Project 00026 lifeboat. Onboard rescue boats

The ship's working rescue boats, which were supposed to take a place on the deck of universal rescue ships, were subject to requirements that were dictated by the conduct of rescue operations. These were quite stringent requirements for seaworthiness, which meant the possibility of carrying out rescue operations and the transportation of goods and people with a sea surface condition of up to 6 points and rescuing people with an unlimited sea level. Not to mention the guaranteed stability of this mandatory quality of any watercraft, the boat must be unsinkable, even if it is completely flooded with water, while the engine installation must work flawlessly. Such a boat must have a hook for towing operations, designed for significant traction forces that the engine installation must provide. He must also have special devices for the production of emergency rescue operations. These special devices should ensure that the floating craft, stranded, ropes or conductors are wound up and released if they fall under stones on the ground or get caught on something. Devices

Project 7394/1 ship rescue nater (77L1, S.6t, 2x 60l, s., 9 knots)

And the supply of the boat should allow to remove people from ships in distress in stormy weather, and rescue floating people in any condition of the water surface.

Our fleet did not yet have such boats, and they began to be created in the early 60s at the TsKB-5 branch under the leadership of the chief designer H. A. Makarov.

According to the terms of reference received at the beginning of 1961, the zero stage of the project was developed. In the zero stage, two versions of the boat were presented. The development of two options was due to the fact that the rescue vessels of projects 527 and 532 were already under construction, and the task was to “fit” with new boats into already finished ship designs, including project 530 of the Karpaty lifting vessel. The first version of the boat, 11 m long, met all the requirements of the technical specifications, but required, when installed on projects 527 and 530, a change in the general arrangement, the development and manufacture of new hoisting mechanisms and devices. The second version, 9 m long, "fit" better in the projects, but it had deviations from the requirements of the technical specifications for traction and seaworthiness. After reviewing the results of the zero stage, the customer approved the first version of the boat with a length of 11 m for further design.

In December 1962, the technical project 1394 was ready.

The project 1394 boat met all the requirements for rescue boats and reflected in the design specification.

According to the technical design, it was an open boat with a light alloy hull, with lines providing good seaworthiness and stability when performing towing operations.

The open type facilitated working conditions during rescue operations, providing free access to the sides around the entire perimeter. This was necessary when removing people from the water and placing them in a boat, receiving and transferring cargo, when working with mooring lines and conductors, when using emergency equipment and devices.

Unsinkability was ensured by watertight compartments located along the sides, at the ends and under the platform. Waste scuppers were designed to pass six cubic meters of water per minute, which ensured self-draining

Working hold in 2.5 min. With any combination of damage to the watertight compartments, the boat remained unsinkable.

Particular attention was paid to the local strength of the hull in places of possible impacts during rescue operations. In addition to the local strengthening of the hull structures, two fenders were provided for each side with vertical fenders and elastic shock-absorbing linings.

A two-shaft mechanical installation in a watertight compartment could provide traction on the hook of 1000 kg at speeds up to 4 knots.

The elements of the propellers were calculated for towing operations, but this calculation was made so that there was no significant reduction in speed during free running and guaranteed the operation of the engine without overload, thereby increasing its engine life.

The emphasis developed by the propellers allowed the boat to move in any sea state, direction and strength of the wind.

The open control post created excellent all-round visibility and provided direct contact between the helmsman and the rescue team.

The boat could take on board 20 passengers or two tons of cargo, on still water - 50 people. To protect people in the bow, a removable awning was provided.

In April 1963, the technical project was approved with minor proposals regarding the configuration and constructive additions to some devices and systems. But it was significant that the customer wanted to have this fiberglass boat.

By that time, the company had mastered the construction of plastic hulls and, given the higher performance of plastic hulls compared to light alloy hulls, recognized such a desire of the customer as expedient.

// stop the pontoon on the barrel by the boat of the project /3944

In July 1963, an abbreviated technical design of a ship's working fiberglass rescue boat was developed. This project received the number 1394A.

The project completely repeated the layout and equipment of its metal predecessor, but was 280 kg heavier, which practically did not change the main tactical and technical elements of the boat.

In April 1965, Project 1394A's lead work rescue boat was presented to the State Acceptance Commission. The boat was tested on the outer roads of the Sevastopol Bay.

The commission confirmed that the results obtained during the tests correspond to the terms of reference, and the speed and thrust on the hook exceed the specified ones.

In addition to the standard tests required for any water craft, the boat was tested for all operations required for a rescue boat. The boat was also tested in emergency situations, such as a side impact in waves up to three points against the side of the vessel, against a raid barrel and a ship-lifting pontoon, as well as at a speed of three knots with a stem against the pier wall. According to the results of these tests, no damage was found to the boat.

In addition to the main tests of the boat, special tests were carried out. It was necessary to check the possibility of using the 1394A project for servicing seaplanes of various types as rescue, working and traveling aircraft. During these tests, the boat demonstrated its full suitability when used as a rescue and work boat. And when using it to put people on a seaplane and take them from an airplane, the height caused concern

Tests of the boat of project 7394/1 on the Uyorny Sea, // Rohod under the wing of a seaplane.

/ Sater project 7394 /) takes a seaplane in tow

Fences of the control post, since when the boat passed under the plane of the aircraft in waves, it was possible to damage the plane.

All participants in the tests recognized that the Project 1394A boat is a fundamentally new type of boat both in terms of architecture, hull material, and in terms of equipping it with a set of standard and special devices, has high performance characteristics and fully meets its purpose.

After conducting comprehensive tests of the lead boats in the Northern and Black Sea Fleets in conditions close to operational, recommendations were presented for their improvement, after which the project documentation was transferred for the construction of a series at the Lazarevskaya Shipyard of the Navy.

Even when the zero design stage was being developed, the question arose of how to understand the unlimited seaworthiness of the boat. In order to avoid different interpretations, we agreed that under the unlimited seaworthiness of a boat we mean its ability to stay afloat with a load of 20 people in any state of the sea surface and have a minimum speed. The concept of "unlimited seaworthiness" does not include the possibility of launching and lifting the boat on board the vessel, as this depends on the characteristics of the boat device and the training of the crew. But regardless of the state of the sea surface, the descent and ascent of the boat will be carried out without a team and its luggage.

This is how project 1394A was developed, the launch and recovery of a fully equipped boat with a full supply of fuel on board the carrier vessel was calculated without the crew and their luggage.

We had to remember this because in the 80s, design robots were carried out to create a ship-lifting rescue vessel "Baikal" of project 05410 for lifting cargo weighing up to 100 tons from great depths and a new rescue vessel "Hindukush" of project 05430 - a carrier of underwater vehicles. These vessels were to be equipped with rescue boats with dimensions and the ability to perform work that fully corresponded to the boats of Project 1394A.

