Ribcraft delivers patrol boat to North Carolina sheriff’s office

Ribcraft, Marblehead, Mass., recently delivered a 21′ Ribcraft 6.5 patrol boat to the Pender County Sheriff’s Office. Pender County is located on the Atlantic Ocean in the southeastern part of North Carolina.

The Sheriff’s Office formed a joint venture with the Pender County Rescue Squad to provide water enforcement and rescue operations seven days a week during the summer months. The new patrol boat meets the county’s multifunctional requirements and enhances its on water response capabilities.

Powered by 175-hp Yamaha outboard, the 6.5 can reach speeds in excess of 50 mph while still providing a safe and maneuverable platform during patrols and search and rescue missions. The patrol boat features a Stokes basket system (stretcher) with an antenna arch and integrated dive ladder. Other features of the 21′ RIB include a center console layout with front bench seat and leaning post, aluminum T-top with electronics box, full size windscreen mounted to the t-Top, forward tow post, a pair of transom bollards, VHF, yellow hypalon tubes with boarding wear patches, grab handles, bow chock and a reinforced bow.

Designed specifically for hard 24/7 commercial use, the RIB will have a uniformed law enforcement officer and a paramedic onboard seven days a week.

Ribcraft officials worked with the sheriff’s office to understand its operational requirements and environmental conditions to insure the county’s RIB was properly configured. The sheriff’s office needed a boat that was versatile in order to serve its and the Rescue Squad’s shared needs. Ribcraft officials said they are confident the boat will fulfill its purpose as both a patrol and a search and rescue RIB for both the Sheriff’s Office and the County Rescue Squad.