Swedish Ferry Enters Service
with new SurvitecZodiac Escape Slide System |
A new version of the successful
SurvitecZodiac MIS MES escecently completed at the Hvide Sande
shipyard in Denmark and has just entered service between
Landskrona anape slide and liferaft system has been fitted to
the latest addition to the Ventrafiken fleet. The Uraniborg was
rd the island of Ven located in the Oresund between Sweden and
Denmark.
The new ferry is fitted with two SurvitecZodiac escape slide
systems that each contain two 151-person open reversible
liferafts. The deck installations are the first to feature a
soft fabric cover that protects against the weather and
ultra-violet light, while also offering valuable cost savings to
the customer. Besides being substantially lighter than a
traditional GRP casing, the cover can be quickly replaced at a
much lower cost if it is damaged |
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The SurvitecZodiac liferafts are stored
inside the rolled and folded inflatable slide and, carried
aboard a tilting deployment cradle that, with previous systems,
would be housed within a GRP or shell door containment. When the
new weight saving fabric cover is used the system can be stored
anywhere damage by machinery or deck activity is less likely.
All liferafts used by the new system are of the SurvitecZodiac
Aspirator type which makes it possible to reduce the overall
weight of the system by having a lower requirement for bottled
gas for inflation. A regular Throw-Over Self Righting 150 person
raft weighs 840 kg whereas a SurvitecZodiac Solas Aspirator
Throw-Over 150 person liferaft weighs just 490 kg which makes it
particularly suitable for use on high speed craft. |
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Before the Uraniborg entered service, the
escape slide system was subjected to a full scale trial in the
harbour at Hvide Sande. The 14.5-metre double slide was launched
from a height of 9.3-metres and the first raft was automatically
deployed. The pre-connected second raft was then launched from
the first to create capacity for over 300 passengers and crew.
When used in a genuine emergency and the ship evacuation is
complete, the last crew member to disembark can activate a
pyrotechnic knife patented by SurvitecZodiac. This device allows
30 seconds of escape time before it separates the slide from the
ship. The slide design is known to provide the fastest
evacuation speed for small to medium-sized ships and high speed
craft as it can enable the escape of 731 passengers in 30
minutes when used with SurvitecZodiac’s Throw-Over 150 person
canopy liferafts. |
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The SurvitecZodiac MIS MES evacuation system
is deployed at right angles to the ship’s side and is available
in four sizes covering freeboard installations from 3.8 to 9.3
metres. The brand is also now preparing a 12.5-metre version for
approval in early in 2013. The slides are designed for
deployment at an angle of 30-35 degrees as specified by SOLAS
rules and are suitable for a wide range of vessels. The
SurvitecZodiac SOLAS MES MIS may be supplied for new builds such
as the Uraniborg or for retro-fitting. It can be provided with a
choice of Throw-Over 100 or 150 person (B Pack) and Throw-Over
Self Righting 100 or 150 persons (B Pack), Open Reversible
Inflatable 100 or 151 person (HSC Pack) as chosen for the
Uraniborg. |
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Manufactured in France, at the modern
Survitec Group factory at Chevanceaux near Bordeaux, the escape
systems fitted to the Uraniborg are EC(MED) approved by Bureau
Veritas. The design has successfully passed heavy weather sea
trials during which it was shown to operate well in winds of
Beaufort Force 6 to 7 and with wave heights from 4.5 to 5-metres
and, on occasions, up to 8-metres. This performance
significantly exceeded the commercial regulatory requirements
which are limited to wind strengths of Beaufort Force 6 with
3-metre wave height |
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