Type Launch carriage | Length 8.3 m (330 in) | |
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Manufacturer Clayton Engineering Limited Weight 2.4 Tonnes maximum ballasted weight. | ||
The Talus Atlantic 85 DO-DO launch carriage is a Drive On - Drive Off Lifeboat launch and recovery carriage currently used by the RNLI to launch its Atlantic class inshore lifeboats.
Contents
The Design
The design was conceived by Clayton Engineering Limited, who worked closely with the RNLI to produce this very efficient launch system. The carriage works in conjunction with the range of Talus tractors which are used to deploy the Atlantic 85 inshore lifeboats. There are three versions of this carriage which include a standard carriage and the option of a hydraulic power pack so that the angle of the launch can be changed to suit the conditions. The carriage’s launch platform has a main bed which elevates through 10° to achieve this feature. The third variant of the carriage has the elevation bed mounted on a rail carriage system.
Operation
Under normal launch conditions the lifeboat is loaded with its bow to the rear of the carriage to allow faster deployment. When the lifeboat is recovered it reverses back on to the launch bed. Depending on the sea condition the helmsman require good seamanship to achieve this.