Feature 1 | PILOT AND RESCUE CRAFT Rescue RIB proves a small wonder
Measuring in at just 4.8m in length, Delta Power Group’s newly launched Delta 450 rescue boat provides the clout necessary to conform with forthcoming MCA guidelines on open rescue boats under 15m in length.
I
t’s been a busy year for UK designer and builder Delta Power Group, with the company having launched
a number of rigid inflatable boats (RIBs) in the first seven months of 2011. Tese deliveries have included: a 10.8m, 25knot Phantom daughter craft, modified for operation within harsh Arctic waters, at temperatures of up to minus 40o
C; and the
first deliveries of a 12-strong series of 9m RIBs, for use as patrol boats by the Irish Coastguard. Notably, this period also saw Delta
build and launch the Delta 450 Rescue Rib, a design loosely based on the group’s previous Safety of Life at Sea (SOLAS)- compliant 450IPI Rescue RIB offering. The new,
TECHNICAL PARTICULARS Delta 450 Rescue RIB
Length, oa .............................................4.8m Beam, oa ..................................................2m Draught (with fuel) .............................0.35m Weight (dry) ........................................425kg Operating speed .......................... 17.5knots Maximum speed ........................... 22.5knots Classification
..................................Maritime Coastguard Agency, Draft Code of Practice for Open Rescue Boats of Less than 15m in Length
Engine ........1 x Mercury Marathon, 29.4kW Steering ................................................... Tiller Craft electrics...................................12V DC Electrical equipment Side navigation lights VHF microphones Icom VHF radio Standard Horizon VHF radio Switch box with bilge warning Garmin GPS
Complement Crew .....................................2 (minimum) Casualties .............................................. 1-2
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delivered as a stand alone order to the Severn Area Rescue Association (SARA), which provides 24/7 emergency inshore operations on behalf of
the Maritime
Coastguard Agency (MCA) and local police and ambulance services, covering the River Severn and its surrounding territory in Wales, UK. Te Delta RIB has replaced SARA’s previously deployed D Class vessel.
MCA compliance Richard Rushton, naval architect at Delta, tells Ship & Boat International: “Along with the requirement for longevity of service, the craſt is letter-certified to the Draſt Code of Practice for Open Rescue Boats of Less than 15m in Length, to the latest 2008 revisions.” Te Code of Practice was drawn up the MCA and is expected to formally enter force within the next 12 to 18 months, Rushton explains, although boatowners can apply for letter certification in advance of the final draſt. And while the aforementioned code has been drawn up to cover primarily UK
vessels, Rushton points out that a number of countries are operating under similar stipulations. “Tis is now the third craſt to be built by
Delta in accordance with, and letter-certified to, the Draft Code,” Rushton comments, referring to two previous 8.7m RIBs built for Lough Neagh Rescue, which provides emergency services in Northern Ireland. He adds: “Designs are already in
place for a 6.5m version, enabling us to offer a range of open RIBS to suit the requirements of the many independent lifeboat stations situated around the UK and Ireland.” To meet the MCA requirements on
day and night survivor search operations, the Delta 450 has been fitted with a variety of electronic communications equipment, sorely lacking in her D Class predecessor, and specially selected to fit the RIB’s extremely compact nature. Tis equipment includes global positioning system (GPS), depth sounding system and twin VHF radios with inbuilt automatic identification system (AIS) capabilities.
Ship & Boat International July/August 2011
4.8m long RIB has been
The lightweight Delta 450 design features a Kevlar-reinforced hull keel and polyester / hypalon / neoprene buoyancy sponsons.
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