Police Commissioner, George Jackson, says the Island is not equipped for offshore rescue, despite the purchase of a $1.7 million vessel.

The Bermuda Police Service bought the MV Guardian in October 2006, but since then it is reported to have been rarely used. The 54 ft rescue boat is currently said to be in dry dock at Dockyard.

Despite the vessel's capacity to travel 200 nautical miles out to sea, Mr. Jackson told a press conference held about Hurricane Bill: "We are not in Bermuda fully equipped to do offshore search and rescue."

Mr. Jackson, asked to comment on why the vessel wasn't used in the rescue of a stricken yacht on Thursday, said: "Unfortunately I can't answer that question.

"I was unaware of this (the vessel in dry dock), but if it has been taken out of the water there's a reason for that.

"It would be unwise to have something in the water if it is not safe."

The yacht Ayesha was rescued by the fishing charter boat Paradise One on Thursday morning, after it ran out of fuel on its way to Canaveral, Florida. It had one Bermudian and a non-Bermudian on board.

A Bermuda Maritime Operations spokesman said Ayesha was 88 nautical miles south west of Bermuda at 7.30 a.m. and only making two knots less than three miles per hour.

"Then we had a call from a member of the public (the owner of Paradise One) who offered to take his boat out and rendezvous with the Ayesha and tow her back in," he said.

"Obviously that would have been a bit quicker and enabled the people on board to get in before the hurricane."

The yacht reached St. George's at 5.30 p.m. on Thursday, after 11 days at sea.

Mr. Jackson told the media on Friday: "Saving one or two or six lives does not mean we should put other persons' lives at risk. We are not in Bermuda fully equipped to do offshore search and rescue."

The Royal Gazette ran a story in May last year saying the MV Guardian, a four-man craft with GPS system, "had been seldom out since arriving in Bermuda".

In April 2008 the propeller was damaged after the vessel ran aground near Daniel's Head.

The boat was towing the yacht Sea Spirit back to shore from 30 miles west of Bermuda when the incident happened.

Information about the state of the vessel and its use is expected from the Bermuda Police Service later today.