The volunteers, Norm Smith and Peter Ashworth, who maintain the rescue boats for Marine Rescue Central Coast, last month gave bad news to Unit Commander Ian Gallard. The main rescue boat’s 315 HP diesel engine had to be replaced. The volunteer unit would need to find at least $50,000.00 to purchase a replacement engine and gearbox as well as refurbish the boat’s jet unit.

The Central Coast unit had little choice but to ‘go ahead’ as a marine rescue unit without a reliable rescue boat was unthinkable, especially with the approach of the busy summer season. Without the rescue boat, lives could be placed ‘in danger’ in the unit’s area of responsibility, Brisbane Water and offshore from Broken Bay to Norah Head.

On Friday December 9 the new engine with its gearbox attached was delivered to the Point Clare base where the rescue boat hull sat waiting on the slipway. A crane was needed to lift the 500Kg 350 HP diesel and lower it gently to the waiting engine mounts. The supplier’s engineers were on hand to begin the installation that will be completed this week.