Kahurangi was commissioned to replace the ageing existing vessel, which was donated to Coastguard Whangaroa in mid-2012 after more than a decade of service with another Northland Coastguard Unit. To complement the new vessel, extensive volunteer recruitment and training has been undertaken to increase the number of skilled wet crew volunteers, ensuring the unit can continue to respond to incidents 24 hours a day.
Coastguard Whangaroa president Bob Kidd said the Whangaroa region swelled in summer with an influx of visitors from across the country, resulting in large numbers of boaties on the water.
"The new Coastguard vessel has been custom designed for the needs of the area and to cope well with the often-treacherous conditions off the Northland coast," Mr Kidd said.
"The end result is that boaties in this popular boating spot can rest assured that Coastguard will have their back should they ever run into trouble."
Volunteers from Coastguard Whangaroa attended 41blown incidents since January 2015, ranging from mechanical difficulties to full emergencies, ensuring dozens of boaties have been brought back to safety.
"The Coastguard Whangaroa team look forward to being able to continue to give back to the community, by providing this vital rescue service" says Mr Kidd.
*The dedication and blessing of the new Coastguard Whangaroa rescue vessel Kahurangi, is on Saturday, October 8 at the Whangaroa Marina from 2pm.