Additional requirements for the boat for the project 05430 were: a splint of floating objects for lifting them on board the vessel in rough conditions, launching and raising the boat in five-point waves with the crew and passengers on board. As the designer determined, the creation of such a boat was possible. He developed project 13942, which met all the requirements put forward, but required a legalized methodology for calculating allowable stresses, safety margins and design forces of both hull structures and hoisting devices. In this case, the launching devices of the carrier vessel remained the concern of the designer of this vessel.

In 1989, the task was again set to create a similar boat for project 05410. The requirements for the boat repeated the requirements for the boat of the project

13942 with some additions, namely, lifting with a boat of 20 passengers or 14 people and 500 kg of cargo, or cargo with dimensions of 1.6 x 0.6 x 1.2 m.

In the developed project 13944, all issues were resolved, except for the calculation of strength, as in project 13942. And, as in the previous project, the issue remained unresolved, since both ship projects were not implemented. Project 05410 was stopped at the design stage, and project 05430 - at the construction stage in the city of Nikolaev.

The development of astronautics has led to the need to create complexes for tracking the flights of spacecraft, determine the trajectory of their flight and receive various information from satellites. In the oceans where it was impossible to place these complexes, the ships of the measuring complexes were used. In addition to the main task of tracking satellites, these ships were engaged in the search and rescue of manned spacecraft. The urgency of this task led to the need to create ships of the search and measurement complex of the project 1918 type and search ships of the project 596P type.

In 1967, the Search and Rescue Service of the Navy was formed, which was entrusted with the tasks of search and rescue support for spacecraft flights. This intensified work on the creation and equipping of search and rescue facilities for space objects on the water.

In the late 1970s, the Baltsudoproekt Central Design Bureau began developing the project 1914 measuring ship Marshal Nedelin. In addition to the main task of working with spacecraft, this ship was intended for search, rescue and evacuation of crews and descent vehicles of spacecraft that landed in the ocean. If the search was assigned to the ships of the measuring complex, then the immediate task of rescue and evacuation was assigned to the ship's boats.

The first onboard boat of such a complex was the boat of project 1394B "Drozd", a modification of project 1394A, chief designer V. A. Melzininov.

Project 1394A shipboard rescue boat possessed almost all the necessary qualities of an onboard rescue boat for a project 1914-type measuring complex ship, but needed to be modified for specific conditions of work with descent spacecraft. These improvements were made during the development of the Project 1394B Drozd ship rescue boat.

The hull of the boat, the propeller-steering complex, the power plant with the control post and the boat systems were taken without changes from the 1394A project. The aft part underwent structural changes, a crinoline was arranged there for mooring the descent spacecraft (capsule). The rear part of the aft platform was raised to the level of the upper deck and fenced with lifelines, which made it possible to conveniently service the moored capsule. A closed superstructure was built over the rest of the aft platform. This superstructure was designed to accommodate astronauts in it and provide them with the necessary assistance.

For this purpose, this room was equipped with beds and the necessary medical equipment. The bow of the boat was not subjected to structural changes, only household equipment was installed there, intended for the stay of the working group during the search for the capsule.

The boat was placed additional supply, determined by the specifics of the work performed.

After determining the calculated splashdown point of the spacecraft, the ships of the search and measurement complex were to go to this place. After the spacecraft splashed down, a helicopter flew out to search for it and a rescue boat came out. When the capsule was detected from the helicopter, the boat received a signal with a bearing to the floating capsule. Further, the helicopter was engaged in pointing the boat at a floating object until the moment of visual contact. The boat approached the floating capsule and, using a special device, grabbed it and pulled it to the mooring crinoline. Having secured the capsule to the crinoline, the working group helped the astronauts leave it and go to the superstructure room, where the astronauts fell into the hands of

The astronaut's transition from the capsule to the boat of project 7394B

Medics. The boat at that time towed the capsule to the side of the base ship and handed it over to the ship's personnel. On this, the functions of the boat in the search and rescue of the crew of the descent vehicle of the spacecraft were completed.

Tests of the project 1394B rescue boat were successfully carried out in the mid-70s off the Black Sea coast of the Caucasus.

After that, the corrected documentation for the construction of boats was transferred to the Lazarevskaya shipyard. Further construction of these boats was carried out at the request of interested parties without notifying the designer of the boat about this.

Finishing the story about the rescue boats of the ships of the measuring complex, it should be remembered that in 1988, at the request of the customer, on the basis of general technical requirements, design studies were carried out for a special rescue boat for rescuing crews and transporting spacecraft descent modules. These studies included three options for a boat with a length of 10 to 26 m. The project had the number 16590, but it did not receive further development.

The design of the ship's rescue boat of project 1393 was carried out in parallel with the design of the working rescue boat of project 1394 and largely repeated the design stages of the latter.

The chief designer of the 1393 project was D. A. Chernoguz.

The architectural type of the boat was based on the USTM 30 light alloy rescue tanker motorboat for the Project 1552 tanker of the Sofia type, designed and built by the TsKB-5 branch.

Ship rescue boats of project 1393 were to be installed on auxiliary ships of the Navy and the same universal rescue ships on which the working rescue boats of project 1394A were installed. These boats, unlike the boats of the 1394A project, were supposed to save only people who could be on the surface of the water, on board the emergency ship or on life rafts and boats.

Accordingly, such a boat was subject to increased requirements for stability, unsinkability, seaworthiness and appropriate equipment with technical means and supplies, which would make it possible to save people with an unlimited sea level.

Project 7393/1 ship rescue boat (I, 5 m. 5.3t. 25hp. 7uz)

/(ater project 73944

SHAPE \* MERGEFORMAT

TOC o "1-5" h z Total displacement, t 8.6

Length, m 11.0

Width, m 3

Board height amidships, m 1.5

Draft, m 0.8

Crew, pers. 3

Travel speed, knots approx. 9.0

Seaworthiness, score 5

Cruising range, miles 200

Engines 2 diesels 6ChSP9,5/11

Rated power, l. With. 2 x 60

Number of revolutions, rpm 1800

After the development of the zero stage of the project, the customer had no comments, and in December 1962 a technical project was developed and submitted to interested parties for consideration and approval.

In April 1963, the technical design was approved with the received main elements. The customer gave comments and suggestions regarding the configuration and constructive addition of some devices and systems, to replace the diesel engine 4CHSP 8.5/11 with a tractor D37 and to switch to a new body material - fiberglass instead of light alloy.

In July 1963, an abbreviated technical design of a fiberglass ship's rescue boat was developed. This project received the number 1393A.

