Ocean Watch

Completed in May 2023, this 10.0 metre RIB was our second for Marine Rescue Jurien Bay. Western Australia’s Department of Fire and Emergency Services (DFES) ordered it through a competitive bidding process when construction of our first vessel for Marine Rescue Jurien Bay – the 7.0 metre Bay Watch – was well advanced.

The DFES personnel and rescue unit’s volunteers involved in the selection process therefore had first-hand knowledge of Dongara Marine’s RIB production capabilities and the project / customer relationship management approaches we employ.

Award of this follow-on contract therefore recognised their faith in Dongara Marine’s ability to deliver what, to that time, was our largest Marine Rescue RIB.

Marine Rescue Jurien Bay officially welcomed the new vessel to its fleet in July 2023 when Western Australia’s Emergency Services Minister, Stephen Dawson, and Fire and Emergency Services Commissioner, Darren Klemm AFSM, attended a ceremony where it was named Ocean Watch.

The aluminium hulled RIB replaced a nine-metre catamaran that had served the local community for 17 years and gave the Marine Rescue group greater capacity to undertake long-distance rescues. This is in its name, which was chosen to reflect the boat’s capability to travel significant distances offshore.

Supporting this capability, Dongara Marine fitted an 800 litre fuel tank, which supplies a pair of 300hp Mercury SeaPro outboards. These were Marine Rescue Jurien Bay’s preferred option.

Dongara Marine undertook full-scale testing with different propeller options to establish the best performance combination, with a top speed above 42 knots achieved.

Designed by Southerly Designs and completed to NSCV 2C survey requirements, Ocean Watch has an aluminium hull, with the hullform being developed from that used successfully on earlier 8.3 metre Marine Rescue RIBs. The hull is fitted with a West RIBs foam-filled, D-section collar.

The vessel’s superstructure comprises a fully enclosed wheelhouse, which houses the console for helm and navigation, as well as seats for personnel. This includes forward raked front windows and sliding windows at the side, with double doors and windows in the aft bulkhead.

The helm position is to starboard, with navigator positions either side of the door. Each position has a high grade Shockwave suspension seat positioned to provide good visibility and comfortable operation from both seated and standing positions. Two additional matching suspension seats are fitted for crew use, while custom-built storage and work tables are built- in to the wheelhouse’s aft corners.

Forward of the console, and accessed through a centreline opening, is a raised forward half / cuddy cabin. Extending the full beam of the vessel this cabin is primarily a storage space but also contains a small refrigerator. Ahead of the cuddy cabin is the anchor well which houses a Lone Star Marine electric drum winch for anchor handling.

Aft of the wheelhouse is an open work deck with integral towing post, additional seating, and stowages. Rescue zones with lift out rails are located on both sides.

As is common with Marine Rescue vessels in Western Australia, Ocean Watch has been fitted with an extensive package of electronics for navigation, communication, vessel control and monitoring, and search and rescue.

Controls for all items are installed into the helm console, with the final layout developed and agreed through consultation between Marine Rescue crews, Dongara Marine, and our specialist supplier and subcontractor Geraldton Marine Electronics.

Items fitted include twin 16-inch Simrad Multi-Function Displays with electronics charts, plotting, radar and sounding; a Rhotheta radio detection finder; VHF and WAERN radios, satellite phone, and FLIR gyro-stabilised colour multispectral marine camera. A Sanshin searchlight and Ultra Vision LED flood lights are also fitted.

The Jurien Bay volunteers are one of 37 Marine Rescue WA groups situated along Western Australia’s coastline from Esperance in the south to Kununurra in the north that are managed and funded through DFES. Another two, in Christmas Island and Cocos (Keeling) Islands, are funded and managed by the Commonwealth.

For more information on Volunteer Marine Rescue Western Australia (VMRWA) visit www.vmrwa.org.au or its Facebook page.