Sydney's Broken Bay, Pittwater and Hawkesbury River will be a little safer for users thanks to the Royal Australian Navy.

For the past four months as a Defence Aid to the Civil Community project, FIMA/Sydney has been refurbishing Eileen Dickie 111 a 10 metre patrol launch of the Australian Volunteer Coast Guard.

The rescue craft is normally based at Cottage Point but for the last ten months has been idle because of a failed engine.

This meant patrols by the volunteers had been restricted to the unit's other vessel.

Towed to Garden Island the failed launch was landed and taken to FIMA/Sydney's workshops.

Since then the hull has been scraped, new fibreglass applied and repainted.

"All the electric wiring was replaced and the engine dismantled," LEUT Jamieson Booker, the project team leader said.

"Because it was an old engine it became a treasure hunt locating replacement parts for it.

"We found some ... made others," he said.

Joining him in the project were CPOs Andrew Lawrence and Peter Butler , PO Trevor Halliday and LS Steve Evans who oversaw the 30 technicians who had some part in the overhaul.

On Thursday, November 15, the bright yellow boat was back in the water, tested and found to reach 15 knots, and ready to be formally handed back to the AVCG.

The Chief Staff Officer Engineering, CAPT Paul Field returned the keys to Chris Gillett, the National Commodore of the organisation in a ceremony at the Boat Pound.

"We were glad to help out," CAPT Field said.