Ken Moore goes back to Zodiac for repairs and refurbishing.

Repairs give opportunity for installation of new SAR device

File photo by R. McKee

On Friday, December 18, 2009, at approximately 0720 hours, a crew of five members of the Canadian Coast Guard Auxiliary - Pacific, Unit 12, Halfmoon Bay, left the boat house in Secret Cove on board their vessel, the Ken Moore. The volunteers were taking the rigid hull inflatable to the Zodiac facility in Richmond to have a new self-righting frame installed. The original frame had suffered cracks over the years and it was deemed necessary, for safety purposes, to replace the rig, rather than just repairing it. As much of the vessel's communications electronics (GPS, VHF Radio, and Radar) rely on antennas mounted on the frame, there is a lot of wiring that must be routed through the tubing while the ends are open and available. Unit 12 is taking advantage of the frame replacement by having a new search and rescue device installed on the frame. This is known as FLIR (Forward Looking Infra Red). The device will allow the crews to monitor screens which will display exactly what is in front of the boat in situations of low visibility such as fog or the dark of night. FLIR will complement the Unit's night vision binoculars and will enhance visibility at night along with increasing inclement weather capability.

Unit 12 hopes to have the Ken Moore back in normal operation at its base in Secret Cove within a week or ten days. Coverage for Unit 12's territory will be provided by Unit 61 Pender Harbour and Unit 14 Gibsons.

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