Lodging on the quayside at Ramsgate last weekend was fascinating for anyone who is interested in boats - so despite the rubbish weather, I spent quite a lot of time spotting.
One surprise was this Free-Fall Lifeboat. Normally seen hung on the back of ships at a crazy angle, you don't generally find them close to the shore. Except it appears when owned and used as a private boat or even houseboat. I'm intrigued to know what one of these is like to sail as a gin palace. They are intended to get the crew to safety, and I assume not built for comfort.
Presumably, this is why there is a second one that's been customised by hacking the front off (very neatly) and installing a patio.
If you feel the urge to build one, fire up your 3D printer and head over here. Would it be suitable for radio control? Probably if you printed it large enough with a thin hull. Plenty of orange paint will be required to seal and smooth the print material!
Thanks to Nigel for pointing me in the direction of this:
ReplyDeletehttps://www.marinetraffic.com/en/ais/details/ships/shipid:5273270/mmsi:257030830/imo:0/vessel:OCEAN_SPACE_DRONE1
Another similar shaped vessel.
There's more on the project here: http://www.mynewsdesk.com/uk/saltwater/pressreleases/kongsberg-maritime-kongsberg-coordinates-eu-funded-project-to-enable-autonomous-navigation-in-close-proximity-2525792
ReplyDeleteThe blue one was on George Clarke's Small Spaces on channel 4, last year I think. The patio is on the back, and the owners planned on sailing to France.
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