When the UK's Royal National Lifeboat Institution was given the chance to design their dream lifeboat, they came up with the Shannon: a waterjet-propelled, highly-maneuverable, stop-on-a-dime, beach-launched and recovered, self-righting, shock-absorbing, 13-meter all-weather lifeboat capable of reaching speeds up to 25 knots. The Shannon is actually the first class of … [Read more...]
Dive Support Vessel Suffers Fire in North Sea
A dive support vessel with 23 crew was forced to issue a mayday call on Monday after a fire broke out in the vicinity of the vessel's engine room as the ship was approximately 5 nautical miles east of the Tyne piers on the east coast of England. After picking up the call distress call from the Marshall Islands-flagged Nor Da Vinci, which had just departed Blyth harbour, … [Read more...]
Bunker Tanker Saved Off Scotland
Volunteer crews from Britain's Royal National Lifeboat Institute (RNLI) helped rescue a bunker tanker that was nearly capsized after a collision with a containership off Scotland. The incident occurred Saturday afternoon when the tanker Erin Wood collided with a containership about four miles off Peterhead, located north of Aberdeen on the North … [Read more...]
Two Men Narrowly Escape Capsized Tug in Southampton
Two crew are lucky to be alive after narrowly escaping a capsized tug just before it sank Monday night in strong winds and poor visibility near Southampton, England. RNLI and the UK Maritime and Coastguard Agency report receiving a distress call at about 8:15 p.m. Monday saying that a commercical tugboat had capsized at the Fawley marine terminal in Southampton … [Read more...]
Video: RNLI Helicopter Rescue Training Marriage Proposal
A volunteer RNLI crew member from Mumbles lifeboat station thought a helicopter rescue exercise was a good time to pop the question to his now-fiancée. Here they are coming back to the lifeboat after she said yes. I guess that's one way to do it. Congrats you crazy kids! … [Read more...]