We’re available 24 hours a day, 365 days a year. Our strategically located Coastguard rescue vessels and Coastguard search aircraft are provided with vital information and coordination from our Operations Centre, ensuring we do everything we can to save a life. In addition to this, Coastguard works hard to provide a range of safety information, education and other services to help Kiwis stay safe on the water.

For the first time in NZ Coastguard history, our two Units have decided to fundraise together for the two new rescue boats our Units and our community desperately need now. A joint campaign offers key benefits for our Units, our volunteers and especially our supporters. The potential benefits are:

>> Stronger profile of our need and the fundraising campaign
>> Greater recognition for our donors
>> Increased cost savings both short and long term
>> More engagement opportunities for our volunteers
>> Enables sharing of volunteers’ resources and skills between Units
>> Coordinated training programs for our volunteers
>> Better rescue capability across our region
>> Quicker emergency response time

Funds donated for this project will be held by Coastguard Central Region Inc. until required to be released to cover the construction costs of the vessels.

We sincerely hope you will join other generous supporters and see this as a very unique opportunity to give a gift which will give back to your community for decades to come. Your gift will enable us to return people home safely to their loved ones every day.

Vicki Rowland
Wellington Coastguard Unit

Peter Feely
Mana Coastguard Unit

Both Units have done everything they can to prolong the life of their vessels. The time has come to replace these vessels before they are no longer fit to safely save lives in the treacherous conditions around our coasts.

Wellington Coastguard Rescue Vessel, Spirit of Wellington is now 21 years old, and she’s showing her age. Years of service in Wellington Harbour and Cook Strait has taken its toll. Over recent years, Spirit of Wellington has spent months undergoing repairs and maintenance to keep her fit for service; valuable time when she wasn't available to save lives.

Mana Coastguard Rescue Vessel, Mana One is 11 years old, but because of the exposed operational area she works in and the changing conditions of the harbour bar, this boat is deemed as less than appropriate. The deck of the vessel is lower than the water line which doesn’t allow for ease of drainage, which is imperative in rough conditions. At only 9.5 metres she is rather small for the challenging environment of the Cook Strait. Currently, Mana One may not be able to respond to every emergency that a more fit-for-purpose vessel would.

Your support is vital. It will ensure we do not find ourselves in a position where the capability of our essential life-saving marine search and rescue services are less than what we require.

Your help will give our volunteers the tools they need to respond to any marine emergency in our region.

Based at each end of the Cook Strait, Wellington and Mana Coastguard crews save lives in one of the most treacherous bodies of water in the world.

The Cook Strait is well known as an unforgiving environment that demands the greatest respect. Our courageous crews venture into this environment relying on their training, experience, resources and equipment to save the lives of those who find themselves in difficult situations.

Our rescue vessels respond to over 80 emergency calls each year. Whilst many are within Wellington and Porirua harbour limits 14% have been out in the wider Cook Strait. However, there have been emergencies where we have had to venture further out to sea to save lives.

"To provide adequate coverage for the Cook Strait area, it is necessary to have vessels with the capability to operate in the wider Cook Strait environment".

Coastguard has undertaken extensive research to define the requirements for rescue vessels to work in the challenging and highly changeable conditions found in our region. These include the variable conditions of Wellington Harbour, Mana Harbour, Mana Bar and Cook Strait, with the potential for strong currents, rips and surroundings that can change rapidly.

The research concluded “A rescue vessel working in these conditions should have the operational capability in a force 10 wind and 8 metre seas".

Our Coastguard Rescue Vessels operate in rough, often hazardous situations, and volunteers can be required to be at sea for extended periods of time when conducting a search. Crew safety is paramount, as they put to sea in adverse conditions when other boaties are “running for cover".

The latest stringent regulations surrounding crew health and safety and our maritime operating environment are taken into account when selecting our new vessel, as well as the need to provide greater comfort for volunteers in extreme conditions.

To be able to save lives, our new vessel have to be able to carry vital search equipment, provide a reasonable height for visibility during a search and have sufficient covered space to protect crew and casualties from the weather.

After considerable research and deliberation, our preferred option is to replace both vessels with two new 12 metre vessels designed and constructed by AMF in Whanganui. The total cost of both vessels is around $3m and this is our fundraising target.

Often a fast reliable vessel to get on the scene quickly is essential as survivability rates for people in the water can be very low, just 30 minutes can change a rescue into a body retrieval.

Increase range and the ability to stay out on the water longer will be invaluable, especially in an extended search and rescue situation.

We need a vessel which can safely tow boats of up to 15m in length.

The vessels will provide a longer service life due to their robust design and diesel engines. They will have reduced maintenance costs, improved maneuverability, operational ability in shallow water and increased safety in retrieving victims by eliminating the possibility of propeller strike.

Our vessels need to be propelled by twin engine jets, as this provides reliability in the event of an engine failure or damage in extreme conditions. Single engine jets cannot be relied on, an engine failure can mean the rescuers end up needing rescuing.