Case Study: Raymarine & SAR Rauma

Rauman Meripelastusyhdistys ry is part of the Finnish Lifeboat Institution’s voluntary marine rescue network. The association maintains maritime rescue readiness in the Rauma sea area and operates under the direction of the Finnish Border Guard in rescue missions.

Mission Ready 

The team's operational area covers approximately 35 nautical miles of coastline, from Pyhämaa to Luvia, on the exposed western coast of Finland. During the open water season, the association maintains a 24/7 on-call readiness. All operations are based entirely on a volunteer crew.

In 2025, the association carried out 31 missions, of which 23 were emergency call-outs. The majority of these missions involved assisting and towing recreational boaters. In nearly all cases, the association’s vessel was the first or only unit to arrive on scene.

SAR Vessel Merihelppi - Raymarine Equipped

The association’s primary operational vessel is Merihelppi, commissioned in 2020. It is an 8.6-metre Kewatec Easy 8.3 aluminium boat, powered by twin engines with a combined output of 372 kW and a top speed of approximately 45 knots.

Merihelppi’s navigation and communication systems are based on Raymarine equipment. The vessel is equipped with Raymarine Axiom 12 Pro RVM chartplotters, a Raymarine Cyclone radar, and a Raymarine Ray 90 VHF radio.

The vessel is also equipped with a FLIR M232 Thermal Camera to assist with SAR operations in low light conditions and in nightime operations.

Mikko Väisänen, rescue vessel captain: "Raymarine was selected based on previous experience. The equipment has proven to be reliable and dependable in any environment. Readiness must be maintained at all times. System usability, device compatibility, and integration capabilities have also been important features for us."

"The Cyclone radar has performed well in the variable weather and visibility conditions of the Bothnian Sea. Merihelppi is a high-performance, fast vessel, which makes reliable radar imaging particularly important when operating in fog, rain, and darkness. For a fast rescue vessel, dependable radar in poor visibility is essentially a necessity, and the Cyclone has met this requirement effectively."

"We have also appreciated Raymarine’s technical support and rapid response in situations where maintaining operational readiness is of critical importance."

Images courtesy of Mikko Väisänen