It is more than four months since the first Offshore Rescue Craft of the NSRI, built entirely in South Africa by South Africans, made her way to Hermanus.
On Saturday 23 April those who contributed to this dream-come-true came together for the blessing of the Legacy.
But it was not only the blessing of the Legacy that dominated this special event, but also the official opening of the renovated NSRI Station 17.
People gathered from early at the NSRI Station 17 in Hermanus to celebrate this momentous day, coming a few years after the start of an ambitious programme to introduce a new class of deep sea rescue vessels suited to South African waters.
What makes the Legacy so special is not just its status as the first fully locally built vessel of it’s kind.
It also goes to sea bearing the names of more than 800 commemorative names in the lettering of the boat, the legacy of the NSRI’s generous donors and supporters.
Michael Clark, one of the founding members of the NSRI Station 17, cut the ribbon of the boathouse, which the institute has named after him.