The service has many similarities to the UK’s Royal National Lifeboat Institution, including relying on charitable support to meet costs of around €12 million a year. The KNRM responds to over 1,500 calls and saves over 3,000 lives annually.

The fishing harbour of Scheveningen is some 12 miles north of the Hook of Holland and while lifeboat coverage has been provided since 1775, it came under the umbrella of the KNRM in 1824. Scheveningen is also a popular seaside resort and therefore has a busy lifeboat station. It was in the top four for service calls in the KNRM fleet in 2007, answering 107 calls and rescuing 191 people.

As well as operating an all weather and a fast inflatable inshore lifeboat, the station also has a Mercedez-Benz all-terrain, high wheelbase truck providing shoreline assistance if required.

The 14m ‘Johannes Frederik’ class lifeboat Jan Van Engelenburg built in 1990 has been stationed at Scheveningen since 2000. It has now been replaced by the newbuilding ‘Arie Visser’ class lifeboat Kitty Roosmale Nepveu. Although the two are visually similar the new boat is larger and has greatly enhanced capabilities over its predecessor. The old lifeboat is to be re-allocated to Hansweert in Zeeland.

Built by Aluboat of Hindeloopen in Holland, the new lifeboat is of a rigid inflatable construction with aluminium hull and a double tube, six compartment, rubber sponson. Vital statistics are 18.8m length, 6.1m breadth, 1.5m draught and a displacement of 28 tons. The hull is divided into six main compartments; forepeak, filter room, two engine compartments, waterjet compartment and wheelhouse. The boat can accommodate six crew and up to 120 survivors.

Twin 12 cylinder MAN D2842 LE413 engines, each producing 1,000hp (745kW) and Reintjes WLS334 gearboxes drive Hamilton 521B waterjets to produce a top speed of 36 knots. Four fuel tanks with capacity for 6,100 litres of fuel oil provide a range of over 500 miles.

As to be expected with a modern craft of this type there is an extensive electronic fit including electronic chartplotter, GPS, AIS and Furuno echo sounder. Two Furuno radars (FR8062 MR and 1724C type) are also fitted. Communications are well catered for and include Sailor HF/MF and VHF installations. Particularly useful for the SAR role is a Motorola MTM800 radio providing communications with shore based ambulance and fire brigade services. A video camera system allows rescues to be recorded for training and publicity purposes.

Extensive trials and training were carried out prior to the boat entering service at Scheveningen, including ‘capsizing’ the boat six times to confirm its self righting ability. It is of course vitally important that the six man crew have total faith in the boat’s capabilities. Their confidence in the design was confirmed by their willingness to be strapped into the crew seats for two of these self righting tests.

By Peter Barker