Shadow Public Safety Minister Michael Dunkley has called for answers on the state of the MV Guardian — the new $1.7 Police boat which has hit mechanical trouble just months after it arrived.

He said Police had travelled several times to Australia before buying the 54-foot craft — which can travel 200 nautical miles out to sea — but problems were already cropping up.

He said: “We are concerned we are not getting value for money because the boat has been out of operation.”

He queried whether the boat, which arrived in October, could be trusted for long-range work.

“I am concerned — I have heard a lot of issues regarding the operation of the boat.

“Why have we gone very far distances to look at a boat when we could have easily gone to North America?

“Most boats we buy come from North America which is just 650 miles away.”

But he said a flurry of questions during the recent Budget debate had not been answered.

The Royal Gazette understands there are problems with the steering and air conditioning on the MV>Guardian while its effectiveness as a drug interdiction boat has been questioned as it is a fixed-hull boat and cannot come alongside another fixed hull boat without risking sinking one or both craft.

One source indicated the boat could need an additional dinghy attached which had not been planned despite Police spending four years in the procurement stage.

And while the four-man boat can travel long distance it’s thought the prohibitive overtime costs and current manpower strength of the marine section has made regular long-range drug patrols a pipe dream and even far flung training runs difficult to mount.

Police have yet to reveal the final cost of the boat which was budgeted at $1.7 million.

A series of questions to Police about the MV Guardi$> went unanswered including - what the boat was intended for, why boats nearer to home weren’t sought, what the costs of the shopping trips were, what is wrong with the boat and when it will be working.

Last week a Police spokesman said: “We have experienced some difficulties with the vessel Guardian and problems are being addressed and we expect for the boat to be in the water in the near future.

“All Police maritime responsibilities covered by the Guardian have been temporarily reallocated to vessels in the police fleet.”