The Santa Barbara Harbor Patrol has a new state-of-the-art rescue boat.
A traditional mariner’s christening ceremony was held Monday at the Travel Hoist Pier for the M2 Catamara, a patrol, fire, and rescue vessel.
It’s replacing Patrol Boat #3, which has been in service with the Harbor Patrol since 1999.
The City of Santa Barbara Waterfront Department reports the cost of the new vessel was $900,000, “secured in a contract two years ago through General Services Administration (GSA) pricing, resulting in significant cost savings compared to materials and labor today.”
It “will provide the Santa Barbaa Harbor Patrol with an ideal platform geared towards marine law enforcement, emergency medical response, ocean rescue, marine firefighting, search and rescue, and emergency towing operations,” the City stated in a press release.
The Harbor Patrol responds to emergencies in Stearns Wharf along with the harbor, marina and beaches but also patrols other nearby waters, including two miles out in the Santa Barbara Channel.
