Problem -  Many shipowners opt for Marine Evacuation Systems (MES) like the RFD Marine Ark. These systems offer  performance for quick evacuation, but from a Mass Rescue perspective, they seem to be a dead end.

Idea -  How might we divide the huge rafts of up to 150 persons capacity, that make up the MES, into smaller, lift-able units of 40-50 persons capacity?

Development -  A thesis project at Chalmers University has looked into this problem. See more here!

Problem -  Many ship accidents will produce a lot of floating debris as well as oil spills. Rescue boats, weather equipped with a water jet or a propeller, are vulnerable to  debris, an can be made useless for hours by e.g. a rope that gets tangled and melts into a solid mass around the shaft.

Contaminated water can lead to loss engine cooling followed by engine failure.

Idea -  A rim driven, shaft-less propulsor will have much less risk of getting stuck by debris. A fully electric solution would also mean less complexity and maintenance, as well as no cooling water system that could be compromised by other containments.

Development -  We have put together a group of talented people from various industries, institutes and universities. Two thesis projects have been conducted at Rolls-Royce Propulsion. We hope to have a working prototype to begin testing during 2015.

Find out more about the project at surtsey.org!

Problem - Current SOLAS Rescue Boats and Fast Rescue Boats (FRB) are problematic in a number of situations; they are  scary or dangerous to launch and recover in anything but moderate seas, they suffer from  propulsion systems vulnerable to debris and oils, and they are to big, heavy and un-maneuverable to be safely and easily usable for connecting life rafts or picking up persons in water.

Proposition -  For our tests, launching, recovering and connecting rafts with ROPAX ferry Stena Jutlandica, we have used a Rescuerunner instead of the ships' SOLAS boats. The Rescuerunner was developed by the SSRS for completely different uses, but has proven surprisingly good as a ship borne unit.

How might we adapt the benefits of the Rescuerunner and what we have learned from our tests to a (mostly) SOLAS compliant rescue boat?

Development -  We are currently building a prototype for a slightly bigger boat than the Rescuerunner, optimized to be easy and safe to launch,  recover and to use for going alongside rafts in rough weather.

We also hope to integrate the Rim Jet  described among the other projects into this Close Range Rescue Craft.

Check out this for more on the Rescuerunner!

Problem - Launching and recovering rescue boats from ships is scary and risky. Menacing hooks need to be connected and disconnected in the right order. Stress levels are high. Some systems are considered too dangerous to train with, at least in realistic weather.

In the rare cases of cradle-based systems, these are heavy contraptions, which leads to high impacts and more stress. They usually require the rescue boat to revers for launching, creating a situation of limited control.

Problem - Rescue boat davit stations are often stressful environments for both crew and equipment.

Placement sometimes seams like an afterthought.

Idea -  By designing an enclosed davit station unit we hope to gain:

• A safe and minimally stressful environment for the rescue boat crew

• A way to visualize future installations in better, lower positions

• A protected environment for the equipment; easier maintenance

For our overall project:

•  A complete unit that can be easily installed  for testing on any ship

• An  transportable unit that can also be demoed on land

Prototyping -

We are currently building a first working prototype.

Idea -  Many ships use the slack water inside a turn to make it easier for pilot boats to board. Could this principle be used to calm the seas by going around a full turn?

Would it even be helpful to have other ships circling well upwind?

Prototyping -  This has all been in Captain Loréns head... But we hope to produce a masters checklist describing how best to perform the maneuver.

Testing - Partial to several full turns has been tested in varying  weather up to 25 m/s winds and 3,5 m waves with the 185 m ROPAX ship Stena Jutlandica.

Some of the times we have used a wave buoy to measure the effect, but our usual evaluation method  has been actually working, launching and recovering with small boats

We have also done limited simulations.

Conclusion - For the combined size and power o f the Jutlandica and the sea states that we have encountered, the method works remarkably well. The turn and some 28000 hp effectively flattens the seas, and the effect lasts for several minutes.

Tests in higher waves, with other ships, and with more controlled measuring are still needed.

Availability -  Anyone can do it! Please do, and tell us what you learned!

Implementation - Eventually, we hope that the Sea Calming Turn will be part of the curriculum for Master Mariners.

Problem - Even though we think we have a reasonable solution to how to connect life rafts (with an CRRC), sometimes it might be best to not have to send crew members onto the water.

Idea -  How might we use an Unmanned Aerial Vehicle (UAV) and an automatic hook, or som other creative solution, to connect life rafts remotely?

Check out this Call-for-projects for remotely connecting life rafts!