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 FINNISH LIFEBOAT INSTITUTION UPDATES ITS FLEETThe Finnish Lifeboat Institution’s project of defining the lifeboat classes for its future fleet is nearly complete. The large, slow boats will be replaced by faster, smaller units.The Institution has decided on a fleet of boats from five rescue boat classes (PV I – PV V) and a rescue cruiser. The requirements for all lifeboat classes are a minimum speed of 30 knots, a capacity to operate independently and suitability to the Finnish climate conditions. The boats are meant specifically to be used by volunteer crews. The availability of vessels may not be restricted to one supplier. The new lifeboat classes will be ratified by the Finnish Lifeboat Institution´s Council. Six-metre PV I The smallest boat, of the PV I class, is a 6.5-metre RIB (rigid inflatable boat), powered by one 115-horsepower diesel jet or an outboard motor. The maximum speed of the boat is 35 knots and it can be operated as an independent unit or as a support boat for a larger vessel. The PV I class boats take a crew of two. This class will gradually replace the current Avon 4.0 and 5.4 RIBs and some of the current Atlantic 21 boats. The PV I class will be the largest class in the fleet of the Finnish Lifeboat Society. Larger open boat PV II PV II boats are approximately 7.5-metre RIBs. They can be operated as the sole vessel of a rescue station. PV II boats are equipped with a 115-hp twin diesel jet drive or outboard motors. The first boat of this class acquired by the Society, the Boomerang C-740, has a 115-hp four-stroke twin outboard motor. The boat reaches nearly 35 knots and is operated by a crew of three. Boats in both of the smallest classes are fully equipped, from tools to a plotter and helmet intercoms. Decked PV III Although open rescue boats are functional and efficient rescue units, the core of the Society’s fleet is formed by decked rescue vessels. The smallest decked boats, PV III class, are approximately 10 metres long and equipped with a 250-hp twin diesel jet drive. The boat is decked but has no sleeping facilities. PV III boats take a crew of three to four. The boat type can be used as an independent rescue unit for inland waterways or sheltered sea areas. Sturdier PV IV The larger size of the decked boats of PV IV class means better seaworthiness. The boats of this class will be used for sea areas and the most heavily trafficked inland stations. PV IV boats are 12 metres long and powered by two diesel jet drives, with a total of 800 hp. The maximum speed of the boats is 35 knots and they take a crew of four. PV IV boats are intended to be used in medical emergencies, towage and search operations, transportation of stretcher patients, as well as crew and material deliveries under highly demanding conditions. Offshore class PV V The PV V class boats are the largest of the PV classes and are approximately 14 metres long. The planning-hull vessels are powered by two 700-hp diesel jet drives and their maximum speed is 30 knots. The PV V boats take a crew of five. The PV V boats operate throughout the Baltic under all weather conditions. The boats have the best possible facilities and equipment for demanding rescue operations. Particular attention has been paid to the cabin design. The navigation system is based on four 19-inch TFT displays, and the boats have electronic joystick steering. Boat acquisitions present a challenge The Finnish Lifeboat Institution will be decommissioning some twenty of vessels as outdated in the next few years. The acquisitions of their replacements are planned at the moment, based on the newly defined classes. The new system makes the acquisition and placement of new vessels easier and more efficient. In 2005, the Institution acquired ten new rescue boats representing PV I, PV II and PV III classes. The Society’s goal is to have acquired the first PV IV and PV V vessels by 2007.
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