![]() Stop instantaneously from flat out,’ said Eyre. ‘You can turn the boat on the spot, move it sideways, And by changing the positions of the buckets - and therefore the direction of the water jets - it can perform a range of manoeuvres that would put impossible strain on conventional systems. The advantage over conventional propulsion systems is that the boat can be held in a neutral position regardless of the throttle settings. Peter Eyre, senior engineer on the Shannon Class project, explained that the improved performance stems from the moveable ‘buckets’ that alter the direction of each of the water jets and thus change the direction of the boat. Chosen because of the need to operate the boat in shallower water, the jets also make the boat faster and more manoeuvrable than propeller-powered vessels. In technology terms, perhaps the most original feature is the use of twin water jets to power the boat. ‘You have to make sure you take that into account so that the boat is as intuitive as possible to use.’ ‘Fewer than 10 per cent have any kind of maritime background,’ he added. It has also been designed with the limitations of a volunteer crew in mind. ‘Everything we do - from the design of the hull through to the seating and even down to how the windscreen wipers are attached - is on the assumption that it’ll go out into that 16m sea and will come back,’ said Austen. It has to be capable of 25kts it must be able to right itself if it capsizes it must be able to operate for up to 10 hours in the worst conditions the sea can throw at it and it has got to last for 50 years. Steve Austen, the RNLI’s head of engineering support, explained that the vessel has been designed to meet a number of demanding operational requirements. Six other boats are currently at various stages of construction at the Berthon Boatyard and the RNLI-owned company SAR Composites, both of which are based in Lymington on the UK’s south coast. Many aspects of its design represent a radical step forward, and the production run of 50 vessels is the largest single run in the RNLI’s history.Ī prototype began sea trials around 18 months ago, and the first vessel will be delivered to Dungeness lifeboat station in February. The hull design has been carefully optimised to reduce vertical and transverse slamming forcesĭesigned to replace the Mersey-class lifeboat, the Shannon Class is arguably one of the charity’s most ambitious projects. With recent weather providing a timely reminder of just how tough these conditions can be, the RNLI is going through a particularly exciting phase: the production and roll-out of the Shannon Class, its most advanced ever all-weather lifeboat. And while its crews are largely made up of volunteers, it employs a host of engineers and naval architects charged with maintaining and updating a fleet that has to cope with some of the toughest conditions in the ocean. It designs, builds and maintains its own vessels. It operates 500 boats from 237 lifeboat stations dotted around Britain’s rocky coastline. The RNLB Jock and Annie Slater coming through the Sound of Harris And yet while the RNLI is almost certainly one of Britain’s best-loved charities, it’s probably fair to say that few of us actually appreciate the organisation’s scope. Its eye-catching boathouses and distinctive blue-and-orange vessels are part of the landscape of the British seaside - a reassuring backdrop to many a summer holiday. ![]()
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