Such a short development time for the reduced technical project is explained by the fact that it completely repeated the 1393 project in terms of layout and configuration, but was 300 kg heavier, which made it possible to maintain its main dimensions and practically changed the main tactical and technical elements.

According to the technical design, it was a closed boat with a fiberglass hull, with lines that ensured good seaworthiness and stability.

The closed wheelhouse was located in the stern of the boat. Such an arrangement of the cabin freed the deck for the free movement of people during rescue operations and the use of rescue equipment and devices.

Behind the wheelhouse, a platform was provided for carrying out rescue operations for towing rafts and boats and, if necessary, for placing cargo. For the possibility of transferring victims inside the boat, a special hatch was provided in the aft wall of the cabin.

For the quick evacuation of people from a ship in distress, when lifting people from the water and quickly placing them inside the boat, two folding shots were provided, one from each side. The shots were equipped with lines with floats to capture people from the surface of the water and then lift them to the stern of the boat.

To facilitate the exit of people from the water on board the boat and the selection of people who have lost consciousness from the water, three portable ladders and a wide opening of the access hatches were provided. Inside, places were provided for twenty people rescued and four crew members. The removal of water that got into the interior was provided by a bilge pump driven by a propeller shaft. To prevent injury to people floating in the water, the propeller was placed in the tunnel and closed with a nozzle.

On board the boat was an inflatable life raft and other accessories for rescue operations.

Unrestricted seaworthiness was ensured by a closed structure consisting of a strong hull and watertight closures.

Capturing floating people with a line with floats using shots on a boat project 73934

Unsinkability was provided by waterproof end compartments and air boxes filled with foam. The boat remained stable and unsinkable even in the event of its complete flooding.

When calculating the stability, all cases of external forces acting on the boat were taken into account, namely, a squall, a transverse jerk, crowds of people on one side and when people were lifted with a shot.

The designer worked out the possibility of installing the D37M tractor engine, subject to the possibility of its conversion into a ship engine, and made sure that this engine today would be inferior in terms of its performance to the serial diesel engine 4ChSP 8.5/11. And finally, the question of using the D37M engine can be resolved only after the creation of the engine, its bench tests and comprehensive testing in natural conditions of a lifeboat or boat.

Two lead boats were built at the pilot plant of the TsKB-5 branch.

In September 1964, the Project 1393A ship's lead rescue boat was presented to the State Acceptance Commission. The boat tests were successful, and the commission confirmed that the test results obtained meet the requirements of the terms of reference.

The commission recognized that the project 1393A boat is a new type of boat both in terms of architecture, hull material, and in terms of equipping it with a set of standard and special rescue devices.

In the Northern and Black Sea fleets, comprehensive tests of boats were carried out in conditions close to operational ones.

According to the comments of the operators, the documentation was corrected and transferred for the construction of a series of the Lazarevskaya Shipyard of the Navy.

The project 1394A rescue boat was good for everyone, but it could not overcome the zone of fire and high temperatures, and people had to be saved and emergency tankers should be assisted when oil products were burning on the water. And this issue was resolved by the employees of TsKB-5 by creating a project 1395 ship fire-retardant work boat.

This boat was built by order of the Navy and was intended for disembarking emergency parties and providing assistance to the crew and passengers of burning ships. In addition to this purpose, the boat was installed on tankers. In this case, it was intended to save the crew in case of a fire on a tanker, if oil products were burning on the water. Subsequently, this boat was converted into a USATMC fire-retardant lifeboat.

The study and development by man of the oceans and its minerals included the penetration of man into the depths of the oceans and seas. For this purpose, deep-sea diving complexes (GVK) were created - complex engineering structures that provide many-day stay of a person under pressure in a gas and water environment and are intended for deep-sea diving. There are GVKs of various designs, but in this case we will talk about deck GVKs. These GVK are an integral part of the vessels for support of underwater technical, research, rescue and other deep-water operations. For such GVK, a hyperbaric rescue boat is also an integral part of the complex.

A person's many-day stay in a GVK under high pressure in complete isolation from the air environment with normal pressure is a guarantee of his safety when performing work at great depths. The transition of a person to an environment with normal pressure must be preceded by a long process of decompression. In the event of an emergency leading to the death of the GVK carrier vessel, people under pressure in the residential chambers of the complex are doomed to death. To rescue these people and evacuate them, there must be a hyperbaric rescue boat.

Project 10480 hyperbaric rescue boat for GVK carriers of project 16270 was created in 1985 on the basis of the order of the Minister of the shipbuilding industry.

The bot was an onboard watercraft with a light alloy hull, with a two-shaft mechanical installation and a pressure chamber designed for eight people.

In addition to the standard systems and devices that ensure the normal operation of the bot and its technical means, life support systems for the pressure chamber were provided, including a hot and cold water supply system and an electric power supply system. As for the provision of compressed air, helium, nitrogen, oxygen and other gases, the boat should have provided a device for receiving them from the GVK carrier vessel when the boat was parked in a regular place.

In an emergency, divers from the residential chambers of the complex had to pass through a special hatch into the pressure chamber of the rescue boat, while contact with the environment with normal atmospheric pressure was completely excluded. The possibility of descent of the boat with divers in the pressure chamber into the zone of fire, smoke and high temperatures and passing through this zone was envisaged. Further, in 72 hours, divers were to be delivered to the nearest floating craft or coastal base equipped with pressure chambers for the subsequent transfer of rescued divers to them.

The implementation of this interesting project was completed at the stage of preliminary design.

Navigation has been and remains one of the activities associated with the risk to human life. Statistical reports of international maritime insurance companies and rescue services clearly show that the number of shipwrecks of marine transport vessels remains at a fairly high level. Every year, about 1.5% of the total number of ships in the world fleet is involved in disasters. And this is despite the constantly improving design of ships, increasing the reliability of their engines, equipping the fleet with the most advanced means of navigation and providing ships in the ocean with constant facsimile meteorological information.

According to the English Lloyd's Insurance Society, 1978 was a record year for accidents in the entire history of navigation: then 473 ships were lost (with a total gross tonnage of 1,711,000 registered tons) and about 2,000 people were on them. The main reasons for the loss of ships were severe weather conditions at sea (169 accidents) and miscalculations in navigation - grounding, underwater rocks, etc. (144 ships). The large number of casualties can be partly explained by the imperfection of the life-saving equipment possessed by the crews of the wrecked ships. Even if the survivors managed to get into the boats, many of them did not wait for help - they died from hypothermia, hunger or thirst.

