Nemesis (patrol vessel)

Last updated
Nemesis (patrol vessel)
History
Civil Ensign of the United Kingdom.svgUnited Kingdom
NameNemesis
Owner Green Britain Foundation
Operator Fish Net Zero
Builder Austal Ships, Henderson, Western Australia
Yard number154–160 (series)
LaunchedAugust 2000
Acquired2024 (by Green Britain Foundation)
In service2000
Out of servicec. 2019 (NSW Police)
IdentificationMMSI 235108597; Call sign 2ICQ8
NotesFormerly Vanguard (WP 22), built for the New South Wales Police Marine Area Command
General characteristics
TypePatrol boat
Displacement22.7 t (22.3 long tons)
Length17.0 m (55 ft 9 in)
Beam4.9 m (16 ft 1 in)
Draught1.2 m (3 ft 11 in)
Propulsion2 × Scania DI 12 42 diesel engines (2 × 485 kW) with Twin Disc MG 5114 1A gearboxes; 2 × fixed-pitch propellers
Speed28.5 knots (52.8 km/h; 32.8 mph)
Range400  nmi (740 km; 460 mi)
Complement4 crew + up to 8 additional personnel
NotesReported home port: Grimsby, United Kingdom. [n 1]

Nemesis is a United Kingdom-flagged high-speed patrol vessel owned and operated by the Green Britain Foundation, a marine-conservation and environmental-education charity founded by Dale Vince. Originally built by Austal Ships in Western Australia for the New South Wales Police Force as the patrol boat Vanguard (WP 22), the vessel has served multiple roles ranging from coastal law enforcement and maritime security to environmental protection. It now operates as part of the Foundation’s Fish Net Zero initiative, undertaking marine-conservation patrols and the recovery of abandoned, lost or discarded fishing gear (ALDFG), commonly known as ghost gear, from UK waters.

Contents

Patrol vessel Nemesis. Operated by the Green Britain Foundation as part of the Fish Net Zero campaign Nemesis in the North Sea.jpg
Patrol vessel Nemesis. Operated by the Green Britain Foundation as part of the Fish Net Zero campaign

Construction and design

The vessel was constructed by Austal Ships at Henderson, Western Australia, as part of a batch of seven aluminium patrol craft (yard numbers 154–160) ordered by the New South Wales Water Police, now known as Marine Area Command for operations associated with the 2000 Sydney Olympics. [1] [2]

According to the builder’s specification, vessels of the class measured 17.0 metres (55 ft 9 in) long overall (LOA) with a beam of 4.9 m (16 ft 1 in) and a draught of 1.2 m (3 ft 11 in). Propulsion comprised two Scania DI 12 42 diesel engines rated at 485 kW (650  hp ) each, driving fixed-pitch propellers through Twin Disc MG 5114 1A gearboxes, giving a top speed of 28.5 knots (52.8 km/h; 32.8 mph) and a range of about 400 nautical miles (740 km; 460 mi) under USL Code 2B survey. [1]

Service with New South Wales Police (2000-c. 2019)

Delivered in August 2000 as WP 22 Vanguard the vessel entered service with the Marine Area Command based in Sydney. Alongside sister ships such as Vigilant and Victor, she performed offshore patrol, maritime law enforcement and search-and-rescue duties throughout the New South Wales (NSW) coastline. The NSW Government announced a replacement programme in 2019 introducing new Class 2 vessels, after which the earlier Austal patrols were withdrawn from police service. [3] A related report confirmed that seven Class 2 vessels were delivered to the NSW Police Marine Area Command in December 2019. [4]

Supersail Offshore service

Following decommissioning, the vessel was transferred to commercial use under the name MV Vanguard operating with Supersail Offshore as a Class A guard and workboat. A 2020 data-sheet lists the craft as 16.5 m (54 ft 2 in) LOA, with a beam of 4.9 m (16 ft 1 in), a draught 1.2 m (3 ft 11 in), fitted with twin Scania DI 12 42 engines and certified speed 26 knots (48 km/h; 30 mph), confirming registration under UK flag with call sign 2ICQ8. [5]

