Lots of lifeboats

[ianrb]

Driving north over the Forth Road Bridge yesterday I notices at least 7 RNLI lifeboats tied up at South Queensferry. Does anyone know why so many are in one location at a time, and why that particular location?

[ecsrobin]

Were they ribs or all weather lifeboats?

[donny1]

Maybe just orange workboats for the new bridge?

[ianrb]

ecsrobin said:

Were they ribs or all weather lifeboats?

They were the bigger all weather ones.

[donny1]

You sure it wasn't these?

[Taffer]

They're ARRCs (Autonomous Rescue & Recovery Craft) that were used for the now-defunct BP Jigsaw SAR operation in the North Sea. 2 of each were carried as daughter craft on of a fleet of 4 PSVs (Platform Supply Vessels), which operated in conjunction with 2 Super Pumas to provide SAR coverage in the North Sea.



The PSVs have had the ARRC launching davits and equipment removed, and are operating as normal PSVs now. The ARRCs, last I heard, were up for sale for about £250k each. You can see how they differ from the RNLI offshore lifeboat in the background; the ARRCs being RHIBs (rigid-hulled inflatable boats).

Edited by Taffer on Wednesday 20th April 14:45

[hidetheelephants]

Never understood why the scheme got binned; it was flexible and far better value for money than having ERRVs dodging about the place.

[ianrb]

Thanks for explaining what they are/were.

Sorry about my confusion with RIBS; the only ones I've seen before were the little open ones, also I was driving over the road bridge at the time, so my view was restricted.