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.

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

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.

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.

This nautical advancement marks a significant upgrade, with cruising 28 to 30 nautical miles per hour exceeding the maximum speed of the current vessel.

This increase in speed allows the new vessel to potentially attend to a vessel in distress at Major Island at least 40 minutes faster.  

Even though there is a 350hp increase in engine power in the new vessel, it will consume at least 60 litres of diesel an hour less at top speed than the current boat. 

The vessel, designed by Teknicraft, 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 Coastguard volunteer Simon Barker says the whole project, which has been four-and-a-half years from concept to design and build, has cost around $2.8million overall, with TECT being the largest funder.