The unit are regularly called to help boats who have become stuck but a lesser known role they can be tasked with is escorting boats across the notorious bar at the entrance to the Hastings River.

Greg Davies, unit commander for Marine Rescue Port Macquarie said the unit were called to assist a patrol boat from Tuvalu to the Birdon Marina around lunchtime. 

"It is not unusual for us to get calls for assistance over the bar from larger vessels and this is also not the first time we have helped a patrol boat in this situation either," Mr Davies said.

"The challenge with this call out was the weather and seas which were extraordinarily rough complicating our job.

"We decided to take PM 20 - our middle sized vessel - 1.5 nautical miles out to sea to meet the patrol boat.

"In the rough seas our skipper then boarded the patrol vessel to assist them with first hand knowledge entering the river and pilot the vessel to Birdon Marine.

"From start to finish our crew was out on the water for just over two hours and did an excellent job communicating with the crew on the other vessel as well as with our radio base at Town Beach."

Peter Besseling, general manager Australia for Birdon said this is the second patrol boat Birdon has received since October 2018.

"Birdon has been contracted to recycle 21 patrol vessels from Pacific Nations including Fiji, Tonga and the Solomon Islands over the next five years," Mr Besseling said.

"This is the second vessel we have received, the first was from Papua New Guinea on October 18 last year.

"This contract is great for Port Macquarie as it creates jobs and keeps local people employed."​

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