A $1.7 million search and rescue vessel was never intended to be used during hurricanes, claim Police.

Insisting the public needs to have a realistic expectation of what the 54-foot MV Guardian can do, the Police Marine Unit said it was necessary to take the vessel out of the water as Hurricane Bill approached last week.

And the officers rebutted suggestions they failed in their duty to help a troubled local vessel on the eve of the Category 2 storm, last Thursday.

"This is a 54-foot vessel we are talking about, not a 200-foot US Coast Guard Cutter which you see do rescues on television," said Deputy Commissioner Michael DeSilva at a press conference yesterday. "If there is any criticism that we did not have the response capability with MV Guardian during the storm it must be made clear that in the interest of safety our procedures would almost never dispatch a vessel during a hurricane. The fact that the boat was slipped is therefore a moot point."

The Guardian, the Island's largest Police boat, has a top speed of 26 knots and can travel 200 nautical miles out to sea.

Mr. DeSilva said the Guardian is normally berthed at Pier 41 in Dockyard but its storm mooring at Soncy Bay is exposed to the south-east. Police chose to take the vessel out of water as the Bermuda Weather Service reported strong winds from the south-east.

He added that the vessel was one of the last boats taken out of the water by Westend Yachts on Friday afternoon with the intention that it would be the first boat in the water after the storm had passed. However, it was not put back into the water until Monday.

Mr. DeSilva said: "The learning point for the Police going forward is that we are at the mercy of a private company to slip the boat. This is because the Police do not have the equipment to do it ourselves. We are working with the company so that we can be a priority when boats are returned to the water."

The boat has been in operation for two years, over which period questions have been raised as to why it appears to be seldom used.

According to Mr. DeSilva, the Guardian usually goes on patrols twice a week. He added that the Guardian was purchased to do search and rescue operations within certain wind and sea conditions. The vessel's size allows it to go past Bermuda's reef line and take longer missions than smaller Police vessels. It is also expected to tow larger vessels when needed and assist in the interdiction of illegal drugs and weapons.

Mr. DeSilva also said: "Let's be clear about what it was never meant to do. The MV Guardian was never meant as a routine patrol vessel because it would cost too much to run it daily. We have a number of other vessels that are available to do routine patrol. It is not expected to be deployed in adverse conditions."

Mr. DeSilva also rebutted claims the vessel failed to come to the help of local vessel Ayesha, which was on its way to Canaveral, Florida last Thursday, when it ran into trouble.

The Ayesha crew contacted Bermuda Maritime Operations Centre reporting it had run out of fuel. A local fishing charter vessel, Paradise One, heard the call and offered to rendezvous with the Ayesha and tow her back in.

Yesterday, Mr. DeSilva said: "There was no request from Bermuda Maritime Operations Centre or a member of the public for assistance at the time — rescue or tow. When the Police Marine Unit was informed, a smaller vessel was dispatched to see if any further assistance was required — as the Ayesha was already under tow — but no further assistance was necessary.

Ayesha's two-person crew arrived safely in St. George's at 5.30 a.m. on August 21, after spending 11 days at sea.