Transfer to the United Kingdom and conversion

In May 2024 the vessel was unveiled publicly as Nemesis by the Green Britain Foundation and Neptune’s Pirates UK (Captain Paul Watson Foundation UK). [6] A regional news report by the *Shields Gazette* described Nemesis as “an all-weather patrol vessel owned by the Green Britain Foundation, the charity founded by eco-entrepreneur and green industrialist Dale Vince OBE.” [7] The vessel was named Nemesis after the electric sports car developed by Dale Vince in 2008 under his company Ecotricity, reflecting the Foundation’s ongoing commitment to renewable energy and sustainability.

Repainted in a distinctive pink-accented dazzle camouflage, the vessel was later withdrawn from the Captain Paul Watson Foundation UK and transferred back to the Green Britain Foundation, where it is now used for marine-conservation patrols and the recovery of abandoned, lost or discarded fishing gear (ALDFG), commonly referred to as ghost gear, in UK waters as part of the Foundation’s Fish Net Zero initiative.

Abandoned or lost fishing equipment such as nets, pots and lines can continue to entangle marine life for years, damage seabed habitats, and pose navigational hazards. The Fish Net Zero campaign utilises Nemesis and volunteer divers to locate and remove this debris from areas including the Humber estuary and the North Sea. The vessel has been reported as operating from the Fish Dock, Grimsby, United Kingdom. [8]

Registration

AIS records identify Nemesis as a High-Speed Craft registered under the British flag with MMSI 235108597 and call sign 2ICQ8. [9]

Notes

[n 1]

  1. 1 2 "Nemesis (MMSI 235108597) Port Calls and Current Position". VesselFinder. Retrieved 3 November 2025. AIS data shows Nemesis (MMSI 235108597) currently moored at Grimsby Fish Dock, United Kingdom.

References

  1. 1 2 "Austal Patrol 16 – Yard Nos 154–160 (NSW Water Police Class 2)" (PDF). Henderson, Western Australia: Austal Ships Pty Ltd. August 2000. Retrieved 7 November 2025. Manufacturer's data sheet detailing specifications and delivery for yard numbers 154–160 (New South Wales Water Police Class 2).
  2. ↑ "Vessel Review/News Release: 'Water Rats' make their debut — Seven 16 m and Two 22 m Police Vessels Delivered to Sydney" (PDF). Austal Ships Pty Ltd. 10 July 2000. Retrieved 7 November 2025. News release announcing delivery of the NSW Water Police patrol fleet.
  3. ↑ "Seven New Police Vessels Hit the Water in NSW". NSW Government. 23 December 2019. Retrieved 23 October 2025.
  4. ↑ "Seven new police vessels hit the water". NSW Liberal. 23 December 2019. Retrieved 3 November 2025.
  5. ↑ "Datenblatt Vanguard CLASS A – 2020" (PDF). Supersail Offshore / Manufacturer’s data-sheet. 2020. Retrieved 23 October 2025.
  6. ↑ "Dale Vince and Neptune's Pirates unveil a new defender of our seas and oceans – The Nemesis". Captain Paul Watson Foundation UK. 9 May 2024. Retrieved 23 October 2025.
  7. ↑ "Dale Vince unveils a new defender of our seas and oceans". Shields Gazette. 6 May 2024. Retrieved 3 November 2025.
  8. ↑ "Nemesis (MMSI 235108597) Port Calls and Current Position". VesselFinder. Retrieved 3 November 2025. AIS data shows Nemesis (MMSI 235108597) currently moored at Grimsby Fish Dock, United Kingdom.
  9. ↑ "Vessel Nemesis (MMSI 235108597, Call Sign 2ICQ8)". MarineTraffic. Retrieved 23 October 2025.
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