Supacat’s Prototype Launch and Recovery System for RNLI lifeboat completes successful Trials Programme
A new Launch and Recovery System (L&RS) developed by Supacat for the Royal National Lifeboat Institution's (RNLI) new class of all-weather lifeboat (ALB) has successfully undergone a two year trials programme, culminating in rough weather trials completed during the winter of 2007/2008. These trials tested the entire system in demanding conditions and were held at Hayle, Cornwall, which experiences regular Atlantic swells. The new L&RS design met all the requirements of the prototype specification and exceeded expectations during the trials; lifeboat crew feedback is now being used by the RNLI and Supacat to refine the pre-production design.
The new prototype all-weather lifeboat, designated FCB2 (Fast Carriage Boat 2), is being developed by the RNLI to replace its Mersey class lifeboats, currently serving at some 28 stations around the UK and Ireland. Supacat's L&RS is one of two prototypes under development to launch and recover the FCB2, which has to be transported between the boathouse and the water, safer and simpler. As the FCB2 is launched and recovered bow first, Supacat's L&RS has a unique feature in that a turntable is built into the boat carriage to rotate the boat once recovered, reducing the time and space needed to prepare for re-launch.
High mobility vehicle engineering specialist, Supacat, was contracted to design an entirely new L&RS capable of negotiating the most demanding beaches with steep gradients and gullies or travel long distances over flat sand, shingle or mud, to and from the lifeboat launch site. The advanced Supacat system offers the advantage of automating many of the manual tasks of the older system, thus speeding up launch and recovery and reducing manpower and training requirements. The approximate turnaround time from recovery of the boat from the shoreline to be ready for launch again is typically 10 minutes.
"Supacat's close co-operation with the RNLI engineering team and operators is an important factor in developing this launch and recovery system, to ensure it meets the RNLI's exacting requirements for the FCB2 in service," said Nick Ames, Managing Director, Supacat.
Prior to the rough weather trials, `wet` trials were conducted throughout 2006 and 2007 at various lifeboat stations representing the range of launch conditions that can be experienced around the UK's shores, e.g. : Dungeness in Kent, with its steep shingle bank and long journey to the water's edge at low water, and Wells-Next-The-Sea, Norfolk, which has a deep river channel at the foot of the slipway to be negotiated as well as a 2.5 km long journey to the water's edge across soft surfaces at low water. Initial `wet trials` started in February 2006 at Instow, Devon, where the sheltered coastline allowed the compatibility of the launch system with the FCB2 boat to be assessed. `Dry` proving trials were conducted at QinetiQ's vehicle test facility at Hurn, Bournemouth in 2005.
"Supacat has produced a highly effective prototype system taking into account both a demanding technical specification and operator feedback after each trials stage. We are looking forward to continuing our partnership with them in the detailed design of the pre-production system," commented Steve Austen, RNLI Principal Naval Architect.
The Supacat L&RS comprises a completely new submersible tractor and powered- carriage combination, for which Bosch Rexroth was selected to supply the hydraulic drive system to the individually powered tracks. The system has computer controlled hydrostatic transmission and permanent 4-track drive provides exceptional traction for climbing steep gradients with poor surfaces, such as loose shingle. The L&RS has proved its ability to operate in heavy surf conditions, and in water at depths approaching 3m. In case of breakdown, the L&RS is designed to withstand submersion in water up to 9m deep. Powered by a Mercedes-Benz V6 12-litre engine producing 422bhp it can reach a top speed of 10.5mph at a gross vehicle weight of approximately 47 tonnes including the lifeboat. The 360 degree rotating cradle on the carriage enables the FCB2 to be swivelled from its recovery position (bow forward) to its launch position (bow aft), in under 2 minutes. "Rubber band" track belts provide the highest possible tractive effort and are smooth and quiet in operation.
Apart from being of potential interest to other lifeboat services worldwide, Supacat's L&RS could be configured for other load-carrying applications in remote or demanding terrain, such as for carrying oil or gas pipeline equipment across snowfields .