LiftRaft Systems Australia

[ferryrider42]

I stumbled onto the website for the company that makes the evacuation system for the new Coastal class vessels. On the site there is a video demonstration of the chute being deployed that may interest people.

Unfortunately, the boat used to deploy the chute is not a BC ferry.

www.liferaftsystems.com.au/evacuation.cgi?task=MOVIE

[Nick]

Thought I should point out that that system is used on almost all BCF vessels, not only the Super-C class. One of the pictures in their gallery shows an old C-class (either Cow/Coq or Alberni, I can't quite tell from the angle)

[ferryrider42]

Whoops, good to know.

Could it be possible that the Spirt’s have a different system? I recall them having a sort of vertical tube solution. I’ve always foreseen problems getting the elderly and disabled to safety with such a vertical method.

So this slide system really impresses me. It seems to reduce the entire evacuation system into a kind of game. You can simply throw people onto the slide and let gravity do the work. Granted, there may be some broken bones with the elderly.

If the Sprits do have the vertical chutes I’m thinking of, they where a good idea for keeping active and fit people out of the water. But you can still envision some fearful / panicky individual slowing things down. Not to mention that the elderly and disabled would probably still have problems navigating those vertical tube solutions.

But these, slide systems, they’re just great!

[Nick]

If I recall correctly, they are gradually switching those chute systems out with the slides, for the reasons mentioned before (elderly/panicked individuals scared or unable to safely negotiate the chute). I think all the C-class got them during the MLUs. I think the spirits may have received them as well. I know the old Vs do not have them, they have an ancient system of inflating rafts on deck and lowering them into the water using davits. (you know those clear areas on the upper outer deck?)

[Scott (Former Account)]

The Spirits use MEC's made by Viking. The C's except the Alberni use RFD. And the Alberni, Nanaimo, Burnaby as well as the Super C's use LSA's...

The LSA MEC's were chosen as they are more open (better for the elderly and disabled, as coxnnick mentioned), and use a gradual slide rather than a drop straight down through a narrowing chute...

[Nick]

OK thanks Scott. I thought all the Cs used LSA's system. I guess the C shown in LSA's gallery is the alberni then.

I'm pretty sure that the burnaby doesn't have a slide evac. system, I think it is just davit launched liferafts, at least that's what my supervisor told me when I was up there this past summer. I don't know about the nanaimo though, only that it had a vertical chute last fall (2006) when I was on it for the SAREX practice in the Saanich Inlet.

[blackshadow]

The Nanaimo, Alberni and three super C's have LSA. big LSA letters each door

The C class except Alberni have DBC twin track chutes.

The Burnaby and pacific cats have RFD twin track chutes. white AL containers

The Spirts, cumberland, and cappie have RFD single track chutes. were unpainted AL box

I am trained on all above by BCFS.

NADV is only vessel in BCFS that has Viking.

Kuper, skeena, HSQ, and soon to be Quinitsa all have DBC sliding system.

Tsawwassen, Tenaka and all V class all have davit launch rafts.

QQII, Tachek, Quinsam, Kaloke, Nimpkish, BQ, MQ, PRQ and presently Quinitsa have canister life rafts. Blue or white

I hope this clears this up.

[Scott (Former Account)]

blackshadow said:

The Nanaimo, Alberni and three super C's have LSA. big LSA letters each door

The C class except Alberni have DBC twin track chutes.

The Burnaby and pacific cats have RFD twin track chutes. white AL containers

The Spirts, cumberland, and cappie have RFD single track chutes. were unpainted AL box

I am trained on all above by BCFS.

NADV is only vessel in BCFS that has Viking.

Kuper, skeena, HSQ, and soon to be Quinitsa all have DBC sliding system.

Tsawwassen, Tenaka and all V class all have davit launch rafts.

QQII, Tachek, Quinsam, Kaloke, Nimpkish, BQ, MQ, PRQ and presently Quinitsa have canister life rafts. Blue or white

I hope this clears this up.

Thanks for the clarification, 'blackshadow'.