Damen: KNRM’s Latest Rescue Vessel Passes Capsize Trials

The latest rescue vessel commissioned by the Royal Netherlands Sea Rescue Institution (Koninklijke Nederlandse Redding Maatschappij, ‘KNRM’) has passed one of the most important trials it had to pass at Damen Shipyards Group in Gorinchem before being entrusted to its crew.

The capsize trials had to show that this youngest generation of rescue vessel is actually capable of righting itself. In four different tests, the rescue vessel righted itself to its normal position within a few seconds of capsizing. A life-saving feature in extreme conditions.

The KNRM’s rescue vessels, which have to be deployable in all weather conditions, are being designed to the most rigorous standards. Seakeeping and stability are the most crucial factors in safety. For the crew, however, comfort and user-friendliness are also key features.

This NH1816 19-metre-long rescue vessel combines all of the technical, ergonomic and operational features the KNRM wanted in a remarkable new design.

KNRM expressed its need for a completely new type of rescue vessel in 2008. Thanks to a donation to the KNRM from Dutch insurance company ‘Noordhollandsche 1816’ (NH 1816), the design phase could begin in collaboration with Damen, the Maritime Technology faculty at Delft University and De Vries Lentsch Naval Architects.

The rescue vessel’s self-righting capability was created by the vessel’s low point of gravity and the air bubble in the wheelhouse, which enable the capsized ship to right itself quickly like a self-righting bath toy. The engines and equipment on board are designed to continue operating even after the vessel has capsized.

Deployment

The rescue vessel is intended to be the future replacement for the current Arie Visser-class vessels. Over the next 20 years, in order to keep the KNRM in line with the latest global developments in rescue work, these vessels will gradually make way for the new generation of rescue vessel.

[mappress]
Press Release, November 5, 2013