The history of navigation shows that shipbuilders were forced to seriously engage in intensive development of ship's life-saving equipment only after the death of ships, which were distinguished by a particularly large number of victims. The beginning was laid by the adoption of a series of design requirements for lifeboats, developed at the International Conference on the Safety of Life at Sea in 1914, held after the loss of the Titanic. As a result of the experience of two world wars, when a huge number of transport ships and sailors perished, inflatable life rafts appeared. With the development of the transportation of petroleum products and the increasing incidence of accidents with tankers, which are often accompanied by fires of spilled oil in the sea, special designs of fire-resistant lifeboats, etc., have been developed.

Now, on the davits of modern ships, it is almost impossible to find lifeboats of the first generation - with a wooden hull, air boxes made of thin metal, boats in which the survivors were open to the tropical sun and downpours penetrating the bones of the north winds. In the 1950s and 1970s, they were replaced by boats made of light non-corrosive aluminum alloys or fiberglass, equipped with a manual mechanical propeller drive or a diesel engine and a folding awning made of waterproof fabric, providing elementary protection of people from the external environment. The reserve of emergency buoyancy began to be placed in the compartments that make up part of the hull structure; on plastic boats, foam was used for this purpose. During these years, the designers of marine boats worked to improve their stability, unsinkability and reliability in various navigation conditions - from the Arctic to the tropics, to ensure the possibility of their use in a semi-submerged position, and to improve the starting qualities of engines in extreme conditions.

And yet, the design of the boats of the 70s did not always ensure the survival of the people who trusted them with their lives. Fabric awnings could not create sufficient thermal protection from the external environment; they were often damaged by waves and storm winds. There were cases of capsizing boats by a wave when people found themselves in cold water. And although the boats were supplied with devices for straightening them into a normal position, in most cases it was not possible for exhausted people to do this. It is no coincidence that our shipbuilders already in those years began work on the creation of boats of a closed type - with a rigid superstructure and capable of returning to their normal position, being overturned, on their own without the help of people.

Two such boats "ZSA22" and "ATZO" were equipped with ballast tanks located in the bottom of the hull and filled with water by gravity when the boats were launched into the water. In the position of the keel turned upside down, the water ballast turned out to be at the very top, the boat became unstable and, with a slight impact of the wave, quickly returned to its normal position. However, due to the constant presence of ballast water in the tank, the displacement of the boats turned out to be significant, which required an increase in diesel power in order to reach the minimum speed regulated by the rules of 6 knots. And this turned into an additional weight of the engine, an increase in the volume it occupied. It was necessary to continue the search for a more effective way of self-healing.

In the early 1970s, the Maritime Intergovernmental Organization (IMO) appealed to the governments of IMO member countries with an urgent appeal to intensify the activities of scientific and industrial organizations in solving the problem of ensuring the safety of navigation. The IMO Subcommittee on Life-Saving Appliances revised the content of Chapter III "Life-Saving Appliances" of the International Convention for the Safety of Life at Sea, 1974 (SOLAS-74). The work, in which specialists from the Soviet Union also participated, was completed in 1983 and the new requirements for life-saving equipment will come into force on July 1, 1986. the next, new generation, and by 1991 the old boats should be replaced on ships built earlier.

SOLAS-74 provides for the creation of lifeboats with the maximum possible satisfaction of the requirements at the level of development of modern technology, ensuring their effectiveness in rescuing seafarers in distress. Briefly, these requirements are as follows.

In the event of capsizing with the keel up, the boat must return to its normal position on its own. The crew should have no difficulty in disengaging the lifeboat from the ship's life-saving appliances when it is hung on the hooks above the water or, after being launched, is towed at a speed of 5 knots. The design of the lifeboat must ensure the reception of the injured on stretchers, the lifting of exhausted people from the water, the safe movement of people outside the lifeboat and their removal from the board using helicopters. The lifeboat must reach a speed of at least 6 knots when fully laden with persons and supplies and sailing with all auxiliary machinery powered by the main engine in operation. The engine must be able to start while the boat is still on the davits and run for at least 5 minutes before it touches the water. If water enters the boat, the engine must run until the water reaches the level of the crankshaft. The propeller must be reliably protected from damage by floating debris; the possibility of injury to people floating near the propeller must be excluded.

These and many other requirements of SOLAS-74 are not far-fetched, they follow from the generalization of many years of experience in the use of life-saving equipment and the capabilities of modern technology.

Since the beginning of the 1980s, work has begun in our country to create a new generation of lifeboats that meet the requirements of SOLAS-74 and are designed to replace mass-produced aluminum and plastic boats supplied to ships in the previous 15-20 years. This required, when designing, to keep within the allowed (rather narrow) limits the main dimensions, capacity, empty weight of the boats, the distance between the hooks of the lifting device in accordance with the data of the boats being replaced, so that it would not be necessary to modernize ships already in operation. It was decided to abandon the use of manual propeller drives as ineffective in saving people.

In a relatively short time, prototypes of boats of several standard sizes were designed and built, their extensive interdepartmental tests were carried out, and technical documentation for serial production was prepared.

The prototype of the fireproof lifeboat of the project "00305" for tankers was the first to be tested. According to the requirements of SOLAS-74, the design of such a boat must ensure the protection of people inside it from smoke and fire when passing through the zone of burning petroleum products for at least 8 minutes. The hull of the boat was made of aluminum-magnesium alloy.

The boat can descend from the side of the emergency vessel directly into oil products burning on the water. Its bottom, sides, decked part, closing walls and deckhouse are protected from flame by a special mastic that can withstand high temperatures for 2 minutes. This is done using a compressed air system supplied from cylinders, the capacity of which ensures the operation of the engine and the breathing of people in the boat for at least 10 minutes.

As soon as the boat is launched, the water protection system begins to operate. Outboard water enters through the kingston, located in the bottom of the boat, and is supplied by a centrifugal pump, driven from the main engine through a multiplier (increasing the engine crankshaft speed to the speed required by the pump characteristic) to the side and deck pipelines. Through the sprayers installed on the pipelines, water irrigates the surfaces of the boat, creating a continuous water film that protects the aluminum hull from direct contact with the flame.

During the tests, the boat passed through a zone of burning oil products with a temperature of 1000-1100 ° C; at the same time, the temperature inside the boat did not exceed 47 ° C, and the content of carbon monoxide and carbon dioxide in the air did not exceed the permissible limits.

The boat was accepted in 1982 by the interdepartmental commission and became the first domestic boat that meets the requirements of SOLAS-74. Its creators were awarded in 1983 with VDNKh medals.

You can get acquainted with the main design features of the new generation boats on the example of a plastic boat with a capacity of 66 people of the project "00036". Her prototype passed interdepartmental tests in 1985 (see color drawing).

