Ready to patrol on ocean blue

TASMANIA Police’s new $8.6 million, fuel-injected sea machine has been unveiled.

The PV Cape Wickham, named after King Island’s picturesque headland, will be based in Hobart where demand is highest for large rescue boats. The vessel can perform rescues up to 370km off Tasmania’s coastline.

The Cape Wickham was yesterday christened by Constable Fiona Russell, of King Island’s marine unit.

“Tasmania Police’s firstclass marine and rescue service is now even better equipped for marine rescues, fisheries enforcement and protection of state marine resources,” Police Commissioner Darren Hine said.

“The PV Cape Wickham has world-class search and rescue systems including a forward looking, infra-red capability to search in darkness, thermal-detection capability and sea-floor search and 3D-mapping capability.”

Mr Hine said a high-speed rigid-hull inflatable could be quickly launched and retrieved from the vessel, allowing even greater access to the coastline.

The boat was built by West Australia’s Fine Entry Marine.

Police Minister Rene Hidding said the Government committed to building it after the “spectacular failure of the PV Fortescue” which never got wet.

The trouble-plagued PV Fortescue was offloaded in 2014 for $250,000 after six years of problems.

It had cost the previous state government more than $2 million to build then repair.