JET BOAT FOR SURF RESCUE WORK

Press, Volume CIX, Issue 32216, 7 February 1970, Page 8

JET BOAT FOR SURF RESCUE WORK

A struggling swimmer is sighted, the alarm given, and surf club members swing into action. A beltman plunges into the surf, struggles through the breaker line, reaches the distressed swimmer and turns for the long haul back to the beach before resuscitation can be applied. The time for the rescue is five minutes, possibly. Five minutes from alarm to resuscitation is a long time to be "clutching at straws.” Alternative rescue action lies in the use of surf skis and surf canoes, but all have serious limitations —the most vital being that surf rescues are still measured in minutes.

What appears to be a definite breakthrough in this field is a new boat now undergoing trials in Christchurch which records its “rescues” in seconds. At a recent surf carnival at North Beach, the jet surf rescue boat turned on a spectacular display in surf breaking up to 12ft high. Conventional man-powered rescue ci-aft were taking up to 20 minutes

to get through the seas and the jet boat was timed at 50 seconds for the same trip. The new craft is a specially designed jet-propelled surf rescue boat manufactured by C. W. F. Hamilton Marine, Ltd, in Christchurch. While similar boats, using the New Zealand made Hamilton jet unit have been operating around the Australian coast for some time now, this is the first complete boat of its type to be designed and made in New Zealand. The recently completed surf boat was ordered by the Midway Surf Livesaving Club in Gisborne.

During its trials, keen interest was shown from a group of Californians visiting New Zealand who represented the National Surf Lifesaving Association of America. They have asked that a complete specification for the boat be submitted to them for consideration by their association. They said their own power rescue craft had nothing like the capability of the jet surf rescue boat

Combining the inherent characteristics of a jet boat with some appropriate rescue features, this boat has I impressed all who have seen its trials. The jet boat of course, has propeller; in fact, the bottom of the boat is completely clean. This enables the new surf rescue jet to operate in only inches of water and, indeed, it can run right up to the beach when landing without damage to its propulsion gear. Its ability to operate from a beach, race out through the shallows, and return right to the beach is a big advantage to the lifesavers. Apart from the operational speed the boat’s speed is in excess of 30 m.p.h. It take a lot of paddling- to keep up with that

The jet surf rescue boat is 15ft 6in long with a 6ft lOin beam and is constructed of solid fibreglass reinforced plastic, coloured permanently white. A special 4ft high bow has been incorporated for its work in high surf and rough water. The hull itself has been specially strengthened to withstand shocks against other boats or underwater obstacles. The deck, which is made of fibreglass reinforced plywood, is designed to withstand and shed the weight of a breaking wave. It is finished with a non-skid surface.

A very low gunwale has been carried aft to facilitate easy entry of an unconscious swimmer and a suitably rounded top ensures that no harm can come io anyone being pulled or clambering over the side.

The boat is powered by a Ford V 6 Zodiac fresh water cooled marine engine coupled to a Hamilton Colorado Explorer two stage jet unit with reverse and neutral control. A sacrificial anode is fitted to the unit to prevent corrosion in salt water. Top speed with the 3-litre V 6 engine is around 34 m.p.h. and cruising speed when | laden is 24 m.p.h. Cruising speed fuel consumption when laden is 34-4 j gallons an and the jet’s range at cruising speed is 130 miles. With its 20-gallon fuel load, this boat can safely; operate 60 miles from base, rendering it an extremely versatile craft and with this, capacity it could be most use-; ful for duties such as shark patrolling along beaches. Safety in surf conditions: is the essential design func-l tion in this boat as opposed to conventional boats. Two: 15in by 6m scuppers are I located at the rear of the cockpit so that it drains automatically should it become filled with water from a breaking wave. There are however hinged flats that prevent water from coming into the boat through the scuppers. An automatic bilge pump works off the jet pnit in addition to an electric bilge pump that is controlled by a switch under the front coaming.

The possibility of a wave breaking in over the bow of the boat led to many of the design features. The engine and controls had to be completely sealed to prevent any water entering the bilge. The engine surround has a double PVC gasket and is securely bolted in place. The top of the surround acts as an inspection hatch and can be removed for easy engine access by undoing four thumb screws.

The engine breaths through a snorkel tube cum towing bollard and positive forced air blower mounted high under the control console. A hydraulic foot throttle,

push/pull Teleflex reverse control and Hamilton type steering are also completely sealed from the lower compartment. Instrumentation is basic and designed to give minimum trouble should it be submerged. A sealed tachometer and warning lights for oil pressure, water temperature and generator charge are all that are necessary. The driving position is designed for stand-up control and the steering wheel is mounted on the high front coaming.

Being a jet boat, the craft can be launched and retrieved with very little effort. A set of well placed rollers enables the boat to be driven right up the trailer, provided the jet is primed with the intake just under water. The rear trailer roller should be submerged to achieve this. This ease and speed of trailering means that the surf rescue jet can be readily transported by road in a hurry if the situation demanded. In Australia the surf rescue jet boat has become vital equipment to the surf livesaving clubs. The Australians have found them most useful in a mass rescue situation, in which case they employ a technique of ferrying six or more lifesavers at a time out to support the patients until the rescue boat runs a shuttle service with a little more breathing time to pick them up. Another feature of the rescue boat, as demonstrated very effectively in Christchurch while the Gisborne surf boat was on trial, was its ability to hold the boat dead steady inside the surf line. This boat was being handled by an experienced jet boat driver. Skilled use of the reverse/neutral lever gave him 360 degree steering; ' control of the boat while a I “patient” was pulled aboard. This displacement speed manoeuvrability is inherent in all jet boats and, although a little practice is required to attain this driving skill, ithe control available at slow speed is extremely useful, I not only for a surf rescue I boat, but for all runabouts.