The boat has a characteristic superstructure, the shape and dimensions of which play an important role in ensuring the ability of the boat to return to a straight position after capsizing. The volume of the superstructure, or rigid closure, as it is called by specialists (inherited from old boats with fabric awnings!), Must be large enough so that in the capsized state the center of gravity of the boat rises high enough, and the cross-sectional shape of the part of the hull that is under water approaches to bypass the barrel - this is the key to successful self-healing. And so that in an overturned state people do not fall on the ceiling of the closure, for each of the rescued, seat belts are provided for fastening to the seats.

In the aft part of the superstructure there is a small wheelhouse for the helmsman with a separate hatch that allows you to steer the boat, leaning out to the shoulders. For landing people, wide hatches are provided, and the bow hatches serve to lift people out of the water and receive stretchers with victims. In the same hatches, in the event of an engine failure, rowers with oars can be located. On the roof of the superstructure along its entire length, a railing is installed for the safe movement of people; here you can also install a removable folding mast for mounting a beam antenna of a portable boat radio station, as well as a passive radar reflector. On both sides, a lifeline is attached to the fender, by which people floating near the boat can be held. The propeller is protected by an annular guard.

Now let's look inside the "hard closure", where 66 fleeing people can be located well protected from splashes and cold. All of them can be placed on longitudinal and partially on transverse banks. Food rations, canned drinking water and part of the boat's supplies are stored under the banks.

An engine is installed in the stern of the boat - a diesel engine "4CHSP 8.5 / 11-5 Caspiy-30M", developing 34 hp. at 1900 rpm of the crankshaft. It is equipped with a manual start and an electric starter and works on the propeller shaft through a reverse gear transmission of the RRP-15-2 type. The engine can be started manually at an ambient temperature of up to -15 ° C. It is cooled by outboard water, but is able to operate for 5 minutes when the boat is still on the davits, and remains operational even in the inverted position of the boat.

The speed of the boat at full displacement and with all working mechanisms attached to the engine is 6.3 knots. The fuel reserve ensures the operation of the engine for 24 hours.

In the event of a capsizing of the boat, its hatches and all pipelines and devices going outside are sealed. The necessary amount of air to ensure the operation of the engine and the breathing of people enters the boat through two ventilation heads, equipped with a ball device that blocks their openings in an overturned state. The exhaust pipeline and vent pipes of fuel tanks are equipped with the same shut-off "automatic" device.

A generator mounted on the engine and batteries feed a two-wire DC network with a voltage of 24 V. Consumers of electricity are lamps for the interior lighting of the boat and a searchlight. In the daytime, lighting is provided through portholes installed on the hard closing and in the wheelhouse.

The boat is equipped with a launching device consisting of two folding hooks, the design of which meets the requirements of SOLAS-74; the helmsman can release both hooks remotely without leaving his post, or each hook can be released from the sloop-hoists separately. The hooks are fixed on steel posts, the passages of which through the deck are made watertight.

The hull of the described boat is made of fiberglass, the starting materials for which are polyester resin, fiberglass and glass knitwear. The hull has a three-layer construction - the space between the inner and outer skin is filled with polyurethane foam. The outer skin is reinforced with "inflatable" tubular frames, which are filled with polyurethane foam.

Polyurethane foam provides emergency buoyancy of the boat in case of a hole in its bottom. With such damage, the boat retains the property of self-healing when capsizing.

The strength of the hull ensures the safe launch of the boat into the water with a full number of people and supplies. When testing boats with a full load (people were replaced with appropriate ballast) they were dropped into the water from a height of 3 m. The strength of the hull was also tested for impact with the side against the wall, and the speed of the boat at the moment of impact was 3.5 m / s.

To improve detection at sea, the entire outer surface of the boat is painted orange.

The seaworthiness of the boat has been tested in natural conditions. It is recognized that it can be used to rescue the crew and passengers of emergency ships in any area of ​​the oceans.

By the time the requirements of the new chapter III of the SOLAS-74 Convention come into force, the domestic shipbuilding industry has prepared five new types of lifeboats for mass production, including special boats for tankers.

Taking into account the wishes of the neighbors in the country - mostly war and labor veterans and their grandchildren, lovers of walking and, most importantly, fishing, I designed this small, light, but quite reliable and safe boat, even when entering Lake Ladoga, only 2.6 meters long. It comfortably accommodates two adults and a child, which is why I believe that its capacity is “2.5 people”.

After reviewing a large number of projects of such small "fishing" boats, I was convinced that almost everything has been said about this mass "hobby" for a long time, so it is impossible to invent anything new. But I did not find anything that I would like to copy. In the end, I had to take the classic easy-to-go flat-bottomed Dory as a basis, but make its body as short as possible. Introduced again the classic cheekbone, while maintaining a stable width.

The first such boat under the Breeze-26 project was built last fall by L. Mikhailovsky. This is an extraordinary person. A sailor, then a radio operator on the Krasin icebreaker. Later - the commander of the air liner TU-104. With retirement, he lives with us on Ladoga. He rides water skis, sails on a windsurfer and on a dinghy, on a motorboat with two Whirlwinds. He is very pleased with the new boat.

Detail specification:
1 - bottom, plywood 6 mm; 2 - cheekbone, plywood 3 mm; 3 - board, plywood 3 mm; 4 - deck, plywood 6 mm; 5 - transom, plywood 6 mm; 6 - medium can, plywood 6 mm; 7 - bow can - forepeak roof, plywood 3 mm; 8 - aft bank - afterpeak roof, plywood 3 mm; 9 - nose pad, plywood 6 mm; 10 - aft pad, plywood 6 mm; 11 - pad for oarlocks, plywood 6 mm; 12 - overlay for transom, plywood 20 mm (package); 13 - bow lining, plywood 3 mm; 14 - fodder lining, plywood 3 mm; 15 - stand, plywood 6 mm; 16 - knit, plywood 3 mm; 17 - rake (floor), 3 sp., 20x20; 18 - false keel, rail 20x20, 3 pcs.; 19 - rail 20x20 (on the transom); 20 - rail 10x10 (on deck); 21 - tying cans, slats 15x15, 2 pcs.; 22 - rail 15x15; 23 - rack, rail, 15x15; 24 - stiffener, rail 15x15; 25 - rack, rail 15x15; 26 - rail 15x15; 27 - rail 25x15; 28 - longitudinal pattern, board 60 mm thick; 29 - stand, timber 40x40x500; 30 - timber (transverse pattern), 40x40x700, 2 pcs.; 31 - board, 40x80x700; 32 - rack, timber, 40x40; 33 - fender, neoprene.

The boat "Breeze-26" has no frames, the slipway for assembling the hull is very simple. It can be built even in "field" conditions. The body is “folded” from plywood strips cut to a clean size .. for example,), the parts are pulled together and “sewn together” using copper wire ties. Then from the inside the grooves and joints are glued with a “wet square” - a strip of fiberglass on epoxy resin, and on the outside the body is glued with a layer of fiberglass.

