The National Sea Rescue Institute (NSRI) is making strides after launching the first fully South African built Offshore Rescue Craft (ORC).
This rescue craft will be making its way to Station 17 in Hermanus on Saturday, December 4 2021 in what is expected to be a momentous occasion, coming a few years after the start of an ambitious programme to introduce a new class of deep sea rescue vessels suited to South African waters.
NSRI CEO, Dr Cleeve Robertson says the ORC is a self-righting and purpose-built rescue vessel which was designed for rescue operations in extreme conditions. “At 14.8 m long and 4.8 m wide, this vessel can be deployed on rescue missions as far as 40 nautical miles (74km) from land. It has an expected lifespan of at least 40 years,” he expresses.
According to a statement, the organisation has plans to build another seven vessels in the next 5-8 years and is proud that they will all be built in South Africa, by South Africans. This will create new employment, and re-ignite skills in the boat building industry.
“We are one of the few services in the world which is using this particular design. This is a wonderful opportunity for the NSRI as a whole and it’s aspirational for water services as a whole,” Dr Robertson adds.
The new ORC will settle in Hermanus and will service the entire coastline from Cape Hangklip to Witsand, a stretch of coastline well respected for its challenging maritime conditions – covering the southern most tip of Africa.
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Picture: NSRI