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19 January 2006
"Col's 52 foot runabout was purchased from the Royal National Lifeboat Institute of the United Kingdom. It is an ARUN Class Lifeboat considered to be one of the safest ocean going rescue vessels available. Powered by twin Caterpillar 460HP diesels it has a range of 250 nautical miles at cruising speed, with a top speed of 20 knots. It carries a nominal crew of seven and is a self-righting vessel capable of withstanding a 360 degree rollover and still keep going.
Col can't estimate how many vessels or people he has been involved in assisting over the past nine years he has been with the RVCP [Royal Volunteer Coastal Patrol] though he does remember six lost at sea. His longest search and rescue mission as skipper lasted eighteen hours over fifty miles out to sea. To date he has received two Certificates of Meritorious Service from the RVCP and one Certificate of Appreciation from the NSW Police Service, Marine Area Command, as skipper of the lifeboat in saving two people returning from Lord Howe Island in extremely dangerous conditions.
On a regular basis Port Stephens RVCP conduct exercises with the RAAF Rescue Chopper from Williamtown (occasionally from Richmond). Col assures us, a lot of trust is put in the pilot as you head into the sea with the Chopper blades only a couple of metres above your head. Occasionally Port Stephens RVCP provides a standby rescue and retrieval vessel for aircrew survival exercises as well as acting as target and retrieval vessel for the Hercules from Richmond on supply drops.
Col also has a 28ft. twin-powered diesel boat with Hamilton jets, top speed over 30 Knots, to play with. His only complaint being, after all these years, he is still rostered to do Duty Crew every four to five weeks albeit as Duty Skipper on a 7/24 stint."
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