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.

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 tons 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 two minutes. 'Rubber band' track belts provide the highest possible tractive effort and are smooth and quiet in operation.