![]() The unique design also permits the system to address a broad range of list and trim conditions. The LifeCraft system is the first alternative system to gain approval as a Novel Life-Saving appliance and it meets all SOLAS requirements. It is powered from the ship with multiple redundancies, including stored energy with accumulators or the ability to run from the ship’s emergency generators. Launching is supervised by a safety officer and is fully automated and supported by an extensive training routine. ![]() Viking’s system includes a lifting yoke that moves the crafts into four positions, from storage to preparation for launching and into the water where it inflates. Stored on deck or built into the side of the ship as a single unit in a compact locker, the system requires just 25 percent of the space for a similar lifesaving capacity. It is also lighter in weight, placing less load on the deck than the traditional ridged lifeboats or tender boats and requires no overhang, which is a concern for example on vessels transiting the Panama Canal. The solution is the LifeCraft, which is made up of four inflatable Viking LifeCraft survival craft each with a capacity of 203 passengers, or a total of 812 people. Viking was encouraged by the IMO to continue the efforts, and early in the development process they also worked with major passenger ship operators to learn the typical demographic distribution of passengers and the issues in operation. After 10 years of development, the Viking LifeCraft System recently received official approval from its first flag authority, the Danish Maritime Authority (DMA), and the company is currently in discussion with a number of shipowners about the advantages of the new approach.Īccording to Niels Fraende, Vice President of Viking’s Cruise & LifeCraft Division, the concept for the LifeCraft came about as a result of discussions 10 years ago looking for a safer way to handle passenger evacuations. ![]() Viking Life-Saving Equipment is introducing a unique new approach for lifeboats that it believes will offer strong advantages for mid- to large-sized passenger vessels. ![]()
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