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This is our ALB, 'Hermione Lady Colwyn'. She is the last of the Tyne class fast slipway boats built, and was delivered to Shoreham in 1990. She is due to stay in service here until 2015. | ||
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She weighs around
28 tons, and is powered by two V6 two stroke turbo diesel
engines which develop 425 hp each. They give her a top
speed of around 18 knots (20 mph). |
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She can be helmed from either inside the wheelhouse, or in the upper steering position here for greater visibility. In rough weather the wheelhouse is sealed shut - the buoyancy of the cabin gives her the self righting capability. | |||
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She carries an array of communication equipment including radio direction finding which can home in on a vessel in distress or even an aircraft emergency beacon. | |||
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She also has extensive first aid equipment for the on call doctor or the crew to use. We carry Oxygen, and also Entinox for pain relief if required by the doctor. | |||
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One of the 2 rigid
stretchers in the aft cabin. The boat also carries a flexible 'Neil Robertson' style stretcher. |
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This powerful portable pump can be used to pump out a vessel taking water, or as a portable fire fighting unit. | |||
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If that is not powerful enough, there is a permanent fire pump driven from the port engine. We carry flat hoses like those carried on a conventional fire appliance. | |||
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This is the chart table, complete with the computer plotter and lcd screen. This plots the boat and the casualty on a real time moving chart. It can also compute search patterns, give precise ETAs and much more. | |||
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When the coxswain is ready to launch he signals the launcher, who, after checking the slipway is clear, hits the sliphook with a mallet to release the boat. Click here for a video of the boat launching (approx 2.5 Mb) | |||
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Shoreham has the second steepest slipway in the country, so by the time the boat hits the water she can be doing as much as 30mph. | |||
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After every service or exercise, the entire boat is washed, rinsed and leathered dry. All the brasswork is also polished. | |||
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This ensures that the boat is maintained in perfect condition, as well as helping to spot any damage or wear quickly. | |||
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Once she is clean
and dry, she is hauled the rest of the way into the
boathouse and the safety chains are applied. Then she is
re-fuelled and ready for service again. This all has to be done as soon as she returns - she might be called out again an hour later! |
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