WELCOME TO

Cape Egmont
Sea Rescue

Trained in the harsh sea conditions prevalent in Taranaki

Fast Experienced Locals

Fast

From call out to launching in under 20 minutes

Local

Local crew and local knowledge

Experienced

6 skippers with over 85 years combined SAR experience

Range

Boat range of 400NM (741km)

Welcome

Welcome to Cape Egmont Sea Rescue. It’s over fifty years since some fellows met at the Okato pub to talk about rescue. Since then, we have been involved in many incidents. Fishing boats, yachts, and plenty of meetings are all over the place.

“This makes me proud to be part of the team at Cape Egmont Sea Rescue Trust”

We are proud to have our own rescue boat, a large committee, a highly trained crew, six trained skippers, all volunteers dedicated to saving lives.

Ken Goodin
Patron

Tom Goodin
Co Patron

About Us

Here at the Cape, local farmers have been offering a trained, structured response to Maritime Search and Rescue call outs for the past 50 years. We have gone through various name changes, until finally Cape Egmont Sea Rescue Trust was brought in to being in 2009.

Our biggest asset is our local knowledge; sea conditions, coastal topography, tidal movements and weather patterns. Our six senior skippers have over 85 years of SAR experience between them and many more years of boat handling in the notoriously rough, changeable waters off Cape Egmont. All of our 20 volunteer crew are used to being out in heavy seas. If you waited for a flat calm day to go fishing on the Cape, you’d never get out much.

“We’ve come a long way from our humble beginnings”

In the mid 1960’s a couple of cow cockies from the Cape Egmont Boat Club realised when boats got in trouble locally, it was a long wait for help to arrive. They decided to fix the problem.

Back then, the 17ft recreational fishing boat “Aquarius” was the star of the show. The crew of local farmers would race from cowshed to boat ramp whenever they got that phone call – someone’s missing off The Cape.

Fast forward to 2013 and Cape Egmont Sea Rescue Trust has grown into a highly respected, independent and thriving organisation. We have a $900,000 state of the art purpose built Lavranos design rescue craft, “TSB Sea Rescue”, a dedicated and skilled volunteer crew of 20 men and women and 10 non-crew volunteers working hard in the background.

We train specifically for rescues in the harsh sea conditions prevalent here at the Cape, the most trafficked area by sea and air on the West Coast of New Zealand. We work closely with the police, the rescue helicopter, Taranaki Air Patrol, Surf Life Saving, Coastguard Taranaki from New Plymouth, and South Taranaki Coastguard.

Our Boat

TSB Bank Sea Rescue was delivered in March 2011 after three years of fundraising and an 18 month build. She is now valued at $900,000. We needed a serious offshore rescue craft, so chose Bladerunner Boats in Auckland after noting they had built some very successful rescue vessels in South Africa, and trying out a Bladerunner boat locally.

We requested a special design of fairly shallow draught to allow launching in the boat ramp during low tides, yet steep-vee forward hull sections to maximise boat stability and crew comfort in rough conditions. Our black and yellow livery is, of course, the provincial colours of Taranaki.

She is built to Maritime New Zealand Survey standards which meant several extras, including four separators to remove salt spray from the engine instead of two, and bulwarks raised to 850mm to qualify for the distance we go offshore.

TSB Sea Rescue is designed for helicopter transfers at sea, so we can ferry casualties back to shore while the chopper stays at the scene if necessary.

The two 270hp four-cylinder Volvo diesel engines power the boat through duoprop stern legs (propellers). Jet units are not suitable for launching in the boat race due to the danger of becoming disabled when seaweed gets sucked through.

Extra manoeuvrability is provided by electric bow thrusters; however TSB Sea Rescue is very nimble and can turn around in the boat ramp without them.

Length – 10.8m
Beam – 3.4m
Draft – 0.75m
Weight – 7.5 tonnes fully fuelled
Engines 2 x D4 Volvos (270hp at 3500rpm)
Drive 2 x Volvo duoprop
Fuel capacity 900 litres plus more on deck if required
Top speed 38 knots (70km/h)
Fuel consumption 70 litres per hour at a cruising speed of 27 knots (50km/h)
400nm range (741km)
Carries 150L fresh water
Minimum six crew, certified to carry 24 people on board

Before You Head Out

There is excellent information on boating safety on the Coastguard New Zealand website. Of course, your boat is in good nick, you have enough fuel, your motor runs well and your boat battery is fully charged. We’d also like you to think about the following

