First Mariner 115hp Capsize PIRS® engines to power new SARA Lifeboat

Published on: 05/06/2018

The Severn Area Rescue Association (SARA) has announced the order of a new Mariner powered Lifeboat for its Sharpness Lifeboat Station.

 The new craft has been specifically designed to cope with the challenging conditions of the UK’s tidal waters which have the second-highest tidal range in the world capable of damaging the most robust craft.

Hendy Marine based in Swanwick Marina, Southampton were selected to supply a bespoke version of the Highfield 760 Aluminium Hull Self Righting RIB. The design features Ullman Shock Mitigating seating to lessen the impact of the conditions on the crew and an enhanced electronics package including Raymarine ‘Doppler’ Radar and FLIR heat-seeking camera systems to increase the number of successful rescues.

Twin Mariner 115hp outboard engines were supplied by the Barrus Special Products Division, a team that specialises in professional rescue service applications. The Mariner outboard motors have been customised with the latest Capsize Post Immersion Restart System® (PIRS), a patented technology designed and developed in-house which enables the engines to restart automatically following any inversion of the lifeboat. These engines are the first four-stroke variation of the system to be supplied complete with a Command Thrust option for precise control and improved performance in all conditions.

To fund this project, SARA has been awarded an Inshore and Inland Rescue Boat grant of £110k by the Department of Transport. This was the largest single grant from the 2017/18 round of funding and will cover 75% of the final cost of the lifeboat.

Geoff Dawe, Sharpness Lifeboat Station Operations Manager said: “final lifeboat design has been the culmination of long and far-reaching design work with a team made up of Steve Harrison from Hendy Marine, Ivor Andrews from Vortec Systems, the lifeboat station senior team with freely given professional input from the RNLI. Drawing on the RNLI vast experience saved hugely on design work and vital understanding of unique systems without which, much further design work would have been needed. My personal thanks goes to the RNLI.”

Geoff has also made his huge gratitude known to Mark Coleman and the Barrus Special Products team for the massive support of SARA Lifeboats over the years and commented, “PIRS being developed for four-stroke power units is a huge leap forward which, without, would have had led to the whole lifeboat project being put on hold for an indeterminate timescale.”

“After the hard work that has gone into developing the new 115hp Capsize PIRS®, we are excited to deliver our first engines fitted with the system and see them out on the water,” commented David Etherington-Smith, Sales Manager for the Special Products Division, E.P. Barrus Ltd. 

“PIRS has become a must-have technology for professional rescue services and we have worked closely with SARA to ensure the engines suit their application perfectly. SARA has used Mariner outboard engines fitted with PIRS for a number of years, so we are delighted to be able to supply them with our first pair of Capsize PIRS® engines and support the team with this project,” David concluded.

Back to entries