R5.5 Fast Rescue Craft
Prototype
1989
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In the late 1980's Crockett McConnell, the then premiere aluminum builders on Canada's east coast were approached by the Canada Coast Guard to develop a new generation of Fast Rescue Craft. These were, once again, to be based on work ongoing in the UK within Watercraft. In co-operation with another innovative UK Offshore vendor, Watercraft had developed an alternative to the inflatable collar. These neoprene bags, based on aircraft fueltank technology, although extremely effective as both flotation and impact arbsorbant and remarkably resilient were not puncture proof in the hard bitten life on an offshore supply vessel or government bouy-tender. The new rigid collars were molded polyethylene coated with high density PVC. Based on the Watercraft 6 Metre R6, the R5.5 was downsized to fit aboard the new 1050 and 1100 series icebreaking bouytenders under construction in a series of shipyards across Canada at that time. Powered by a new, high performance turbo-charged diesel from a US supplier, the R55 filled a niche. Now a 3rd generation of these remarkable little boats was in service.
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