A new police launch, the Lady Elizabeth IV, was commissioned in Wellington harbour on Wednesday morning by Police Minister Judith Collins.
Police say the new Lady Liz is a state of the art, 18.5 metre catamaran that will save lives.
She's able to take eight crew on patrol for up to a week without needing to restock or refuel.
She has a range of 450 nautical miles from Wellington harbour.
The Lady Liz will mainly be used for search and rescue, but will also have a role supporting Customs, Fisheries, the Department of Conservation and Maritime New Zealand.
The Lady Elizabeth III was 21 years old.