Shannon Launch And Recovery System on:
[Wikipedia]
[Google]
[Amazon]
Shannon Launch and Recovery System (SLARS) is a custom designed tractor and trailer specifically designed for the
The lifeboat is launched, and recovered, bow-first. The carriage, mounted on tracked wheels, is used to transport a lifeboat from boathouse to sea. The carriage can then be tilted, effectively acting as a slipway to launch the boat when released. On return, the boat will be driven ashore. A synthetic winch line, designed not to recoil should it break, is attached to the bow of the lifeboat, and the carriage is again tilted to meet the bow of the boat. The lifeboat is then hauled up the carriage. When the carriage is returned to the horizontal, and the lifeboat securely attached, the top section of the carriage rotates 180° as a turntable, and the lifeboat is ready to relaunch. Both the tractor and carriage are tracked vehicles. In some locations, the carriage is also a powered unit, to assist traction and movement. The driver has two sets of controls, and can rotate the seat 180°. The high cab gives excellent visibility, with CCTV to assist. The cab is fully waterproof, and the vehicle can be operated in 2.4m of calm water.
Relief fleet ,
2019–2021
2021– , , - , SC-T06 , HF14 HLK , Supacat , ''Roland Hough'' , , 2014– , , - , SC-T07 , HF64 CVG , Clayton , ''June and Gordon Hadfield'' ,
Relief fleet , 2014–2021
2021– , , - , SC-T08 , HF15 FRX , Supacat , ''Kenneth George Fulford'' , , 2015– , , - , SC-T09 , HF65 HUA , Supacat , , Relief fleet
Relief fleet , 2015–2017
2017–2019
2019– , , - , SC-T10 , HF65 HPJ , Clayton , ''The Cairns'' , , 2016– , , - , SC-T11 , HJ16 JVU , Supacat , {{Nowrap, ''Fred Henley'' , {{Lbs, Skegness , 2016– , , - , SC-T12 , HJ16 JRU , Clayton , ''Miss Eileen Beryl Phillips'' , {{Lbs, Selsey , 2017– , , - , SC-T13 , HF67 DSO , {{nowrap, SC Innovation , {{small, Unnamed , {{Lbs, Lytham St Annes
Relief fleet
{{Lbs, Lytham St Annes , 2017–2018
2019–2021
2021– , , - , SC-T14 , HF67 CAV , Clayton , ''Roy Barker'' , {{Lbs, Llandudno , 2017– , , - , SC-T15 , LK18 FVU , SC Innovation , {{small, Unnamed , {{Lbs, Bridlington , 2019– , , - , SC-T16 , HF18 DYS , Clayton , ''Richard and Mark Colton'' , {{Lbs, Hastings , 2018– , , - , SC-T17 , HD66 VBJ , SC Innovation , {{small, Unnamed , {{Lbs, Clogherhead , 2019– , , - , SC-T18 , HF68 DDL , Clayton , {{small, Unnamed , {{Lbs, Barmouth , 2019– , , - , SC-T19 , HF69 CXV , SC Innovation , ''David Cooper'' , {{Lbs, Seahouses , 2020– , , - , SC-T20 , HF19 EHH , Clayton , {{Nowrap, ''Violet Rose Saw'' , {{Lbs, Rhyl , 2019– , , - , SC-T21 , HF20 EBD , SC Innovation , {{small, Unnamed , Relief fleet
{{Lbs, New Quay , 2019–2023
2023– , , - , SC-T22 , {{small, HF69 DPO
1335 MAN , Clayton , {{small, Unnamed , {{Lbs, Peel , 2019–2023
2023– , , - , SC-T23 , HF70 EBZ , SC Innovation , {{small, Unnamed , {{Lbs, Ilfracombe , 2021– , , - , SC-T24 , HF70 EBK , Clayton , ''John Llewellyn Mostyn Hughes'' , {{Lbs, Pwllheli , 2021– , , - , SC-T25 , {{nowrap, GX71 CUW , SC Innovation , {{small, Unnamed , Relief fleet , 2022– , , - , SC-T26 , {{small, GX71 ETF
PMN 747T , Clayton , {{small, Unnamed , {{Lbs, Ramsey , 2022– , , - , SC-T27 , HF22 BWJ , Clayton , ''Patricia Jean Bettany'' , {{nowrap, {{Lbs, Wells-next-the-Sea , 2022– , , - , SC-T28 , HF72 FXD , Clayton , {{small, Unnamed , Relief fleet , 2023– , , - , SC-T29 , HF73 BXN , Clayton , {{small, Unnamed , {{Lbs, Anstruther , 2024– , , - , SC-T30 , , Clayton , , , , , - {{notelist
Royal National Lifeboat Institution
The Royal National Lifeboat Institution (RNLI) is the largest charity that saves lives at sea around the coasts of the United Kingdom, the Republic of Ireland, the Channel Islands, and the Isle of Man, as well as on some inland waterways. It i ...
