Delivery of fast inshore rescue craft imminent

The JLA announced last year that it had purchased a Gemini Waverider 880 CR – the same kind of RIB used by the Special Forces – and that it was being built in the UK.

The new boat will have a top speed of about 50 knots when fully loaded and boasts a wide array of equipment, including a thermal-imaging camera. It will also be fitted with shock-mitigation seating and an advanced water ballast system to help with stability.

Coxswain Andy Hibbs said the JLA expected the craft to be ready ‘within ten days’ and that it could be operational by mid-July following an extensive sea trial.

‘Everything was delayed because of Covid,’ he said. ‘The industry has been suffering, but at least things are moving again. All of the equipment is being fitted onto it and it is now coming together.’

He added: ‘We have been working closely with Jersey Coastguard to carry out the declaration process and see how the boat has been built and what’s on it. It’s going to be a quick beast.’

The JLA was formed after members split from the RNLI in 2017, and currently operates a single all-weather vessel called Sir Max Aitken III. Mr Hibbs said that the £250,000 needed to add the Waverider to its arsenal was sourced entirely through local donors.

‘It’s very capable and will be the fastest inshore rescue vessel in the Channel Islands,’ he said. ‘Hopefully with Covid ending it is likely to be a very busy season for boat owners.’

The boat is designed to operate within extreme conditions and is used in commercial patrols and rescue operations all over the world. Its supplier, Berthon RIB Solutions, also provides RIBs to the National Sea Rescue Institute in South Africa.

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