New police boat to lead Pope

SYDNEY, July 8, 2008 (AAP: Maria Tan) - The largest police ship in the southern hemisphere has been launched with a splash ahead of its maiden voyage at World Youth Day in Sydney.

The Nemesis' first official duty will be to lead Pope Benedict XVI's 'boat-a-cade' procession on July 17 on Sydney Harbour, but will be on standby if needed until then.    

Two years in the making and costing $11 million, the Nemesis can operate in stormy conditions, reaching top speeds of 27.5 knots over 1,300 nautical miles.    

Police Minister David Campbell's wife, Edna, christened the 32-metre vessel in Sydney today, splashing it with champagne after the bottle failed to smash against its bow.    

Mr Campbell said the vessel was capable of patrolling the NSW coast for extended periods and was able to stay at sea for up to 10 days.

'It is the Nemesis by name and it will be the nemesis by nature,' he said.    'With such a large coastline it is vital that the NSW Police Force remains vigilant to the threat of sea-based organised crime and terrorist threats.    

'Those that want to engage in this sort of criminal activity through smuggling illegal drugs, weapons and other contraband should think again.'    

Police Commissioner Andrew Scipione said Nemesis was a major boost to policing in NSW.    

'It's a vessel that we will be expecting to use heavily in terms of crime intervention, patrolling our coast, search and rescue, and assisting with joint operational engagements with a range of different agencies,' he said. 

AAP: Maria Tan (Words & Photos)