Custom
built by Pembrokeshire company Ocean Dynamics, originally for the RSPB,
the boat is made of heavy gauge marine aluminium, designed for strength,
speed and manoeuvrability. The hull's shallow angle is designed for optimal
planing and minimum draft, allowing us to operate safely in very shallow
water.
Ocean Dynamics' jet RIBs have made the national news and the international boating news, particularly with the Arctic Challenge.
Jet boats are becoming increasingly popular across the world and are currently being trialled by the RNLI and the military. Greenpeace also operates three Ocean Dynamics jet boats. For details of what Ocean Raven (now Anaconda) is getting up to with Greenpeace, check out the Greenpeace website.
These boats are the toughest RIB workboats available and are used in extreme sea environments.
There's no such thing as an unsinkable boat but our RIB is as unsinkable as it's possible to be. Ocean Dynamics made its name by designing craft which are unsinkable in all but the most extreme working conditions. In 25 years no-one has ever sunk one: they've survived huge seas, even icebergs; they're very much at home in the challenging waters around Pembrokeshire, where we've been trialling them for 20 years.
The hull is in marine grade aluminium, the toughest material available; it is divided into separate compartments for further safety (in tests when one part of the hull has been flooded with water the boat still floats). The hull is further protected by collision bulkheads.
The tubes are made of heavy duty Hypalon and divided into 7 compartments, each separated by an industrial strength baffle to ensure maximum strength.
The tubes play no part in keeping the boat afloat, although they offer massive additional buoyancy and shock absorption in rough conditions. They are also extremely comfortable to sit on.
Jet Technology
The boat is equipped with a Hamilton 274 jet drive. Jet boats were originally conceived by Bill Hamilton in New Zealand and have been proven to have a sympathetic acoustic signature which decreases wildlife disturbance.
Jets
have extremely good control and manoeuvrability. Unlike conventional outboard-driven
boats, jets are powered by internal impellers. Water is drawn in under the
boat and driven out under immense pressure through a nozzle at the back
(the jet unit thrusts out several tonnes of water per minute). We manoeuvre
by moving the nozzle and directing the water flow; 'brakes' and reverse
are achieved by reversing the water flow by lowering a deflector, similar
to jet aircraft.
Jets are able to turn on their own axis, even stop within a boat's length (creating our own waves). All this is achieved by directing water flow; we have no props and therefore cannot damage wildlife.
The combination of powerful engine and jet enables us to move upstream, downstream or remain stationary in strong currents.
The Engine
The boat is fitted with a Yanmar 440 HP engine, which runs on marine diesel. The production of diesel is more environmentally friendly than that of petrol and diesel engines have a high level of fuel economy compared to petrol-driven marine outboards. Diesel emissions are recognised as less damaging to the environment than petrol emissions. The Yanmar 440 HP is fully compliant with international marine emissions regulations, including the stringent regulations which came into operation in 2006.
The exhaust is silenced and under water, minimising noise pollution; the engine is fully soundproofed.
We introduced biodiesel in 2007 for our vehicles and the boat, which runs on a diesel / biodiesel mix. Operational testing by environmental bodies has shown that 100% biodiesel is not yet an option for marine engines but we are doing our best to balance environmental responsibility with the safety and maintenance requirements of the boat. Our biodiesel is sourced locally and made from waste vegetable oil.