To build a boat, it is necessary to prepare two sheets of waterproof birch aviation plywood (GOST 102-75) 3-4 mm thick and one and a half sheets 6 mm thick.

Two parts 2 and 3 (cheekbones and sides) are made from strips of plywood glued “on the mustache”. Control lines (CL) are drawn on them and the position of theoretical frames 1-5 is applied. Then, along the lines of the frames from the CL up and down, the ordinates of the contour lines indicated in the drawing are laid. With a flexible rail, contour lines are drawn at the points obtained and the parts are cut off - “contoured”. Repeatedly "cutting" the plywood with a flat nail along a curved rail, you can easily make parts 1, 4, 9, 13, 14.

Where, in the manufacture of a part, you need to draw a radius or cut a part along a radius, you can use a rail as a simple compass. At the required distance, two nails must be nailed to it.

The deck section must be made from separate parts glued “on the mustache”, and immediately glue the overlay on it (det. 9, 10, 11). According to the theoretical frames, it is necessary to nail the transverse short rails (temporarily!), And to fasten the side with the deck, nail it exactly according to the marking of the rail (det. 20).

Banks-lockers of the fore peak (det. 7, 13) and after peak (det. 8, 14) I advise you to collect in advance. The bank for the rower is assembled from children. 6, 15, 23, 22, 21, 16.

After harvesting all parts and assemblies, you can assemble the hull in the keel down position. Having cut out a longitudinal pattern (det. 28) from a thick board, it is installed on goats. On sp. 2 and 4, transverse patterns are cut into it (det. 30). Having laid the bottom on the patterns (det. 1), it is attached to them with nails, a transom is installed and the assembly of the skin is started from the “cheekbone” belt.

Along the edge of the parts to be joined, holes are drilled along the diameter of the copper wire (2-2.5 mm). Holes are drilled in pairs, starting from the midsection in both directions. Distance between holes from 50 to 80 mm; their distance from the edge of the part is ~ 5 mm. The wire is twisted with pliers, then flattened, drowned in plywood, and bit off all that is superfluous.

Having finished with the “chine” belt, you can proceed with the installation of the “side” belt, pulling the plywood with the same copper brackets from the 3rd theoretical frame to the bow and stern.

The deck section is installed on the sides and transom, carefully combining the lines of the frames. With nails on glue, the side is nailed to the deck (to det. 20) and the transom.

After cleaning the case from the inside, all joints - grooves and joints - must be pasted over with a “wet square” (a strip of fiberglass 30-50 mm wide impregnated with epoxy resin). Then pre-prepared cans are pasted over. All attached parts along the perimeter are molded to the hull skin with a “wet square”.

It remains to remove the case from the patterns, turn it over, clean it, file down the edges, rivet the fake ribs along the bottom with resin nails. The body is completely pasted over with a layer of fiberglass, painted with pentaphthalic enamel.

Along the perimeter of the boat, under the gunwale, I advise you to lace up with a “snake” a fender with a diameter of at least 40-50 mm, made of a light elastic material (for example, foam). Such a fender not only reliably protects the board, but also increases operational safety.

In case of an accidental roll, the fender enters the water and effectively prevents the boat from capsizing. If the boat is filled with water, the fender will provide enough buoyancy to keep the crew afloat.

Oarlocks and oars can be bought in a store or made according to any suitable and suitable pattern (see, for example, D. Kurbatov’s book “15 Boat Projects for Amateur Construction”).

If desired, you can use a 2-horsepower outboard motor: the transom shown in the drawing is designed for this.

Collective life-saving equipment

Collective ship life-saving appliances are means that can be used by a group of people and must provide reliable and safe rescue when the ship is listing up to 20 ° on any side and trim 10 °.

The boarding of people in life-saving appliances and the launching of the latter in calm conditions should not exceed in time:

10 minutes - for cargo ships;

30 minutes - for passenger and fishing vessels.

Lifeboats and liferafts should normally be stowed on the same deck, with liferafts allowed one deck above or below the deck on which the lifeboats are installed.

A lifeboat is a lifeboat capable of saving the lives of people in distress from the moment they leave the ship. It is this appointment that determines all the requirements for the design and supply of lifeboats.

The number of lifeboats on board a vessel is determined by the navigation area, type, vessel and the number of people on board. Cargo ships of an unlimited navigation area are equipped with boats that provide the entire crew from each side (100% + 100% = 200%). Passenger ships are equipped with lifeboats with a capacity of 50% of passengers and crew on each side (50% + 50% = 100%).

Rice. Lifeboats of closed and open types

All lifeboats must:

Have good stability and buoyancy even when filled with water, high maneuverability;

Provide reliable self-healing on an even keel when capsizing;

Have a mechanical engine with remote control from the wheelhouse; be dyed orange.

The lifeboat must be equipped with a compression-ignition internal combustion engine:

The engine must run for at least 5 minutes from cold start when the boat is out of the water;

The speed of the boat in calm water with a full complement of people and equipment must be at least 6 knots;

The supply of fuel must be sufficient to run the engine at full speed for 24 hours.

If a ship has partially enclosed lifeboats, their davits shall be fitted with a hatchet with at least two life buoys attached to it.

The buoyancy of the boat is provided by air boxes - sealed compartments filled with air or foam, the volume of which is determined taking into account that the heads of the people sitting in the boat are above the surface of the water, even if the boat is completely flooded.

Information about the capacity of the boat, as well as its main dimensions are applied to its sides in the bow with indelible paint, the name of the vessel, the port of registry (in Latin letters) and the ship's number of the boat are also indicated there. The marking by which it is possible to establish the vessel to which the boat belongs, and its number must be visible from above.

Along the perimeter of the boat, under the fender and on the deck, strips of reflective material are glued. In the bow and stern parts, crosses made of reflective material are applied on the upper part of the closure.

Rice. Lifeboat markings

An electric light bulb is installed inside the boat. The battery charge ensures operation for at least 12 hours. A signal light with a manual switch is installed on the upper part of the closure, giving a constant or flashing (50-70 flashes per minute) white light. The battery charge ensures operation for at least 12 hours.

The lifeboats for oil tankers are of fire-retardant design, equipped with a sprinkler system that allows passage through continuously burning oil for 8 minutes, and compressed air that ensures the safety of people and the operation of engines for 10 minutes. The hulls of the boats are made double, they must have high strength, the wheelhouse must provide all-round visibility, the portholes must be made of fire-resistant glass.

To ensure the use of the boat by unqualified people (for example, passengers), instructions for starting and operating the engine should be provided in a clearly visible place near the engine controls, and the controls should be appropriately marked.

