Catamaran mega-lifeboats for largest cruise ship
Lifeboat and davit manufacturer Schat-Harding has delivered its mega-lifeboats, complete with unique davit systems, to the world’s largest cruise ship, Royal Caribbean International’s Oasis of the Seas.
The Oasis of the Seas is equipped with eighteen of Schat-Harding’s 370 person CRV55 lifeboats and LS45 davit systems. The CRV55 is claimed to be the only pure lifeboat with a catamaran hull, providing excellent seakeeping and manoeuvrability.
The LS45 davit, meanwhile, is a completely new integrated system for cruise vessels. The lifeboats are lowered directly from the stowed position, so that no outswing is needed, and the entire boat is positioned outside the hull of the ship. The CRV55 is of reinforced construction and has a special ‘green sea’ lashing system, making it secure in high waves.
Ole Meijer, executive vice president of Schat-Harding’s equipment division explained, ‘These revolutionary boats and davits have been specially designed for the RCCL Genesis project ships which are being built at STX Europe (formerly Aker Yards). We have worked in close cooperation with STX, RCCL, Germanischer Lloyd and DNV to find a way to improve the safe evacuation of the 8,000 plus passengers and crew who will be sailing on these ships. These new boats will be safer and quicker to board for large numbers of people. They will also be easier to get away from the ship, because the davit does not have to move, and they will be safer once in the sea as they have twin engines and full built-in buoyancy. They fully meet all SOLAS requirements.’
The CRV55 boat is 16.7 m long and 5.6 m wide. Built from fibreglass reinforced polyester using a vacuum technique, the boat weighs 16 tons in its stowed condition and 44 tons when fully loaded. Two 70 HP diesel engines give the boat a speed of 6 knots, and the catamaran hull and twin rudders provide excellent manoeuvrability.
Royal Caribbean International says the design of the lifeboats ensures that safety remains the number one priority, and that their unprecedented size and stability, together with their positioning on the embarkation and accommodation decks, provides distinct added value in terms of overall safety. ‘They are so much more than what one normally associates with lifeboats, said the company. ‘They are superior rescue vessels, and ships unto themselves. They are supplied with full redundancies, much in line with the design of the ship overall. There is no preparation, you just remove the lashing, open the door, load the boat and go down to the sea. We can be ready in no time at all.’
