Fast Rescue Craft of the station

M.V. Roberts Bank Lifeboat - A Rapid Intervention Vessel

The M.V. Roberts Bank Lifeboat is an extremely capable boat, and is unique to the west coast of Canada. Our operations area covers the Fraser River, Strait of Georgia to the Gulf Islands, Roberts Bank Port and BC Ferries, Tsawwassen, Boundary Bay, Point Roberts USA (if required), and several other areas unique to our operation.

The VT Halmatic Pacific 38 is designed and built to survive the rigours of the harshest marine environments such as the oil fields of the North Sea and the wild seas to be found off Tristan Da Cunha (the world's remotest island) and the Falkland Islands.

The Pacific 38 combines an exceptionally seaworthy hull form with robust construction, well-engineered systems, an inflatable collar and inherent self righting to provide safe operation in extreme conditions. Typical applications of this type of vessel include standby vessel daughter craft, sea fisheries patrol boats, search and rescue craft, super-yacht tenders and lighthouse and buoy tenders.

Our vessel was built in 1995 and was previously used by Trinity House in the UK for lighthouse service & nav aid maintenance. It has a beaching keel, davit for equipment or man-over-board (MOB), 4 watertight compartments, sealed doors and windows, crew life raft, and equipment redundancy. It also carries a Lloyds of London certification for its self righting capabilities.

In April 2011 sound deadening steps were undertaken. A sound absorbant material has been applied to the hatches of the machine room and the cabin floor. Research is also being conducted to reduce the sound of the engine exhaust. These steps will allow the vessel to operate in enhanced patrol and surveillance duties as well as SAR.

Vessel statistics

• Cruise Speed 22 knots (25MPH / 40 KMH)
• Full Speed approx 30 knots (34.5 MPH / 55.5 KMH)
• Length 38 feet
• Weight approx 12 tons
• Range approx 300 Nm
• 2 Cummins 6C series engines developing 400hp each side
• 2 Castoldi water jets model 06
  
• 1100 Litres of diesel fuel in 2 separate tanks
• Crew of 5 seated in full suspension seats with 4 point harness
• Headset intercom system
• Heated cabin for cold weather operations
• Towing capability
• Underwater search capability
• Crew life raft

Equipment

• Icom 604 fixed DSC VHF radio
• Icom 504 fixed DSC VHF radio
• Furuno GP36 GPS
• Furuno GP37 DGPS with WAAS
• Navtex
• ADDF (radio direction finder)
• 25Kw open array radar
• 4Kw radar
• Ultrasonic weather station with GPS and fluxgate compass
• Magnetic compass
• Raytheon Tri-Data with depth-speed & trip log
• Chart plotter sounder with colour side scan sonar & GPS
• FLIR M series 625L(Forward Looking Infra Red) thermal imaging system
• PC based chart, nav, & radar system
• AIS Transponder
• Amateur radio VHF / UHF (2m / 70 cm) transceiver with APRS
• Other VHF Radio
• Digital cellular phone - fixed
• 1,000,000 candle power searchlight with 2 remote stations
• 2 portable searchlights
• SART (search and rescue transponder)
• 406 MHz self releasing EPIRB
• 2 rescue sticks (self inflating on water contact)
• Rescue throw bag - Rope
• Life rings with lights
• Fire / dewatering pump
• Theraputic Oxygen and first aid
• Spine board
• Man overboard pole
• Jacobs cradle reboarding device
• Collapsible boarding ladder
• Other equipment based on mission

Delta Marine Unit and Roberts Bank Lifeboat Videos

Watch a video of the MV Roberts Bank Lifeboat in action during an exercise.

Watch a video for an overview of the Delta Marine Unit supported by the Roberts Bank Lifeboat Station - Delta Society.

Watch a video compilation of marine rescues. This video shows the importance of SAR organisations like ours.