Buy RNLI gifts and souvenirs from our Morecambe Hovercraft Shop and help save lives at sea. This craft gives us a far quicker response time by allowing us to take the direct route across the estuary and mudflats, often to otherwise inaccessible areas. The RNLI charity saves lives at sea. The class are of a modified Type 470TD design built by Griffon Hoverwork. The following four lifeboat stations have a rescue hovercraft: Morecambe was the first station to receive a rescue hovercraft, the Hurley Flyer H-002, in 2002. Royal National Lifeboat Institution (RNLI), a charity registered in England and Wales (209603), Scotland (SC037736) in the Republic of Ireland (20003326) and the Bailiwick of Jersey (14). H-class rescue hovercraft serve the shores of the United Kingdom as a part of the RNLI inshore fleet. Southend RNLI is one of only four stations in the UK with a hovercraft. Typically, the hovercraft operates on large areas of tidal mudflats or sand where the surface is too soft to support land vehicles and where the water is too shallow for boats. She can easily tackle the dangerous terrain that catches many people out, allowing our volunteers to reach them quickly. Southend is the only station to launch lifeboats from two separate boathouses, one at each end of the town’s 1.25-mile-long pier. The lift created by the hovercraft fans means she can fly over mud, sand and shallow water. The class are of a modified Type 470TD design built by Griffon Hoverwork. Royal National Lifeboat Institution (RNLI), a charity registered in England and Wales (209603), Scotland (SC037736), the Republic of Ireland (20003326), the Bailiwick of Jersey (14), the Isle of Man, the Bailiwick of Guernsey and Alderney | RNLI (Sales) Ltd | RNLI Shop (registration number 2202240 and RNLI College Ltd (registration number 7705470) both companies registered in England and Wales at West Quay Road, Poole, BH15 1HZ. Jack Lidster Woolf, Lifeboat Press Officer, jack_lidster-woolf@rnli.org.uk, 07746 346119, Frank Holland, Deputy Lifeboat Press Officer, frank_holland@rnli.org.uk, 07760 668658, Julie Rainey, Regional Media Engagement Manager, London and South East, julie_rainey@rnli.org.uk, 07827 358256.
Southend RNLI is one of only four stations in the UK with a hovercraft. Technical specifications.
Members of the public may contact the RNLI on 0300 300 9990 (UK) or 1800 991802 (Ireland) or by email. Since the RNLI was founded in 1824, its lifeboat crews and lifeguards have saved over 142,700 lives. Once the casualty has been located, the hovercraft can settle alongside and provide a large, stable platform, with the two inflatable sponsons providing stability, additional buoyancy and a soft edge for casualty recovery. The RNLI is independent of Coastguard and government and depends on voluntary donations and legacies to maintain its rescue service. Our hovercraft is invaluable.
Year introduced to the RNLI fleet: 2002.
She also carries comprehensive medical equipment including oxygen and full resuscitation kit, Entonox for pain relief, large responder bag and two different stretchers. So the first rescue hovercraft built was given the number H-001. The hovercraft was developed to operate in tidal areas such as Morecambe Bay where strandings by incoming tides can have fatal consequences and where normal craft are unable to operate, for example due to mud flats. Steering is provided by aerofoil-shaped rudders at the rear. Before rescue hovercraft were introduced into the fleet in 2002, the only method of rapid access to areas like mudflats and quicksand was by helicopter. The first part indicates the class so hovercraft start with H. And they’re also one of just four RNLI stations that are home to a hovercraft. Identification "RNLI's latest hovercraft named in Poole", "Hovercraft funded by generous legacy to be named in special ceremony at RNLI HQ", Classes of Royal National Lifeboat Institution lifeboats, https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=RNLI_hovercraft_lifeboat&oldid=926589155, Royal National Lifeboat Institution lifeboats, Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License, This page was last edited on 17 November 2019, at 11:42.
