Custom RHIBs for Dutch rescuers

Palfinger will develop the new series of Rigid-Hulled Inflatable Boats (RHIBs) for the Netherlands Sea Rescue Institution- Koninklijke Nederlandse Redding Maatschappij (KNRM). 

“For the KNRM, reliability, safety and quality of our equipment is very important because our rescuers voluntarily risk their lives for others. We are confident that with the 7.5 metre RHIB, which Palfinger will produce, we offer our rescuers the best boat in this class,” said Jacob Tas, general director of the KNRM.

Tough design

In terms of design, Palfinger will be working closely together with the Dutch rescue organisation, in developing a 7.5 metre long, twin outboard aluminum RHIB.

This is a completely new development, custom-built to meet all the needs of the customer. The boat will have room for three crew members and twelve rescued people. A robust hull construction and a wave-breaking bow design provide the necessary stability – even in the roughest sea conditions.

Two Yamaha VMAX 115 hp 4-stroke engines give the lifeboat a speed of at least 32 knots.

“Besides quality and safety, we will pay special attention in the development phase to improving ergonomics in order to minimise physical strain fatigue of the KNRM rescuers during use in these rough conditions,” said Arnoud Straakenbroek, sales director govermental & professional boats and davits at Palfinger.

”We are very much looking forward to the cooperation with the KNRM and at the same time proud that we can name this prestigious organisation as a user of Palfinger’s high-quality boats in our references.”

The first RHIB is scheduled to leave the shipyard in Harderwijk at the end of 2022. The KNRM will intensively test the boat against the defined quality criteria. If the boat meets all expectations and is approved by the KNRM, Palfinger will start building the remaining eleven boats. The last RHIB will be delivered in 2028.

The KNRM helps people in distress at sea, 24 hours a day. Around 1,400 volunteers are on duty over 2,000 times a year with 75 boats available for the missions.

Palfinger will now increase this number. The official signing of the contract took place on 20 January at the Palfinger production facility in Harderwijk, the Netherlands, where the boats will also be manufactured in the future.