Interceptors for Swedish lifeboats

Zipwake has developed a range of interceptors, which are vertical plates attached to the transom of a fast boat and which can be raised and lowered to project just below the transom to create a force that adjusts the trim of a fast vessel. The Zipwake units use fast acting electric servo motors to adjust the vertical plates and the movements of these motors is controlled by a computer system that includes sensors and gyros to sense the movement of the vessel and instruct the motors to move accordingly.

These interceptor systems have been installed in lifeboats from the Postkod Lotteri class of lifeboats operated by the Swedish Sea Rescue Society. This 11 metre long class of lifeboats is designed to provide a high speed response to emergencies and operate at speeds up to 40 knots. “The system has been well proven to increase the stability as well as the manoeuvring capability and we are very pleased with the performance and comfort improvements”, said the technical director of the SSRS Per-Egon Persson.

The interceptor systems are an alternative to using flaps to adjust the trim of a fast boat and they offer less resistance than flaps. Their big advantage is that they are fast acting which means that the adjustment of the interceptor blades can respond in real time to the movements of the boat and thus control the pitching movements of the hull in real time. Used independently, the interceptors can also be used to adjust the rolling motions of a hull and they can offer controlled turns and other benefits that can improve the ride of a fast boat in waves.

“We are extremely proud to have received the confidence from the SSRS and that they have chosen Zipwake for their fleet”, commented Lorentz Simonson, the CEO of Zipwake AB.

By Dag Pike