NEW RIB RANGES FAR AND WIDE

The keys to a new specially-built, state of the art £42,000 rigid inflatable which will help Milford Haven’s water ranger carry out an increasingly long list of duties have been officially handed over to the Port Authority.

At 7.5m with a diesel inboard motor, the new Hunter Ocean Pro is two metres longer than her predecessor with a range of over 200 nautical miles. With a cruising speed of 20 knots and a top speed in excess of 30 knots, considerably faster too.

The Port Authority’s water ranger, John Warneford, said that one of the changes on the waterway since the creation of the role was the increasing speed of leisure craft.

“The new RIB is definitely a presence on the river and at least I’ll be able to keep up with the best of them if I need to!” he said.

“The job of water ranger has expanded considerably since it was created in 1991. At that time it was primarily the upper reaches that we needed to cover, but now it’s the whole of the Haven.”

The new RIB is very flexible, and is big and strong enough to undertake a variety of tasks inside and outside the Haven including rescues, inspections, and escorting, and in more weather conditions.

She has been specially commissioned by the Port Authority to its specification, and has blue lights, Channel 0 for communication with the coastguard, and a seating capacity of six.

“In our season from March to September she clocks up 450 hours in the water – so she’ll be getting plenty of use!” said John.