Volunteer Peter Ashworth busy during the new diesel engine install

Sharp eyed observers may be wondering why the Marine Rescue Central Coast rescue boat, Centaco 20, has been running continuous long loops on Brisbane Water Broadwater between Koolewong, Saratoga and Green Point. The question has been raised, “Are the volunteers just out playing boats?”

In mid-December, a new 350HP Diesel engine was installed in the rescue boat. To enable the boat to be ready for rescue operations in all conditions the new engine has to be ‘run-in’. This involves keeping the engine under load but operating at varying rpm during its first 50 running hours.

To achieve the required hours, a programme of time and varying rpm has been devised and the volunteer crews are running the vessel around a long on-water ‘loop’, changing the speed and throttle settings to get the engine ready for ‘real’ action when needed offshore.

Once the 50 hours running time has been achieved, the engine will be serviced and checked and only then will Centaco 20 be declared ‘ready for service’.