Waihi Beach’s boat Gallagher Rescue, the current TECT Rescue boat, Sealegs, Tirikawa, and Port of Tauranga’s pilot vessel Arataki were also awaiting their arrival, all lined up outside the Tauranga entrance, to make a spectacular display alongside the new vessel as it came into the harbour.

With the new TECT Rescue vessel leading the way, the six vessels all came through the entrance together, with Tai Pari firing a jet of water metres into the air as a water salute and a welcome to the new craft as they came past.

Once inside the entrance, the three skippers aboard put the new vessel through its paces, demonstrating its high speed capability, fast braking and manoeuvring action before cruising on to its new berth at Sulphur Point.

Skippers John Cox, Todd Wakerley and Scott Lee demonstrating the braking action of the new TECT Rescue Coastguard vessel as it arrives in Tauranga. Photo: Rosalie Liddle Crawford.

Design and build

As a coastguard volunteer for the last 18 years, but with an engineering background, Simon has been one of those involved in the design and build process of the new boat.

“Basically we needed something more capable. We’ve built on what we’ve learned over the last 15 years with the current boat. And what we’ve got is a slightly bigger version, it’s larger, and slightly faster than what we’ve got at the moment.”

Tauranga Volunteer Coastguard skippers Scott Lee and John Cox at the helm of the new TECT Rescue vessel. Photo: Rosalie Liddle Crawford.

Simon says it was about 2015 that they started thinking of the time scale to work on for a replacement vessel.

“We started seriously on the process of what we wanted about 2019. It’s been four-and-a-half years from concept to design and build. “

He says they considered a number of different designers and options, then selected a designer and a builder.

“Teknicraft designed it. They are just south of Auckland and design a lot of the police boats, Kaikoura Whalewatch boats, and Customs boats. The builders are Q-West Boat Builders in Whanganui.They have built a lot of boats of this style and do a lot of building for Teknicraft boats.”

Inside the new TECT Rescue vessel after it berthed at Sulphur Point marina on Monday. Photo: Rosalie Liddle Crawford.

The specs

Teknicraft have designed a 14.8m foil-supported catamaran with a 5.5m beam.  The foil support will allow for a softer ride and will support the weight of the vessel at speed. 

The size of this new vessel makes it slightly larger than the rescue vessel it will be replacing.  The draft is 0.7m which still allows the vessel to navigate in fairly shallow waters.

The cruising speed of the vessel will be 28 to 30 nautical miles per hour, which exceeds the maximum speed of our current vessel. This increase in speed allows the new vessel to potentially attend to a vessel in distress at Mayor Island at least 40min faster.  

Even though there is a 350hp increase in engine power in the new vessel, it will cruise faster than the current CRV’s top speed and will consume at least 60 litres of diesel an hour less when doing so. 

Skippers John Cox, Todd Wakerley and Scott Lee demonstrating the speed of the new TECT Rescue Coastguard vessel as it arrives in Tauranga. Photo: Rosalie Liddle Crawford.

The state-of-the-art craft is equipped with enhanced capabilities for sea rescues, and is larger and swifter than the current vessel, which will have its name ‘TECT Rescue’ transferred to the new boat, reflecting the much appreciated sponsorship and support of TECT. The old boat will be sold in early-2024.

The vessel is powered by twin Scania DI 13, which are 600hp diesel injection commercial engines. The boat will use 140 litres an hour travelling at its operating speed.

Tauranga Volunteer Coastguard voluneers Scott Lee,John Cox and Simon Barker. Photo: Rosalie Liddle Crawford.

Tauranga's new rescue vessel has been designed entirely for on-water rescue functionality. 

Everything on the vessel serves the purpose of helping the crew perform best practice, from housing items as small as night vision units, to the side fenders which allow the vessel to barge alongside other boats without causing damage to either vessel. 

More details about the vessel's specifications can be found here

Sponsorship

The current Tauranga Volunteer Coastguard boat will have its name ‘TECT Rescue’ transferred to the new boat, reflecting the much appreciated sponsorship and support of TECT.

“We’re keeping the same name as other one, and we’ll sell the old boat early in the new year. So it will be TECT Rescue,” says Simon.

Coastguard Waihi Beach’s boat Gallagher Rescue and Sealegs. Photo: Rosalie Liddle Crawford.

The fundraising efforts for the new vessel have been massive. Major sponsors include The Tauranga Maritime Trust, Grassroots Trust Central, Lottery Grants Board, Coastguard New Zealand, as well as TECT.

Zespri, Tauranga City Council, The Lion Foundation, NZCT, Mackay Strathnaver Trust, Pub Charity, Port of Tauranga, Eves, Pak ‘n Save Cameron Road, First Mortgage Trust, Craigs Investment Partners, EMAC Electrical, Brian Scantlebury, Lions International and Trevelyans are amongst the considerable number of sponsors.

The Arataki pilot vessel and Coastguard New Zealand's Tirikawa Rescue boat welcoming the new TECT Rescue boat into Tauranga on Monday, December 18. Photo: Rosalie Liddle Crawford.

“The whole project has cost around $2.8million over all,” says Simon.

“TECT has been the largest funder, giving $650,000 to the project. It’s all been paid for now. We started fundraising over the last four years, contributing just over $1million and other donors contributed $1.8million.  It’s a very expensive commodity.”

Simon says after Christmas there will be “a fair amount of training” with the existing skippers and crew.

People from any job occupation or walk of life can volunteer for coastguard, as crew, skippers, radio operators and other roles. Simon says people who are keen to be involved as volunteers need to know it’s “quite a commitment”.

“Anyone who is interested, contact our unit. We have a training coordinator who will get in touch with them to tell them more about it. They can join as crew, and they may end up as a skipper.”

Tai Pari tug welcoming the new TECT Rescue vessel with a water salute at the entrance to Tauranga harbour. Photo: Rosalie Liddle Crawford.

Tauranga Volunteer Coastguard's mission statement is “Saving Lives On The Water”.

It takes a team of duty officers, wet crew, radio operators, fund raisers and administrators to ensure they meet their goal. Even if you only have a few hours per month to give, or don’t fancy the water - there’s a role for you.

To volunteer for Coastguard or to find out more information about volunteering click here.