Southend RNLI’s hovercraft launched to a stranded jet ski. is the RNLI's Operational Number of the boat. Fast and manoeuvrable, the top speed of our rescue hovercraft is 30 knots. The sponsons can be deflated, reducing the craft’s overall width, for travel by road. She is kept on her specially-designed transporter, which has a ramp, so that she can be taken to the best area for launch and head to the scene as quickly as possible.
The RNLI operates over 238 lifeboat stations in the UK and Ireland and, in a normal year, more than 240 lifeguard units on beaches around the UK and Channel Islands. Lifeboat Press Officer, Southend on Sea Lifeboat Station. Graham Slack, volunteer Lifeboat Operations Manager, said, ‘With the temperatures improving in recent weeks, we’re seeing an increase in people taking to the water for a variety of watersports. For more information please visit the RNLI website or Facebook, Twitter and YouTube. The rescue hovercraft can launch from any flat area such as a car park or beach, provided there is enough room. They also provide electrical power for navigation, communication and searchlights. We would love to keep you posted with our news, so why not sign up. Unless help is provided rapidly, such situations often result in tragedy. Each year, these areas see a number of incidents where people are caught out by the rising tide or trapped in quicksand or soft mud. Launch type: The hovercraft commander can settle the hovercraft alongside the casualty so that the craft provides a large, stable platform. The unique asset is used throughout the year to help rescue casualties and tackle any incidents on the tidal mudflats in the Southend area which a boat would not be able to reach. Its volunteers provide a 24-hour search and rescue service around the United Kingdom and Republic of Ireland coasts. Morecambe Hovercraft RNLI Shop. And thrust is provided by two large fans mounted on the back that act in the same way as aeroplane propellers. Lifeboat category: Inshore. Images and copyright © RNLI 2020. Once the casualty was under the care of the coastguard, the hovercraft crew were then able to attach a tow line to the stranded jet ski and pass it to Kent Fire & Rescue Service for them to retrieve from the mudflats. No. Want to come and watch us train? The versatility and speed of the RNLI rescue hovercraft has made a huge difference to the efficiency and effectiveness of our search and rescue service, enabling us to save even more lives around the coast. The rescue hovercraft carries specialised mud rescue equipment so that volunteers can release a trapped casualty. Images and copyright © RNLI 2020. Every RNLI lifeboat station is unique, and carefully designed to help volunteers save lives in their community most efficiently. From transporter and slipway, Length: 8.04m (including skirt); 7.5m (excluding skirt), Construction: They are deflated when the craft is being road transported to comply with legal requirements. The rescue hovercraft is ideal for shoreline searches and rescues. Southend RNLI and the volunteer crew would ask everyone to consider safety precautions carefully when entering the water, and to ensure they behave in a respectful and responsible way to ensure everyone’s safety. Systems and information Management system. The numbers after the dash refer to the build number. Once on scene, the volunteer crew onboard were able to retrieve the casualty and return them safely to shore where the local coastguard team was waiting. Her twin diesel engines provide lift and propulsion through the fans. The RNLI is the charity that saves lives at sea. News releases, videos and photos are available on the News Centre. The lift is provided by two fans that build up air pressure under the craft. Royal National Lifeboat Institution (RNLI), a charity registered in England and Wales (209603), Scotland (SC037736), the Republic of Ireland (20003326), the Bailiwick of Jersey (14), the Isle of Man, the Bailiwick of Guernsey and Alderney | RNLI (Sales) Ltd | RNLI Shop (registration number 2202240 and RNLI College Ltd (registration number 7705470) both companies registered in England and Wales at West Quay Road, Poole, BH15 1HZ.
We are following government guidelines to ensure all of our customers, volunteers and staff are … ‘We thought once we got them to the water that would be it, but it took a lot longer than anticipated,’ explained RNLI volunteer hovercraft pilot David Cartwright. Op.
Join us every Sunday from 9am-12pm at the boathouse. RNLI (Sales) Ltd (also trading as RNLI Shop) (Company registration number 2202240). And the height of the hovercraft’s skirt improves her seakeeping and increases her ride height. There are also three rescue hovercraft in our relief fleet. This shop is now open to the public.