PHILIPSBURG--Thanks to Bobby Velasquez, Dutch all-weather boat Johanna Louisa (built in 1968) has begun her second life. After a very busy and useful first life in the North Sea the rescue craft will now serve mariners in Caribbean waters.
Watched by a large public and with Leo Chance speaking a word of thanks, the boat was officially handed over to St. Maarten Sea Rescue Foundation at Bobby's Marina Wednesday.
The Foundation can now operate under much more adverse conditions, stay out longer on search and rescue missions and operate much farther away from the home base than had been possible up till now.
Representatives of the Royal Dutch Rescue Company (Koninklijke Nederlandse Reddingsmaatschappij--KNRM), who had arrived in St. Maarten on the Johanna Louisa, said that the 20.37 meter long, 4.15 meter wide craft (draft 1.50 meter) had undergone a thorough overhaul at a wharf in Holland and was "as good as or even better than ever."
Stationed at IJmuiden, the boat had been one of a series from different Dutch rescue stations that was retired after the KNRM ten-year replacement and modernization plan had come to an end.
Having had long and close ties with KNRM, Bobby Velasquez had known of the company's modernization plan and he had also known that KNRM wanted its former boats to continue functioning.
Seeing an excellent opportunity for St. Maarten Sea Rescue Foundation to upgrade its facilities, Velasquez approached his Dutch counterparts.
KNRM-Vice Director Nico de Jonge said he had immediately reacted very positively to Velasquez' request. He added that KNRM had not only put "Johanna Louisa" at the disposal of St. Maarten Rescue Sea Foundation, but had also paid the cost of the operation, about NAf. 100,000, while the Royal Dutch Navy had transferred the rescue boat free of charge.
Jan Spierenburg, the boat's crew member (opstapper) and man at the helm since 1978, had made the complete trip from Holland to St. Maarten, together with engineer Jaap Pronk from the KNRM station in Scheveningen.
Vice Director De Jonge and Karel Schoonhoff, former skipper of "Johanna Louisa," had joined them after navy vessel "Rotterdam" had unloaded the boat at Norfolk, Virginia.
The boat had completed the voyage from the USA to St. Maarten on its own engines, partly navigating USA inland waters, Spierenburg said.
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