This Saturday, Coastguard Tauranga will officially welcome its newest fleet member - the state-of-the-art TECT Rescue.

Built by Q-West Boat Builders and designed by Teknicraft, this 14.8m foil-supported catamaran vessel is nothing less than a game changer for the busiest Coastguard Unit in the Bay of Plenty region.

Replacing its predecessor, the new TECT Rescue vessel comes equipped with an array of impressive features to enhance the volunteers’ lifesaving mahi. Some of the features include:

• A cruising speed of 28 to 30 nautical miles per hour to reduce Coastguard Tauranga's response times, including by 40 minutes to Mayor Island.
• Electronically controlled unit injectors to ensure low exhaust emissions and better fuel economy, making it a more economical vessel to run.
• A draft of 0.7m which is ideal for voluntesaers to reach vessels needing assistance in shallow water.

“One of the features that is of particular interest is its ability to generate search patterns at the push of a button," says Coastguard Tauranga board chair Scott Lee.

“Our Incident Management Team can draw up this feature on land and then send it to the vessel's navigation equipment,” he says.

“The helm person can even initiate Autopilot, and the vessel will steer the search pattern course by itself.

“This will increase our ability to fulfil our aim of saving lives on the water and helping anyone whenever we can - better, stronger, faster!"

The significant investment of $2.7 million in this brand-new rescue vessel highlights a strong commitment to enhancing its efficiency and versatility in maritime rescue operations.

Recognising the ever-changing demands of coastal emergencies, every aspect of the vessel's design and features has been carefully tailored to meet these varied requirements.

The generous contributions of the Tauranga Maritime Trust, Grassroots Trust Central, Lottery Grants Board, 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, Trevelyans, among others, have been instrumental in bringing this project to life.

Their support reflects a shared commitment to saving lives on the water and ensuring that Coastguard Tauranga possesses the resources necessary to respond swiftly and decisively to any emergency.

“Coastguard Tauranga has always been a high-performing Unit that goes beyond the call of duty to save lives on the water,” says Coastguard New Zealand CEO, Callum Gillespie.

“The new vessel is a significant milestone for the Tauranga community and ensures that they can continue their lifesaving mahi for many years to come.”

In the past year alone, Coastguard Tauranga’s 69 volunteers responded to 23,662 radio calls and assisted more than 350 people to get home safely.

Volunteers contributed a massive 8,135 hours, with 217 hours exclusively dedicated just to incidents.

This commitment is complemented by many hours of practical training, ensuring the crew's skills are finely tuned when responding to incidents.

With favourable weather forecasts extending into autumn, the introduction of TECT Rescue is a significant boost for Coastguard Tauranga and the Bay of Plenty community, reinforcing their dedication to ensuring everyone can enjoy the water safely and with confidence.