Lifeboat named after 3-year delay
The RNLI held a naming celebration in Rhyl to officially launch its newest lifeboat and SLARS.
The naming ceremony of the Royal National Lifeboat Institution’s newest vessel has finally been held after being delayed since 2019 because of Covid-19 lockdowns.
Anthony Kenneth Heard has been on service at Rhyl, Wales since 2019. A Shannon Class lifeboat, the vessel has a Shannon Launch and Recovery System (SLARS), which was developed to launch and recover the 18-tonne lifeboat from rugged and harsh environments.
The system has tractor and carriage to negotiate steep beaches or gullies, and a pivoting swan neck that connects hydraulic motors that power the tractor and rear carriage.
The vehicle can be operated in calm water up to a depth of 2.4m, and shut down to withstand full submersion in water up to 9m deep if stranded on an incoming tide.
Anthony Kenneth Heard can be launched and recovered bow first. The cradle that carries the lifeboat rotates through 180º using a unique turntable feature built into, the carriage, which reduces the time and space needed to prepare for relaunch.
The carriage and tractor have identical hydraulically-driven track systems with low maintenance rubber tracks and road wheels, with a pivoting capability that allows them to paddle over uneven ground. The vehicle’s winch, used to recover the lifeboat onto the cradle and for self recovery, uses a synthetic rope.
Jamie Chestnutt, RNLI Director of Engineering and Supply, accepted the SLARS and the lifeboat into the fleet on behalf of the RNLI and handed them into the care of Rhyl lifeboat station. They were then accepted by Rhyl RNLI Lifeboat Operations Manager Darrel Crowther.
“This naming ceremony has been a long time coming so it was very special to officially launch the boat after the ceremony and show the gathered audience the launch system and some of the capabilities of the boat,” said coxwain Marin Jones.