“At sea” means “isolated, hostile environment where help is far away.” Off the Cape, the conditions change for the worse very quickly. Always have a well-fitting lifejacket for each crewmember, a working VHF radio, check a detailed forecast and leave a trip report.
How would your partner describe your boat? A white one? Make sure they can accurately tell rescuers what they are looking for and where you have gone. Use the Coastguard Boating Education 2 Minute Form and give it to someone at home each time you go.
Your passengers – do they have a medical condition? Can they swim? Are they experienced on a boat? You must know these answers before taking them anywhere.
You can save a crew member if they go overboard, but can they save you? What if the skipper is the emergency? Practice a Man Overboard drill and show everyone how to use the radio to call Coastguard.
VHF ch 16 is the emergency channel.
VHF ch 62 is Cape Egmont (NOT ALWAYS MANNED BUT RECOREDED)
VHF ch 61 is Coastguard Taranaki (New Plymouth)
Show your crew the Mayday sticker on the boat which you have already filled in (get them from Coastguard at Port Taranaki) and role play what you would say. Don’t actually call ch16 unless it is an emergency.
Everyone on board should have a basic idea of how to stop, start and turn the boat. Show them, don’t assume.
If it’s just you and your child, could they drive the boat and make a mayday call if you went overboard? Until they can, take another adult as well.
Here at the Cape it gets cold even in summer. Are you prepared for being caught out overnight? Bring warm clothes and rain gear, even if don’t think you’ll need them.
Have a strong beamed torch with a long battery life (check the batteries) as well as an EPIRB, charged cell phone and flares. As an absolute last resort, a violently waving torch at sea might be seen from land or by your rescuers.
Don’t be shy to call a Pan-Pan (“I’m worried, be prepared to help”) or Mayday (“I need urgent help”) on Ch16 if things are going wrong. Better to cancel a Mayday call than not make one because the boat has sunk.
Practice how to make a Pan-Pan or Mayday so it becomes second nature.

Grab Bag

When disaster strikes, you may have less than 10 seconds to abandon ship. Put your safety gear in a waterproof Grab Bag and keep it within reach. It can be a good idea to attach your Grab Bag to a life ring.

One of our skippers, Phillip Barrett, has the following Grab Bag on his recreational fishing boat:

Air horn (refillable)
Flares – here we have one handheld orange smoke flare, two pinpoint flares
Waterproof VHF handheld radio
Epirb
Torch
Whistle
First Aid Kit
Rope
Mirror

Test your radio and epirb regularly and make sure all batteries are charged.

Make a Mayday Call

Mayday comes from the French “venez m’aider” or “come to my aid”. It is the internationally recognised call for grave or imminent danger. Never “practice” a mayday call on the radio, role play with your crew off air. Using the word “mayday” live on air means you are in big trouble and need help NOW! If you have trouble but it is not a life threatening emergency, make a PanPan call.

If you hear a Mayday call, DO NOT ANSWER unless there is no reply. Start writing down the message in case you have to relay it.

Does your crew know how to read a GPS position or give a bearing? Make sure they do.

Mayday is always stated three times in a row, to ensure that it is heard accurately.
It is essential to speak clearly, slowly, and split numbers. For example, say One-Five instead of Fifteen.
If you know the phonetic alphabet – Use it (i.e. Alpha, Bravo, Charlie etc.)
Hold the microphone a few cms away from your mouth.
Stay calm, and speak slowly if you can. Rushing through the transmission is not going to get help any faster.

On Ch 16. Press and hold down the talk button. Breath once then talk.

MAYDAY, MAYDAY, MAYDAY
THIS IS (boat name)(boat name)(boat name)
ZM Number

MAYDAY
(boat name) ZM Number

Position
Nature of Stress
Assistance Required
# POB
Other information
OVER

(Release button and wait for reply. If nothing in 15 seconds, repeat your message. Make sure you are on CH16. When the Rescue centre replies, press and hold down talk button again, breathe once then talk).

Let go the talk button and wait for reply.

While waiting, prepare flares, life rafts, life jackets, gather emergency supplies, brief your crew. Stay calm and set an example for everyone else to follow.

If you have to abandon ship after your first Mayday call, call back on ch16 to let the Rescue Centre know they will be looking for a liferaft or persons in the water.

Keep a person on standby on the radio for as long as possible.

Live Cams & Weather

View the Cape Egmont Boat Race below and also check out the swell and whats happening in town with our Back Beach Cam.

Join The Team

We are seeking new recruits to join the team. You will receive full training and be part of a great crew helping to keep the coast safe!

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Thanks to our great supporters