Weekly all lifeboats and liferafts, rescue boats and launching appliances are visually inspected to ensure they are ready for use at all times. All lifeboats and rescue boats must run for at least 3 minutes. Lifeboats, with the exception of free-fall boats, must be moved out of their stowed positions. The results of the check are recorded in the ship's log.

Monthly all lifeboats, with the exception of free-fall boats, fall out of their stowed positions without people in the lifeboat. Supplies are checked to ensure they are complete and in good condition.

Each lifeboat, with the exception of free-fall boats, is launched and then maneuvers on the water with a control command painted on it at least once every 3 months.

Launching the boat. Boats launched by mechanical means are installed horizontally on both sides of the vessel. A davit is a device designed to store a boat, having beams that tilt overboard, used when lowering and raising the boat.

Rice. Lifeboat anchorage on board

In the stowed position, the boats are mounted on davits; for this, the latter have one-sided keel blocks on which the boat rests. For a tighter fit of the boat to the keel blocks, the latter are equipped with a felt cushion covered with canvas. The boat is secured with lashings with a verb-hook, which must be given before launching.

Before launching the boat, you must first:

Deliver to the boat the equipment and supplies necessary for survival after leaving the ship: a portable VHF radio station and a radar beacon, warm clothes, an additional supply of food and water, an additional supply of pyrotechnic signaling means;

Remove the railing of the landing deck; prepare a storm ladder; give lashings; give stopper davits.

The lifeboat must be equipped drain valve, which is installed at the bottom of the bottom of the boat for launching water. The valve automatically opens when the boat is out of the water and closes automatically when the boat is afloat. When preparing the boat for launching, the valve must be closed with a cap or plug.

The dumping of the boat occurs only under the action of gravity and is carried out with the help of boat hoists. Before the start of the descent, the stopper on the davits is released and the fall of the hoists is smoothly eased, for which the brake of the boat winch is gradually released. Uniform etching of the bow and stern hoists is achieved by the fact that both falls are fixed on the drum of one boat winch. After the davit reaches the limit position, the vertical descent of the boat into the water begins.

Lopari - steel cables attached to the boat at its ends and carried to the winch, designed to lower and raise the boat. Lopari should be periodically tired

In order to exclude the possibility of launching the boat until it is completely thrown overboard, there is a horn on the davit, on which the earring of the movable block of davits is hung. The length and shape of the horn is chosen in such a way that the movable block falls off it only at the lower limit position of the davit.

The launching of the boat on hoists can be controlled both from the deck of the vessel and from the boat. This allows, under favorable weather conditions, not to leave the descent support team on board.

Rice. Launching the lifeboat Fig. boat winch

After the boat is launched into the water, the lower blocks of the sloops are laid out. It is very important, especially in waves, to lay out both blocks at the same time. For this, the boats have folding hooks with a common drive. In this case, the simultaneous return of both hooks is carried out by turning the drive handle.

Landing of people is carried out by storm ladders. On the move and in the sea, the boats are usually lowered with people. In this case, people are boarded either in a boat mounted on keel blocks, or after the boat is lowered to the deck level, from which it is most convenient to land.

Rice. Boarding the crew and launching the boat

Each boat in the area of ​​​​its installation has a landing ladder, the bowstrings of which are made of a manila cable with a thickness of at least 65 mm, and balusters are made of hardwood with a size of 480x115x25 mm. The upper end of the ladder must be fixed in its regular place (under the boat), and the ladder itself must be rolled up, always ready for use.

After the last person moves from the ship to the boat, the painters are released (in extreme cases, they are cut with axes located at the ends of the boat), and the boat moves away from the ship. It is recommended to save the fallini, because they may still be needed.

Boat supply. Each lifeboat must be equipped in accordance with the requirements of the International Convention SOLAS-74, including:

On rowing boats, one floating oar per rower plus two spare and one steering, on motor boats - four oars with oarlocks attached to the boat hull with pins (chains); two rebate hooks;

Floating anchor with a cable with a length equal to three lengths of the boat, and a guy attached to the top of the anchor cone; two painters with a length of at least 15 meters;

Two axes, one at each end of the boat for cutting painters when leaving the ship;

Food ration and supply of drinking water 3 liters for each; stainless ladle with shtert and stainless graduated vessel; fishing equipment;

Signal means: four red parachute rockets, six red flares, two smoke bombs, an electric flashlight with a Morse code signaling device in a waterproof design (with a set of spare batteries and a spare light bulb), one signal mirror - heliograph- with instructions for its use, a signal whistle or an equivalent signal device, tables of life-saving signals;

Floodlight capable of continuous operation for 3 hours;

First aid kit, 6 seasickness tablets and one hygiene bag per person;

Folding knife attached to the lifeboat with a mooring and three can openers;

Manual bilge pump, two buckets and scoop;

Fire extinguisher for extinguishing burning oil;

A set of spare parts and tools for the engine;

Radar reflector or SART;

Binnacle with compass;

Individual heat protective equipment in the amount of 10% of the passenger capacity of the boat (but not less than two).

Rice. Lifeboat inside

Free fall boats. The hull of the boat has a stronger structure and well-streamlined smooth lines that prevent a strong impact when the boat enters the water. Since overloads occur when hitting water, special chairs with shock-absorbing pads are installed in the boat.

Rice. free fall boat

Before the boat leaves the ramp, the crew must securely fasten themselves with seat belts and a special head restraint. Free fall boats guarantee the safety of people when falling from a height of up to 20 meters.

Free-fall boats are considered the most reliable life-saving equipment that ensures the evacuation of people from a sinking ship in all weather conditions.

Emergency lifeboat. This is a type of lifeboat designed to rescue people from the water (those who have fallen overboard or found at sea) and to collect lifeboats and rafts.

Rice. standby lifeboat

The advantage of a rescue boat is the speed and reliability of launching and recovering on board on the move with little roughness. A powerful stationary or outboard motor allows you to quickly examine the area where a person has fallen overboard, pick him up and deliver him to the ship. The rescue boat is capable of performing rescue operations in stormy conditions and with limited visibility. The rescue boats are in constant readiness. Preparation and descent of the boat are made in 5 minutes.

The boat has a place for transporting the rescued person in the supine position. Engine power provides a speed of at least 8 knots, and the fuel supply is enough for 3 hours of full speed. The propeller is protected to prevent injury to people at sea.

The need of lovers of recreation on the water in displacement ships suitable for multi-day tourist trips, unfortunately, is not yet satisfied by our industry. I recommend that residents of seaport cities adapt used lifeboats and yawls for this purpose. After appropriate refinement, they are quite suitable for operation in inland waters and in the coastal strip of the sea. Given that even the latest wooden boats (not to mention metal and plastic ones), as a rule, are equipped with a propeller with a manual or mechanical drive, installing engines of any brand and type on them is not a big problem. I happened to become the owner of the second ship, converted by hand from a lifeboat, so I dare to give a few recommendations to those wishing to build such a vessel.

