The U.S. Coast Guard and Rozema Boat Works authenticated the keel for the first Special Purpose Craft – Heavy Weather (SPC-HWX II) during a July 8 ceremony in Mount Vernon, Washington, marking the formal start of construction on a next-generation surf rescue boat built for the Pacific Northwest. Rear Adm. Jon Hickey and Rep. Rick Larsen attended, and Chief Warrant Officer Beth Slade, commanding officer of the National Motor Lifeboat School in Ilwaco, welded her initials into the keel alongside Larsen to signify it “well and truly laid.”
The Coast Guard plans to acquire up to six SPC-HWX II vessels to replace the 52-foot heavy weather boats retired in 2021. Some will be homeported at Cape Disappointment — the largest search and rescue station in the Pacific Northwest, running 450 to 500 cases a year, many on the treacherous Columbia River bar — where new docks are under construction to accommodate them.
Measuring 64 feet with self-righting capability, the SPC-HWX II can operate in 35-foot seas, 25-foot surf and 60-knot winds, tow up to 300 tons, and run 150 miles offshore with a 48-hour endurance. Delivery of the first boat is scheduled for 2027.
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Original Article from Chinook Observer | Written by Chinook Observer Staff
