Rye Police Department's Shiny New SAFE Boat Is Unveiled

Press release from the City of Rye:

The City of Rye Police Department is proud to announce the delivery of a new 31’ Full Cabin SAFEBoats patrol vessel. The new boat will be unveiled TODAY January 23rd 3 PM at the Rye City Marina in a brief ceremony. The boat will allow the Department’s Marine Unit to provide patrol services year-round. The delivery of the vessel represents the commitment of the City to modernize and upgrade its patrol fleet to better serve the Citizens of Rye.

The SAFE Boat replaces a 2001 27’ Glacier Bay Catamaran. The Glacier Bay was purchased at a trade show in 2001 and was marketed by the manufacture as a fishing/pleasure vessel. It was adapted to provide law enforcement services, and it dutifully served the City of Rye for over 20 years. In recent years the limitations of the vessel, the necessity to replace critical systems and the inability of the boat to operate year round operations highlighted the need for replacement. Initial estimates put refurbishment costs at $150,000 and the vessel still would not have been able to operate during the winter season.

In December of 2023, the City Council approved funding for a new boat and since then, the Police Department has been working diligently with SAFE Boats International to design and construct one of the most rugged and modern law enforcement patrol vessel in the area.

The new vessel, called PB1 (Patrol Boat 1) is a significant upgrade from the previous boat. It is constructed fully of 5/16” 5086 aluminum metal, which is ideal for marine applications and provides durability and resilience in the most challenging of environments. It is powered by two, efficient and reliable 400 horsepower Mercury outboard engines capable of reaching speeds in excess of 50 miles per hour. It has a fully enclosed cabin, with shock mitigating seats to protect crew and passengers in rough seas. The cabin is climate controlled for operations in the dead of winter or the height of summer. It has a full suite of marine electronics which includes a chart plotting system, doppler radar, side scanning sonar, and FLIR advanced thermal imaging camera to assist in search and rescue operations.

“With this vessel, the City of Rye has made a fundamental investment in our emergency services” said Michael A. Kopy, Commissioner of Public Safety. “We now have an asset that allows our Police Officers and Bay Constables to safely respond to and mitigate emergencies in any condition, any weather, anytime of day.”

Rye City Mayor Josh Cohn added, "We are a coastal community. I am glad that our very professional police department now has a purpose-built craft to fully enable it on the water."

31’ SAFE Full Cabin Specifications:
• Length: 33’6” Overall (with Engines and rigging)
• Beam: 10’0”
• Draft: 24”
• Fuel Capacity: 300 gallons
• Engines: (2) Mercury 400 HP V10 Verado Outboards
• Westerbeke 5.0 MCGA AC Generator
• Whelen Emergency Lighting System

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This press release was produced by the City of Rye. The views expressed here are the author’s own.