Wednesday, September 19, 2007

Small craft

Navy rescue lifeboat. Slow, noisy, yet reliable.

5 comments:

Joao Quaresma said...

Slow, noisy, reliable and completely useless for the task it's meant for in the ISN. As demonstrated last year in the tragic sinking of a trawler near Nazaré. Government purchases at their worst. I wonder if, back in the 80s, Fassmer really marketed it as rescue lifeboat.

Raquel Sabino Pereira said...

Não deixa de ter razão...
(e eu que vinha deixar um comentário jocoso do género «Claro que não se compara ao Zézito...»).
Um abraço!...

Dan said...

How are you supposed to walk around the deck without falling off!!

I would say that it was designed by a comittee...

Anonymous said...

When the deck design was developed back in the 60ies there were good reasons for the Layout: It was intended to become the tender of the new 23,2-m Class (Here you can find a picture: http://de.wikipedia.org/wiki/SK_Hamburg). The aim was to get a boat which should be able to operate in any kind of weather possible on the North coast of germany, but also to be able to sail shallow waters where the Mothership had to keep away. It had to be completely watertight and water should flow off the Deck as fast as possible. Most likely the round deck shape was also chosen for strength reasons.

Your picture shows the 9-m Type that was first built in 1977 as a slightly advanced version of the tender of the 44-m Lifeboat Class (http://de.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bild:John_T_Essberger.jpg) which was introduced in 1975. Already self rightening with proven seaworthyness (not one of the tenders or single boats was ever lost) and a top speed of 13 knots 22 of them were built (5 with 9 m length). In 2000 the hull shape was modernized for better hydrodynamics and greater speed, in the end of 2006 the last one was withdrawn from DGZRS Service. Some of them are still in service in other sea rescue organisations today.

As far as I know the DGZRS has a good reputation for rescue ship designs, that makes me believe the Design of the 9-m class was not too bad. Why your gouvernment chose this boat instead of alternatives available can only be guessed: Maybe the One person operation, the fully enclosed helmstead (useful in winter storms) or the quick self rightening and good manouveribility in big waves (for the turtle deck design). Who knows...

sorry for the lenghty entry *g*

Luis Daniel Vale said...

Thanks for your explanation!
I have seen this craft rescue fishermen from capsized boats on the port entrance for several times. As you can see on one of my last posts the sea can get pretty rough here... and I bet it is conforting for the fishermen to know that this rescue boat is always prepared to let go and proceed to their help if needed.

Thanks for your visit!