Mean Marine Machine Seen at Seawork
Another group of thrill seekers leave the Seawork 2005 pontoon on board Holyhead Marine Services prototype Offshore Raiding Craft.
Of the 60 workboats of all types on Seawork 2005 's floating pontoon, none was so fearsome yet popular as the prototype Offshore Raiding Craft built on Anglesey by Holyhead Marine Services Ltd .There were people queuing virtually throughout the show, waiting their turn to pull on waterproof military noddysuits and enjoy a high speed blast across Southampton Water just like the real Royal Marine Commandos with whom the boat is currently on trial.
Power is provided by twin Austrian Steyr marine diesels with lightweight aluminium blocks rated at 256hp each and ZF gearboxes turning carbon fibre shafts to drive Rolls-Royce Kamewa water jets. In an unconventional layout, the engines are mounted ahead of midships, with the troop/cargo area behind and the coxswain placed aft and high where he can see everything happening in the boat. A long rectangular fuel tank runs under the deck from behind the engines back to the cox position.
Occupants sit on prototype high performance suspension seats from Sweden's Ullman Dynamics, which absorb high energy impacts while maintaining optimal posture of body and spine so that troops can disembark in the best possible condition. The seats are also quickly removable, allowing the craft to carry cargo in its secondary role as a fast support platform.
The 3.5 ton ORC is road transportable and can also be carried by air freight. A simple controls panel could be relocated elsewhere on the vessel, such as over the engines, to give a usefully large working area aft.
MJ Information No: 20928
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