HILARY HOSIA
A visit to Majuro by the Federated States of Micronesia patrol vessel Bethwel Henry offered a glimpse of what to expect with the incoming addition to the RMI patrol fleet: Jelmae.
Bigger in size and more advanced in technology than the current RMI Lomor patrol vessel, Jelmae is expected in RMI waters next year, courtesy of funding from Australia.
Unlike the FSM vessels it shadows, which were named after FSM first President Tosiwo Nakayama and first FSM Speaker Betwel Henry, Jelmae got its name from a winning competition — the name means “resilience.”
The winning name for the new RMI Sea Patrol vessel was created by Nia Andrike.
The ship has 12 crew, of which two are females.
The unique feature on the boat is its sick bay, which can be used to quarantine staff from the rest of the population. The sick bay has its own ventilation system and provides a requested space for the treatment of affected crew while in a lockdown situation, such as the recent period with Covid.
A big visual difference from the RMI patrol boats is the absence of a steering wheel. The vessel is operated entirely by joysticks located in the command bridge.
The vessel also has its own independent communication system using Starlink.