Marin Ark News

Survitec said its new Marine Evacuation System (MES) Life Ark -- a helical slide-based MES for small to medium-sized passenger vessels -- has received full-type approval from Bureau Veritas.Life Ark is designed for vessels with a freeboard height of up to 23m and passenger capacities ranging from 300 to 1,500. Using the fully enclosed, dry-shod helical (spiral) slide design inherent to Survitec’s popular Marin Ark 2 MES and Seahaven AES, Life Ark ensures a safe, rapid and comfortable descent for people of all ages and abilities.

Survival technology company Survitec has unveiled a new Marine Evacuation System (MES) designed for small to medium size passenger vessels. Targeted at vessels with passenger capacities ranging from 300 to 1,500 persons, such as ferries and expedition cruise ships, the new MES solution will be officially introduced to ship operators during the SMM Trade Fair before being rolled out for full market availability from early 2023.The product is being launched with an extended service MES option of up to 30 months…

As the cruise industry continues to prosper, so too does Survitec, a specialist in marine evacuation systems (MES). Survitec has a history of more than 160 years, with 2020 marking the centenary since RFD, now part of Survitec, was founded.The story of RFD’s technology dates back to 1920 with the introduction of an aircraft flotation product, essentially an inflatable ring, to prevent planes sinking when ditched. This technology quickly evolved to become dual purpose also providing a means to rescue aircrew in an emergency.As technologies and methodologies became more sophisticated…

Survitec Group announced  that P&O Ferries have installed two new Survitec BRUDE Explorer-720 fast rescue boats onto their vessels, the Pride of York and the Pride of Bruges operating on the North Sea route between Hull and Zeebrugge. The BRUDE Explorer-720, an innovative and efficient fast rescue boat, is 7.4m in length and has proven reliability, maneuverability and sea-keeping abilities, Survitec said. It is perfect for search and recovery, dive support and workboat duties.

Two safety and survival systems developed for use in the UK’s offshore sector by the Survitec Group were recognised for their industry-leading importance when they won the Safety Innovations Award in the recent Offshore Achievement Award organised by the Society of Petroleum Engineers (SPE). The Safety Innovations Award recognises excellence in innovative technology and products that have been developed in the UK and which contribute to offshore safety. In particular, it looks at how they contribute to the overall objective of improving individual, plant or operational safety in the offshore energy sector (oil and gas and all forms of renewables).

Survitec Group is promoting its range of Marine Evacuation Systems (MES) at SMM 2014. The company said it can supply systems to suit every type of vessel, from small high speed ferries through to mid-sized passenger ships, large ROPAX and cruise ships. In 1979 the group launched the world's first MES. Since then, Survitec has continued to develop its MES range. It now includes systems manufactured under the RFD, SurvitecZodiac, DSB, RFD Toyo, DBC and Brude brand names. The DSB Cat-Slide MES, Brude KOPAS and SurvitecZodiac Evacuation Slide systems are designed principally for smaller ferries and passenger vessels with low freeboards. Easy to operate, these systems can typically be deployed with minimal input from the ship's crew.

Visitors to SMM 2014 will be able to find out more about Survitec Group's growing portfolio of products and services for the cruise, ferry, cargo, tanker and offshore shipping markets. At this year's show Survitec will be highlighting its RFD, SurvitecZodiac, DSB, DBC and Brude Marine Evacuation Systems (MES), Crewsaver lifejackets, Brude telescopic gangways and Brude fast rescue boats like the HD 720. Survitec will also be promoting its Global Liferaft Hire program, which leverages the largest service network of any liferaft manufacturer in the world.

The all-electric Zero Cat ferry, currently under construction at the Fjellstrand yard in Norway, will enter service next year with Norled as the first Norwegian vessel equipped with Survitec Group's most advanced ESS MES automatic escape slide system. The new slide can be launched and ready for passenger use with the touch of a button and without any further intervention by the crew. This is now being seen by ship operators as an important safety benefit especially when crew members may be actively engaged in dealing with other aspects of an emergency.

Survitec Group announced that it will showcase its SurvitecZodiac range of escape slides and liferafts at the SMM exhibition in Hamburg as part of the Survitec Group Stand (Hall B5, Booth 324) and will include presentations of what the company calls the most advanced escape slide systems on the market. Notable among these is the fully automatic ESS (Escape Slide System) MES escape slide system that can be launched at the touch of a button and made ready for use without any crew involvement.

Wilhelmsen Ships Service is pleased to announce that their Liferaft and Marin-Ark service station in Miami, Florida is now fully operational. It is a stand-alone station conveniently situated between the port of Miami and Port Everglades in South Florida, approximately 4 kilometers from the current Wilhelmsen Ships Service premises in Miami. The station is certified to service all Unitor branded rafts as well as Marin-Ark MES Systems, which are among the largest rafts in the world, with a life-saving capacity of 430 persons per evacuation system.

Transport Canada has assessed the safety of both types of vertical chute Marine Evacuation Systems used by BC Ferries and has confirmed that both systems are safe for use by all passengers, including infants (babies-in-arms). Extensive testing of BC Ferries’ chute systems was conducted following possible concerns raised by the Union about the suitability of the systems for infants, elderly and severely disabled passengers. On October 6, 2003, RFD Beaufort conducted tests in Northern Ireland in the presence of Transport Canada representatives on the Marin Ark chute system to demonstrate the system’s ability to safely evacuate children under five years and the severely disabled. The Marin Ark chute system is installed on the Queen of Coquitlam.