NSRI Knysna welcomes brand-new vessel
After the superyacht M/Y Katharine stopped over in Knysna in December last year, NSRI Station 12 Knysna has, thanks to donations from the boat's owners, been able to fund a new vessel for their crew and named it in Katharine's honour. Yacht owners Lee and Penny Anderson have had a long affiliation with Knysna, even though this was their first visit to the town.
During the past 20 years of yacht ownership, their yachts have been crewed by multiple crew members originating from the town - many of whom had also served as NSRI Knysna crew members over the years. So, when the opportunity came to visit South Africa with their yacht, Knysna was first on the itinerary.
In December, NSRI Knysna was requested to assist with escorting the M/Y Katharine through the Knysna Heads, and on the day of entry into the Knysna Estuary, the Andersons welcomed NSRI
Knysna station commander Jerome Simonis and his coxswains aboard their vessel. After successfully navigating The Heads and the channel up to Thesen's Jetty at the Garden Route National Park offices, the Andersons were so impressed by the professionalism and dedication of the NSRI volunteers that they requested to see the NSRI Knysna rescue base and get a better understanding of the sea rescue organisation and the history of NSRI Knysna. They then made a very generous donation to Station 12, ultimately helping fund the new 4,5m JetRIB rescue craft named Katharine.
The all-new Yamaha VX1050 JetRIB is powered by an environmentally friendly four-stroke engine and is operated by a helmsman and two crew. It is one of the safest and most responsive rescue craft to be used in the Knysna Heads and will improve capabilities in the surf as well as on open water.