(RNLI) to launch and recover lifeboats.
The SLARS is produced by two British companies, Supacat, based in Honiton, Devon
Devon ( , historically known as Devonshire , ) is a ceremonial and non-metropolitan county in South West England. The most populous settlement in Devon is the city of Plymouth, followed by Devon's county town, the city of Exeter. Devon is ...
, and Clayton Engineering Limited, based in Knighton, Powys. In 2015, Supacat rebranded as SC Innovation.
Operation
The Shannon launch and recovery system (SLARS) was developed to launch and recover the 18-tonne RNLI lifeboat.The lifeboat is launched, and recovered, bow-first. The carriage, mounted on tracked wheels, is used to transport a lifeboat from boathouse to sea. The carriage can then be tilted, effectively acting as a slipway to launch the boat when released. On return, the boat will be driven ashore. A synthetic winch line, designed not to recoil should it break, is attached to the bow of the lifeboat, and the carriage is again tilted to meet the bow of the boat. The lifeboat is then hauled up the carriage. When the carriage is returned to the horizontal, and the lifeboat securely attached, the top section of the carriage rotates 180° as a turntable, and the lifeboat is ready to relaunch. Both the tractor and carriage are tracked vehicles. In some locations, the carriage is also a powered unit, to assist traction and movement. The driver has two sets of controls, and can rotate the seat 180°. The high cab gives excellent visibility, with CCTV to assist. The cab is fully waterproof, and the vehicle can be operated in 2.4m of calm water.
RNLI SLARS Fleet
{, class="wikitable" ! Op.No. ! Reg No. ! Manufacturer ! Name ! Station ! In service ! Comments , - , , WF13 ZNJ , Supacat , , Relief fleet , 2013– , , - , SC-T02 , WG13 AKZ , Supacat , , Relief fleet , 2013– , , - , SC-T03 , HK63 BVW , Supacat , , , 2014– , , - , SC-T04 , HF14 HFK , Supacat , , , 2014– , , - , SC-T05 , HF14 HLJ , Supacat , , Relief fleetRelief fleet ,
2019–2021
2021– , , - , SC-T06 , HF14 HLK , Supacat , ''Roland Hough'' , , 2014– , , - , SC-T07 , HF64 CVG , Clayton , ''June and Gordon Hadfield'' ,
Relief fleet , 2014–2021
2021– , , - , SC-T08 , HF15 FRX , Supacat , ''Kenneth George Fulford'' , , 2015– , , - , SC-T09 , HF65 HUA , Supacat , , Relief fleet
Relief fleet , 2015–2017
2017–2019
2019– , , - , SC-T10 , HF65 HPJ , Clayton , ''The Cairns'' , , 2016– , , - , SC-T11 , HJ16 JVU , Supacat , {{Nowrap, ''Fred Henley'' , {{Lbs, Skegness , 2016– , , - , SC-T12 , HJ16 JRU , Clayton , ''Miss Eileen Beryl Phillips'' , {{Lbs, Selsey , 2017– , , - , SC-T13 , HF67 DSO , {{nowrap, SC Innovation , {{small, Unnamed , {{Lbs, Lytham St Annes
