Based on their successful 1050 Sedan luxury cruiser, this custom-built rescue boat shows the versatility in design and construction of the NSW-based Steber boatbuilding company. Graham Lloyd goes aboard.

When the Point Danger Volunteer Marine Rescue Group at Tweed Heads needed a new boat, they began a search for their ideal craft after setting some high expectations. New requirements that came into effect this year require rescue boats, such as that used by the Point Danger Group, to be in survey.

This was a key factor along with abilities to handle both rough open waters and to operate in shallows when towing disabled trailer boats back to a ramp. Along the rugged east coast territory covered by the Group, bar crossings in adverse conditions are not unusual.

As Ian Burns, maintenance officer for the Point Danger Group said: “"We put a great deal of thought into what we wanted, shopped around, spoke with the team at Steber, made a big decision to proceed with the largest boat we have ever had, and then Steber did the rest.”"

But there was one variance from Steber's usual approach. The need for shallow water operations required a need for the shock-absorbable and trimmable/tiltable legs of sterndrive power. So, instead of Steber's usual shaft drive arrangement, the Point Danger 1050 has been set up with a pair of Volvo KAD43 230hp diesels running through Duo-Prop drives. This meant that the long keel of the standard 1050 design had to be eliminated, and quite successfully as it turns out.

Clearly, the accommodation layout of the recreational luxury cruiser was not going to suit the rescue application. In changing the interior of the boat, the Steber team came up with a quite original helm position with an aft quarter deck-style that locates the helmsman for perfect sightlines and where there is less-than-usual movement.

On the 1050 Rescue, the helm is further aft where there is less movement, and located on a raised deck area so that visibility both forward and back over the cockpit is excellent and unhindered.

The helm position on the 1050 also makes it easy for the skipper to lean a bit out to starboard and get a clear view along the side of the boat, unimpeded by glass or screen supports.

Normally though, the skipper, and his partner on a similar raised quarter deck to port, are well protected by a strengthened glass screen and an overhanging hardtop. Harness attachment-points are provided for security in really rough situations, and the general layout of gauges and controls is hard to fault. This helm layout is actually similar to specialised rescue designs used around Great Britain in the treacherous North Sea. The two Volvo powerplants sweep the eight tonne Steber to a top end of around 33 knots, with cruise speeds of more than 25 knots. The engine compartment is plenty large with access through hatches in the cockpit sole. Twin 600 litre fuel tanks give a worthwhile range.

The self-draining cockpit has plenty of room to move around even when several people are involved in rescue operations. The cockpit is dominated by a large, strong towing bitt as the specification from Point Danger for the 1050 Rescue included an ability to tow boats weighing up to 30 tonnes.

Experience has shown that a side-mounted cockpit door, to starboard on this boat, is better for rescue work than a transom door. The skipper can more easily see somebody in the water as he manoeuvres to pick them up, and it positions victims further away from the props as they are brought aboard.

The crew seats, like the lower helm chair, are special KAB 301 pneumatically-mounted units that cushion the impacts of heavy landings in a large swell. Lights in the cabin are fitted with dual globes, one white and the other red so that night vision can be maintained when operating after dark. Another good point is that there are plenty of grab handles to hold on to when running fast through a seaway.

A very special feature of the boat is the overhead stowage in the main cabin for the Stokes rescue litter. This stretcher can quickly be brought into use and enables more seriously injured victims to be held securely for treatment onboard, and to facilitate transfer to a helicopter if transport to a hospital is urgently required.

As expected for a boat of this type, a range of radios and electronics have been fitted. A Raytheon RL70 Radar and Raychart chartplotter were selected, together with an Apelco 265 depthsounder. The radios include Uniden UH100 and 27 Mhz Sea Dolphin units, plus ICOM VHF and HF transceivers. A Raytheon loudhailer system enables communication with other boats, and is also used between the helm and the foredeck where a microphone enables crew working lines or anchors to talk back with the skipper. There's a remote control spotlight as well.

The 1050 Rescue is one variation of many layouts possible with this model Steber. The factory calls the design the 1050 Utility, and that's a good name as the boat can indeed be readily utilised for different applications.