A 25-foot Defender-class response boat. (Photo: U.S. Coast Guard)
Brick officials signed off Tuesday night on the purchase of a former U.S. Coast Guard vessel which will be used by the Brick Township Police Department’s marine unit.
The boat is a 25-foot response boat of the Defender class, which are still in use by the Coast Guard across the nation, including at the Manasquan Inlet and Barnegat Light stations in Ocean County. Built by SAFE Boats International, the Defenders are high-speed, rigid-hull aluminum boats that have twin engines and can travel up to 46 knots (52 m.p.h.). Though similar in appearance to an inflatable boat, its collar is made of rigid polyethylene foam.
The boat, a 2010 model that includes the boat, motors and trailer, will be acquired for $40,000, said Mayor John Ducey.
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Councilman Jim Fozman said Chief James Riccio requested the boat as an upgrade to the department’s current fleet since the Defender is capable of operating in rough weather. Fozman said the boat will be funded through the township’s capital budget, using dollars that were saved by way of other projects being completed for less than expected.
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