Chief Inspector of Life-boats (This paper was read at the 7th International Life-boat Conference held in Lisbon in June, 1955.) Ix Great Britain and Ireland the verv varying nature of the shore creates many problems, and the methods of launching life-boats, and indeed the life-boats themselves, have to be adapted to suit particular localities.

In general, the localities can be divided into: (a) Natural harbours, which are found in the Shctlands, Orkneys, along the western seaboard and the west coast of Eire; (b) Artificial harbours, some of which are small and become almost dry at low water; (c) Steep pebble beaches, mostly along the south-eastern coast, where not only docs the contour alter with every tide but in some places the whole shore undergoes permanent erosion or accretion; (d) Small estuaries, which also prac- tically dry out at low water; (e) Flat sandy beaches; (/) Mudflats." Natural Harbours In the case of natural harbours, provided there is a good anchorage where the life-boat can be boarded in any weather by means of a small boarding boat, no difficulty presents itself, and the life-boat, usually a 52-feet or a 46-feet 9-inches boat, according to the size of the area she has to guard, is moored afloat. Our experience has proved that provided such a boat is hauled out of water annually for an overhaul, she does not unduly deteriorate. In fact, we have some boats still in good condition which have lain afloat for over twenty- five years.

Artificial Harbours In artificial harbours, where there is usually insufficient room for a life- boat to be permanently moored, it is customary to have her in a boathouse and launch her by means of a slipway.

This is usually constructed either in a corner of the harbour itself or else in the approach to the harbour, where some degree of shelter can be obtained from outlying reefs, and with a launch- ing gradient varying between 1 in 5 and 1 in 10 according to local con- ditions.

At some stations this method is adopted in the open sea, away from any harbour, provided that a degree of shelter can be obtained from outlying reefs, sand banks, etc. The normal size of boat launched from slipways is the 46-feet 9-inches boat with its displacement of 22.5 tons and drawing 4.4 feet of water or, in the case of shoal water harbours, the 42-feet boat, displacing 16.5 tons and drawing 3.5 feet.

While a life-boat can be safely launched off a slipway into rough seas, she cannot be launched into heavy seas—a condition which will exist where there is no protection whatever —without incurring very grave risk.

A boathouse is normally built on the shore itself. If this cannot be done, it is built on either reinforced concrete or steel piling above the water, and connected with the shore by means of a gangway at the shore end. The life-boat is secured to her -steel winch rope by means of a slip and addition- ally by securing or preventer chains.

Necessary Conditions On launching, the chains are first cast off and the slip is released. The boat then travels down the slipway, gathering momentum all the time until she finally strikes the water at a speed varying between 20 and 40 miles an hour, according to the length and gradient of the slipway. The essentials for a slipway launch there- fore are a minimum depth of water at the toe at low water spring tides of 7 feet to 5 feet, varying according to the draft of the boat; a measure of protection from heavy seas; and a nearby harbour where the life-boat can be temporarily moored when sea conditions are too rough to return her to her slipway.

When launched off steep pebble beaches the life-boat, normally a modi- fied version of the 42-feet boat, whose displacement is 16.5 tons and draft 3.3 feet, is eased out of her house by means of a winch rope. She is then carried across the fiat top of the beach on a skeleton launching way, com- prising a roller keelway at a very slight gradient, until she reaches the fall of the beach. She is then slipped and allowed to run down the steep bank over portable wooden skids, gathering momentum all the time until she enters the water. These wooden skids have to withstand a severe strain and severe blows from a boat of this weight: our experience is that laminated oak skids are the best for this purpose.

Use of Carriages The next three conditions, viz. small estuaries which dry out, flat sandy beaches and mud fiats, are normally overcome by the provision of a trans- porting carriage fitted with tracks instead of wheels, on which the life- boat is housed, and a tractor. In these cases the life-boat is a 35-feet 6-inches boat with a displacement of 9 tons and a draft of 2.7 feet. The Royal National Life-boat Institution has two types of tractor in use, the 40 h.p. Roadless and the 95 h.p. Fow- ler. Both are tracked vehicles.

The life-boat is housed on her carriage in the boathouse with the tractor coupled up astern in the launching position. If it is about high tide, the tractor pushes her straight into the sea into a depth of water of about three feet, reverses, and by means of launching falls and sheaves on the bow end of the carriage launches the life-boat.

If, however, the tide is out, the tractor tows the life-boat on her carriage, stern first, along the bank of the estuary or else along the beach until a suitable launching site is reached. The life-boat is then turned into the launching position and launch- ed by the method already described.

Soft Sand Firm beaches present no difficulty, but many others have deep gullies to be traversed, soft sand, pockets of soft mud or patches of stones and boulders lightly covered with sand, all of which constitute hazards. With the intro- duction of the Fowler tractor all the difficulties have been overcome: the worst difficulties are caused by flats at the entrance to the River Mersey, which necessitate a haul of two miles at low water.

Our experience in beach work is that the driven caterpillar type of track is best for the tractor. On the carriage, however, where this is an idling track, we find that we obtain better results from a track constructed on the girder principle. In this, the track shoes so lock as to form a rigid base on the arc of a large circle.

Importance of Speed It is interesting to note that whereas until a few years ago the maximum weight of a carriage boat was 6| tons, it is now 9 tons. The increase has been made possible by the introduction of more powerful tractors and carriage tracks of an improved design.

No matter which method of launch- ing is adopted, it is the policy of the Royal National Life-boat Institution to take full advantage of mechanical improvements in order to launch a life-boat in the quickest and most efficient manner possible, for the value of a good boat is lost if she cannot be efficiently launched in the shortest possible time..