You are here

Category: Atlantic

“What I Love About the Atlantic 85 B Class Lifeboat”

Karel Overlaet, RIB Advocate

Impressive Atlantic 85 B Class

No, these are not my own findings but those of Matias, an RNLI Sea Survival Trainer. (website).

In this video, he shows and explains why he loves this particular RIB, the Atlantic 85 B Class lifeboat.

It is one of their fastest vessels in the fleet, built for speed, reliability, and efficiency during life-saving missions at sea.

The RNLI constructs its Atlantic RIBs in-house at the Inshore Lifeboat Centre in Cowes on the Isle of Wight.

Additional work is also carried out at its Poole facility, ensuring a consistent and tightly controlled production process.

This allows the charity to maintain quality standards, keep costs manageable, and provide the best rescue equipment for volunteer crews.

You can find all impressive and very detailed specs on this page.

This video was published on the RNLI YouTube channel.

If you’re interested in more videos of the RNLI, dive in. And if you want to broaden your horizon on rescue, look no further.

RNLI Demo Atlantic 85 Capsize

Karel Overlaet, RIB Advocate

RNLI Demo: a Lifesaving Drill in Action

I have deep respect for rescue teams, many of whom volunteer their time.

They stand ready in dangerous situations, always watching our backs, ensuring safety, and showing remarkable courage.

Their dedication inspires confidence, reminding us of the vital role they play every day.

The crew always reacts by moving toward the vessel. They collect the swim line. They confirm everyone is present. They conduct a welfare check.

During the capsize, one crew member may become trapped beneath the vessel. Another crew member heads forward to attempt a release.

Beneath the overturned hull, an air pocket allows brief breathing. However, staying there long is dangerous. Awareness of surroundings is limited.

(more…)

RNLI Atlantic 85 RIB Tractor Launch and Recovery

Karel Overlaet, RIB Advocate

RNLI Redcar recently captured some excellent footage of their Atlantic 85 lifeboat, ‘Leicester Challenge III’, in launch and recovery with the Talus MB4H tractor.

The helm would normally reverse the lifeboat into the carriage for recovery, but in rough conditions like those seen here, a ‘net recovery’ is used. The net catches the lifeboat while the crew members place harnesses on the cage so that the boat is not left behind when the tractor moves forward.

The carriage can then be lifted and rotated 180 degrees so that they are ready to relaunch in just minutes.

This year marks 100 years since the first tractor was used to pull a lifeboat, though it took a little while to be fully adopted, with the last horse-drawn lifeboat launching in 1936!

×