Relief fleet
{{Lbs, Lytham St Annes , 2017–2018
2019–2021
2021– , , - , SC-T14 , HF67 CAV , Clayton , ''Roy Barker'' , {{Lbs, Llandudno , 2017– , , - , SC-T15 , LK18 FVU , SC Innovation , {{small, Unnamed , {{Lbs, Bridlington , 2019– , , - , SC-T16 , HF18 DYS , Clayton , ''Richard and Mark Colton'' , {{Lbs, Hastings , 2018– , , - , SC-T17 , HD66 VBJ , SC Innovation , {{small, Unnamed , {{Lbs, Clogherhead , 2019– , , - , SC-T18 , HF68 DDL , Clayton , {{small, Unnamed , {{Lbs, Barmouth , 2019– , , - , SC-T19 , HF69 CXV , SC Innovation , ''David Cooper'' , {{Lbs, Seahouses , 2020– , , - , SC-T20 , HF19 EHH , Clayton , {{Nowrap, ''Violet Rose Saw'' , {{Lbs, Rhyl , 2019– , , - , SC-T21 , HF20 EBD , SC Innovation , {{small, Unnamed , Relief fleet
{{Lbs, New Quay , 2019–2023
2023– , , - , SC-T22 , {{small, HF69 DPO
1335 MAN , Clayton , {{small, Unnamed , {{Lbs, Peel , 2019–2023
2023– , , - , SC-T23 , HF70 EBZ , SC Innovation , {{small, Unnamed , {{Lbs, Ilfracombe , 2021– , , - , SC-T24 , HF70 EBK , Clayton , ''John Llewellyn Mostyn Hughes'' , {{Lbs, Pwllheli , 2021– , , - , SC-T25 , {{nowrap, GX71 CUW , SC Innovation , {{small, Unnamed , Relief fleet , 2022– , , - , SC-T26 , {{small, GX71 ETF
PMN 747T , Clayton , {{small, Unnamed , {{Lbs, Ramsey , 2022– , , - , SC-T27 , HF22 BWJ , Clayton , ''Patricia Jean Bettany'' , {{nowrap, {{Lbs, Wells-next-the-Sea , 2022– , , - , SC-T28 , HF72 FXD , Clayton , {{small, Unnamed , Relief fleet , 2023– , , - , SC-T29 , HF73 BXN , Clayton , {{small, Unnamed , {{Lbs, Anstruther , 2024– , , - , SC-T30 , , Clayton , , , , , - {{notelist
See also
* Shannon-class lifeboat *Talus MB-H amphibious tractor
Talus MB-H is a continuous track launch tractor which was specifically designed for the Royal National Lifeboat Institution (RNLI), to launch and recover lifeboats from beach-launched lifeboat stations. The tractor was built by Clayton Engineerin ...
* Talus MB-764 amphibious tractor
* RNLI New Holland TC45 launch tractor
The New Holland TC45 is a four-wheel drive compact tractor, adapted to suit the launch and recovery requirements for some of the RNLI's inflatable inshore lifeboats from beach and shore-based lifeboat stations.
Specification
The RNLI engi ...
* Talus Atlantic 85 DO-DO launch carriage
The Talus Atlantic 85 DO-DO launch carriage is a Drive On - Drive Off lifeboat launch and recovery carriage used by the RNLI to launch its Atlantic class inshore lifeboats.
Design
The design is by Clayton Engineering Limited, who worked with ...
References
{{reflist Royal National Lifeboat Institution Royal National Lifeboat Institution launch vehicles Sea-going tractors Tractors Rescue equipment