Ten new lifeboats for Finland
The Finnish Lifeboat Institution has agreed to purchase ten new Search and Rescue boats from Kewatec AluBoat based in Kokkola, Finland. The value of the contract is about €5M.
The boats will be manufactured from aluminium, and they are about 9 metres long by 2.8 metres wide and less than one metre draft. The boats are either equipped with a diesel inboard and waterjet drive or with an outboard engine. The top speed will be at least 42 knots (outboard) or 37 knots (inboard/ waterjet).
The boats are a centre cabin design supplied with hydraulically operated bowports and SAR equipment, including light firefighting and first-aid equipment.
Oy Kewatec AluBoat Ab is specialized in aluminium boats for professional use, and describes itself as ‘one of the market leaders in the Nordic countries’. The shipyard has delivered hundreds of vessels for authority use, including to the defence forces, rescue departments, pilotage companies and police authorities. The company is located in Kokkola, Finland with about 50 employees.
The boats will be manufactured from 2018-2022, and the first boat will be based in Helsinki.
The Finnish Lifeboat Institution is the national umbrella organization for 56 volunteer maritime rescue associations in Finland. The main task of the Institution is to provide and equip SAR vessels for the rescue associations. The volunteer crews perform about 1500 tasks annually, assisting about 3000 people in distress along the coast and on inland waters.
By Jake Frith
