An unmanned lifeboat has a hull with a transom opening, a fo‘c’sle closed by a rounded top deck, providing accommodation for survivors. The aft deck as such is generally U-shaped with a cut-out open at the transom, which is vestigial with two small port and starboard parts. Within the cut-out is a boarding assistance ramp. This is level with the aft deck at its forward end and slopes down to the transom. It extends aft of this by a few of feet—say about lm—to enable survivors to swim and crawl onto it. For guidance to reach the vicinity of the survivors, the lifeboat is equipped with a communication apparatus including a receiver for receiving survivor location data. In addition, the navigation apparatus with which the lifeboat is equipped includes a GPS system, a compass.
LIFEBOAT
2024-12-05
Patent
Electronic Resource
English