Recovery of a 39-pax davit-launch raft

A rare pre-planned exercise - we usually wait for the windiest days that co-incide with Captain Loréns schedule on the Jutlandica.

Curtesy of Viking Life Saving in Denmark we had a shiny new 39-pax davit-launch life raft to attempt to connect and lift. For this occasion we had also invited the press to attend, and we had a beautiful, sunny spring day with fresh winds of around 14 m/s.

Except for the fact that this was our first go at the largest liftable raft in production, we also had the goal to keep the operation as quick as we could. From launch order for the rescue boat to the raft landing on deck took just over seven minutes. We estimate that if there had been additional rafts on the scene, the time for consecutive rafts would have been roughly half of the first one. To do the math, at 7 minutes per raft: 60/7*39= 334 pax/hour, at 4 minutes per raft: 60/4*39= 585 pax/hour.

As of this writing we have had 37 press articles, 45 web articles, 1 TV-spot and 2 radio appearances from the exercise. Thanks to everybody who participated!

2012-03-20; © Photos Per Åslin, Video Jens Samuelsson, Peter Matsson/FIRST