I do not advise you to build the hull of a boat or yacht more than 7-9 m long alone. It is more expedient to buy an old factory-made hull, repair it and paste over it with fiberglass if it is made of wood.

Air boxes that ensure the unsinkability of the boat, although they constrain the living conditions and equipment of the vessel, it is better not to take it out. In extreme cases, you can remove two boxes in the engine compartment, compensating for this with foam.

You should not cut out all the cross cans, especially in a wooden case, as this weakens the structure. It is best to cut one can in the engine compartment and one in the cabin.

Do not forget that the height of the superstructure, although it increases comfort, it reduces the stability and controllability of the boat.

Do not get carried away with powerful motors, a 12-25-horsepower engine is enough. Excess power does not add speed, but fuel consumption is greatly increased.

Diesel is preferable to any gasoline engine for reasons of fire safety, economy, etc. Air-cooled diesel engines are suitable, especially 16-25-horsepower from low-power self-propelled chassis. They only need to ensure a good inflow of cooling air (for example, through a pipe from above) and an outflow of heated air (on the sides). The diesel engine must be covered with a soundproof hood.

If you do not have a reverse gear, then it makes sense to put the engine along with the gearbox on a boat 7-9 m long. This facilitates the selection of the propeller and the required number of revolutions. For such an installation, motors and boxes of self-propelled chassis are more suitable. It is also possible to use those converting the translational movement of rocking levers into rotary gearboxes with a manual drive. To do this, they must be connected to the engine shaft through the cardan shaft.

With the help of lifting hooks, it is convenient to launch boats into the water and lift them back, so it is useful to provide removable ceilings for the passage of lifting slings when lifting.

Now a little about my latest vessel, the Centaur, built on the basis of an old 40-seat lifeboat with bakelized plywood belts. Hull length - 8.2 m; width - 2.5 m; board height - 1 m.

The vessel is designed for a crew of four. If necessary, a fifth berth can be equipped in the cabin on the locker. In a short trip, up to 12 people can be taken on board, this does not affect driving performance at all. Four or five people can sunbathe on the deck of the Centaur.

The main work consisted in the installation of the engine, the layout and execution of the superstructure, the placement of equipment and premises, however, first of all, it was required to choose the general architectural appearance of the vessel. It was difficult to shoot from nature all the dimensions of the hull, the sheer of the side, the contours of the sides, etc. without a plaza or a flat area. I got out of the situation in the following way. I photographed the case in the required angle, and then projected the image from the film through a photographic enlarger onto paper so that the length of the case was 82 cm, which corresponds to a scale of 1:10. After that, I made three options for the layout of the add-on. A variant without a cockpit was adopted for production, since without it there is more free space on the ship; in addition, an open cockpit in the conditions of the Baltic states is a source of water inflow into the hull.

The drawings do not have detailing and exact dimensions of all nodes. They were needed to determine the main dimensions and basic design and planning solutions. Keeping the scale, I transferred the main dimensions from the drawing and refined them in place.

The body is pasted over with three layers of fiberglass on an epoxy binder. It cut out two transverse cans and removed two air boxes.

The entire structure of the superstructure of the boat is made of construction plywood, pasted over with a heat-insulating layer of fiberglass and sheathed with aluminum sheet, also pasted over with fiberglass. A bulwark is installed in the nose, mainly for aesthetic reasons. The height of the superstructure, excluding the sliding canopy, is made in the dimensions of the storm canopy, which stood on the boat. The stern is rounded.

The interior layout is as follows. In the bow there is a cargo hold with a hatch, which is used to store cargo, anchors, ropes, etc. Behind the hold there is a sleeping cabin with a hatch through which passengers can access the deck. A double berth is made across the vessel above the first can, you can only sit or just lie on it.

The salon occupies a place between the first and third banks (the second is cut out). Here on the sides there are two sofas (they also serve as beds), a sliding table shifted to the port side, a fireplace and lockers for dishes and products. There are two ventilation hatches in the roof, through which, if necessary, you can go to the deck by standing on a bunk.

In the stern of the saloon there is a wheelhouse with doors to both sides. At the doors, on both sides, folding ladders are attached, allowing you to climb aboard both in the parking lot and afloat. The wheelhouse is separated from the cabin by a soundproof bulkhead. It has a sliding lantern through which you can climb up.

Through the hatch made in the roof above the aft part of the engine compartment, you can moor, throw out the stern anchor and fish with a spinning rod.

The engine is a four-cylinder diesel type RS-09 with a capacity of 26 liters. With. from an old foreign-made self-propelled chassis; air-cooled engine, has an 8-speed gearbox, its rotational speed is 150-3000 rpm. It is offset to the port side by 120 mm due to the fact that the power take-off shaft of the gearbox is offset by the same amount from the axis to the right. In the figure, the dotted line indicates the dimensions of the removable part of the cabin roof above the motor, as well as the installation of the Veterok-12 emergency outboard motor. In the aft superstructure on the port side (on the right in the figure) there is a side hatch through which you can install, start and secure this motor. True, I have never used it: there was no need.

Cruising speed "Centaur" - 10-11 km / h, maximum - 14 km / h; fuel consumption - about 3 l / h. Transmission to the gearbox and propeller shaft is carried out through a cardan shaft with two crosses, which greatly facilitated the construction of the foundation and the centering of the shaft line. The propeller has a diameter of 500 mm, a pitch of 240 mm, and a speed of 700-900 rpm. The steering wheel is mounted on the gearbox. All the necessary engine controls are retained with some changes in the length and configuration of the levers. The diesel engine is covered with a rigid hood, above which the helmsman's seat is made; an air intake pipe is mounted in the hood.

The “dry” weight of the boat is 4.0-4.5 tons. The total weight of the superstructure, engine and all equipment, according to rough estimates, is 1.8-2.0 tons. The boat was designed for a load of about 3 tons, so a number of available on it parts was intended to serve as ballast. For example, the concrete foundation, in which the stove is mounted, is fixed on the frame of the linkage of the boat and weighs more than 100 kg together with the stove. To this must be added the weight of the batteries, a 120-liter fuel tank, a 30-liter supply tank, a 40-liter water tank, tools, utensils, etc. There is no special ballast on the ship.

"Centaur" is operated for the fifth navigation on the Daugava (in Riga and its environs). Thanks to the presence of a stove, gas stove and other amenities, our season runs from early May to mid-November. In the future, I plan to make water heating with the selection of warm water from the exhaust pipe coolers.

I. Viltsin, "KiYa", 1985