New Rescue/Salvage Vessel Launched

The quick response rescue vessel, Safe/Sea Block Island was launched and began providing quick response towing and salvage services to Rhode Island area boaters on April 15. Built by Almar for Safe/Sea, a Rhode Island based company, the Rigid Inflatable Boat (RIB) measures 33 by 12 ft. wide.

The Almar hull is welded marine aluminum of heavy duty construction. A 24-in. deadrise aft is designed to give a soft ride and excellent rough water performance. The 28-in. diameter Wing polyurethane tubes are designed for stability, buoyancy and fendering under extreme conditions.

With twin 315 hp Yanmar Diesel engines coupled through Borg Warner 1:1 gears to a pair of Hamilton 274 jet propulsion units, the Safe/Sea Block Island is designed to perform well in the Atlantic Ocean while based out of Safe/Sea's Block Island, RI salvage station.

Continuing a relationship that dates back to 1994, John Andrews, the President of Safe/Sea in Wickford, RI and Mike Sandeman, Vice President of Almar in Tacoma, Wash., put the new vessel through severe testing in Puget Sound before it was shipped East to Rhode Island. The Safe/Sea Block Island is the sixth rescue vessel that Almar has built for Safe/Sea.

The vessel easily exceeded her top speed projection of f40orty knots. The Safe/Sea Block Island's electronics, which were provided by Pawtuxet Marine Electronics of Cranston, RI, include a Furuno 1942 MK2 radar, two SEA 156 VHF Radios and a Northstar 957 DGPS receiver/plotter. Additional on board equipment was supplied by Marinetics, Algea-X, ACR, Seaward Products, E Paint and X-Change-R Products.