New Lifeboat Unveiled

A new jet-powered lifeboat has been unveiled by a Dorset-based sea rescue charity. The Fast Carriage Boat 2 (FCB2) is propelled by twin water jet engines making it faster than its predecessor and easier to manuever. It will be the first of Poole-based RNLI's all-weather lifeboats to use water-jets instead of propellers. The boat can land directly onto a beach by hitting it at speed, forcing the boat out of the breaking waves. The 45ft. FCB2 can reach speeds of up to 25 knots.

Because the boat is powered by water jets, there is no propeller to be damaged if the boat hits the ground in shallow water rescues or as it lands and launches. Source: BBC