Video - Police Maritime Unit's Lady Liz IV commissioned

This video shows the commissioning of the Wellington Police Maritime Unit's rescue and patrol launch Lady Elizabeth IV.

It features the launch's naming ceremony by the Minister of Police, the Hon Judith Collins, and provides a short pictorial history of the three previous Lady Elizabeth launches which have provided a sterling patrol and rescue capability in Wellington Harbour since 1941 and in later years the wider Cook Strait seas.

Video transcript
Police's presence on Wellington Harbour and beyond received a significant boost today with the commissioning of the Lady Elizabeth IV.

Police Minister Judith Collins performed the time-honoured launching ceremony with a bottle of champagne donated by the Wellington boating community.

Lady Elizabeth IV continues a proud tradition of Police maritime history, and will operate as a multi-agency patrol vessel.

The eighteen and half metre catamaran is a huge advance on earlier Police vessels that have operated in the harbour. The first Lady Elizabeth operated from 1941 to 1971, when it was withdrawn from service.

From 1973 to 1986, the Lady Elizabeth II was the face of Police on the harbour and was capable of Cook Strait rescues. But tragedy struck on July 2, 1986, when the boat was overwhelmed by heavy seas and sank at the entrance to the harbour. Two of the four crew tragically died. From 1989 to the present day, Lady Elizabeth III has plied the waters around Wellington and is a familiar sight to people both on and off the water.

Capable of self-righting from a 180 degree roll, "Lizzie" as she's known will be remembered for more than 20 yearsof dedicated service and more than 3000 rescues.

he Lady Elizabeth IV can take up to eight crew and patrol for up to seven days without refuelling or restocking. It gives New Zealand Police and the Wellington region a new "Lizzie" to be proud of for many years to come.