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COAST GUARD STATION FORT MYERS BEACH UNVEILS NEW HOMELAND SECURITY BOAT AT BOAT SHOW
**media availability**
FORT MYERS BEACH, Fla. - One of the newest weapons in the arsenal to protect our nation will be on display Saturday, Nov. 13, as Coast Guard Station Fort Myers Beach unveils its new RB-S Small Response Boat.
The vessel will be available for the media and the public to view and tour from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. on the floating docks off the Yacht Basin in the Caloosahatchee River in downtown Fort Myers, as part of the 32nd annual Fort Myers Boat Show.
The 25-foot craft, which can be operated with as few as two crew members, is capable of speeds of more than 45 knots and offers a cruising range of 150 nautical miles at 35 knots. Powered by twin 225-horsepower Honda outboards, the vessel has a draft of 3.25 feet with a beam of 8.5 feet, and can be trailered for quick relocation or even flown in via C-130 cargo aircraft for rapid deployment.
Beyond its homeland security mission, the $190,000 craft is fully equipped for use in Coast Guard search and rescue efforts as well as routine law enforcement and environmental protection.
Originally developed as a replacement for some 300 shore-based non-standard boats, the RB-S has become the platform to increase the long-term homeland security capability at Coast Guard shore stations in the wake of the 9/11 tragedy. The RB-S boasts dozens of improvements over the RB-HS boat it replaces, including a reinforced bow, full shock mitigating seating, a larger cabin and LED navigation lights.
With more than 100 boats per year being produced, the RB-S will eventually replace all shore-based non-standard response boats and the RB-HS boats assigned to the Coast Guard's Maritime Safety and Security Teams. The acquisition of up to 700 of these standard response boats makes it one of the largest boat buys of its type in the world.
Several RB-S boats have already been ordered by other Department of Homeland Security agencies and foreign countries for their maritime homeland security missions.
The boat show will be open 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Thursday through Saturday, and 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. on Sunday. Admission is $8 per person, and kids under age 12 are admitted free. Call 656-7083 for information, or get details online at www.swfmia.com or www.fortmyersboatshow.com.
Editor's note - Coast Guard crewmembers from Station Fort Myers Beach will be on scene with their new boat to offer interviews and press kits with amplifying information between 10 a.m. and 6 p.m. In case of inclement weather, the RB-S boat will be trailered for display on land at the boat show. The boat show will also host booths from the Coast Guard Auxiliary and the Boating Safety Task Force, both of which will have active duty Coast Guard crewmembers present.
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The U.S. Coast Guard is a military, maritime, multi-mission service within the
Department of Homeland Security dedicated to protecting the safety and security of America. |
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