Halmatic Ltd., a British firm specializing in the design and manufacture of high-speed rigid-hull inflatable rescue craft, has licensed a new organization, Osborne Rescue Boats Corporation, to manufacture and market the craft in the U.S.
Headquartered in Newark, Delaware, the company recently introduced to the U.S. a series of all-weather rigid-hull inflatable boats which have had successful and extensive use in search and rescue operations by the oil industry in the North Sea, the British Navy, and the Royal National Lifeboat Institute.
The rigid hull inflatable concept, company officials state, offers many advantages over conventional hulls due to its superior stability, greater carrying capacity and better rough water performance.