National Sea Rescue Institute

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Jump to navigation Jump to search
National Sea Rescue Institute
AbbreviationNSRI
Formation1967[1]
TypeNon-profit organization
PurposeSearch and rescue
Headquarters4 Longclaw Drive, Milnerton , Cape Town
Location
Region served
Southern Africa
Budget
Donations, bequests and sponsorships cover the annual running costs. Use of volunteers avoids a salary bill around R0.5m per annum.
Websitehttps://www.nsri.org.za/

The National Sea Rescue Institute (NSRI) is a voluntary non-profit organization in South Africa tasked with saving lives through drowning prevention. It operates 41 bases (as of 2020) comprising coastal stations and inland stations on dams. There are crews on standby at all hours. There are over 1000 volunteers equipped with sponsored rescue craft, rescue vehicles, quad bikes and tractors, supported by an operations department at the head office.

The NSRI works closely with other Search and Rescue organisations[example needed] in South Africa.

History[edit]

Following an incident at Stilbaai near Mossel Bay on the south coast of South Africa in 1966, in which 17 fishermen drowned after three fishing boats sank in a storm, Miss Pattie Price of Simon’s Town whose own life had been saved by a RNLI lifeboat in the English Channel, wrote a series of letters to the newspapers to advocate for the formation of a sea rescue organisation in South Africa.

Captain Bob Deacon and Ray Lant were the first volunteers to respond to this call and in 1967 the South African Inshore Rescue Service (SAISRS) was started, with a 4.7m inflatable boat donated by the Society of Master Mariners. The SAISRS was later renamed to National Sea Rescue Institute (NSRI) and continues the tradition of operation by volunteers.[2]

List of NSRI stations[edit]

Kleinmond slipway with NSRI station 42 tractor and boat trailer
Kleinmond slipway and jetty seaward side. NSRI station 42 boat alongside
NSRI station 23 RIB on trailer
  • Agulhas - Station 30, -34.798567, 20.059433[3]
  • Bakoven - Station 2, -33.960583, 18.373033 (Cape Town)[3]
  • Ballito - Station 41, -29.437578, 31.222571[3]
  • Durban - Station 5, -29.873933, 31.050767[3]
  • East London - Station 7, -33.02305, 27.8913[3]
  • Gauteng - Station 27, -26.270759, 28.112268 (inland)[3]
  • Gordon's Bay - Station 9, -34.16435, 18.859733 (Cape Town)[3]
  • Hartebeespoort Dam - Station 25, -25.730167, 27.86045 (inland)[3]
  • Hermanus - Station 17, -34.433417, 19.22515[3]
  • Hout Bay - Station 8, -34.05025, 18.345333 (Cape Town)[3]
  • Jeffrey's Bay - Station 37, -34.048333, 24.923333[3]
  • Kleinmond - Station 42, -34.335399, 19.012628[3]
  • Knysna - Station 12, -34.076083, 23.060383[3]
  • Kommetjie - Station 26, -34.140833, 18.328833 (Cape Town)[3]
  • Lambert's Bay - Starion 34, -32.090726, 18.300401[3]
  • Melkbosstrand - Station 18, -33.729, 18.4385 (Cape Town)[3]
  • Mossel Bay - Station 15, -34.180583, 22.1488[3]
  • Mykonos - Station 4, -33.047367, 18.0398[3]
  • Oyster Bay - Station 36, -34.169673, 24.653434[3]
  • Plettenberg Bay - Station 40, -34.058333, 23.378[3]
  • Port Alfred - Station 11, -33.594933, 26.89095[3]
  • Port Edward - Station 32, -31.048217, 30.231167[3]
  • Port Elizabeth - Station 6, -33.967617, 25.633567[3]
  • Port Nolloth - Station 43, -29.238409, 16.928872[3]
  • Port St Johns - Station 28, -31.530022, 29.4643592[3]
  • Richards Bay - Station 19, -28.791633, 32.08365[3]
  • Rocky Bay - Station 39, -30.334283, 30.733833[3]
  • Shelly Beach - Station 20, -30.808517, 30.412217[3]
  • Simon's Town - Station 10, -34.192283, 18.434367 (Cape Town)[3]
  • St Francis Bay - Station 21, -34.184333, 24.8523[3]
  • St Lucia - Station 40, -28.372602, 32.414163[3]
  • Still Bay - Station 21, -34.385733, 21.423917[3]
  • Strandfontein - Station 16, -34.077876, 18.573032 (Cape Town)[3]
  • Table Bay - Station 3, -33.909167, 18.423617 (Cape Town)[3]
  • Theewaterskloof - Station 38, -34.176, 19.262533 (inland)[3]
  • Vaal Dam - Station 22, -26.895867, 28.113433 (inland)[3]
  • Wilderness - Station 23, -33.9952, 22.580567[3]
  • Witbank Dam - Station 35, -25.9093, 29.308733 (inland)[3]
  • Witsand - Station 33, -34.391333, 20.837833[3]
  • Yzerfontein - Station 34, -33.346, 18.149833[3]

Rescue craft[edit]

The NSRI has used a wide range of rescue vessels and types of rescue vessel over the years.

  • RL 36, 9m deep V, Cold moulded wood:
    • Pearl van Riet, Station 9
  • Brede class: (RNLI design)
    • Spirit of Safmarine. Station 10,

Offshore Rescue Craft class[edit]

NSRI Station 10's new offshore rescue craft in April 2021 off Miller's Point

The first vessel of the offshore rescue craft (ORC) class vessel was procured from a French boatyard in 2019 and stationed at Durban. The vessel has a 14.8m long composite hull with a 4.8 m beam, and is suitable for search and rescue operations up to 50 nautical miles offshore.[4] The second vessel of the class was finished from an imported set of mouldings and delivered to Station 10 (Simon's Town) from Two Oceans Marine in Cape Town in April 2021. It will be kept ready to launch at a few minutes notice on a cradle in the boathouse.

The rest of the series will be manufactured in Cape Town under license using moulds taken off the second boat's mouldings. The vessel is longitudinally subdivided into forepeak, forward accommodation for survivors, tank space with heads, engine room and steering flat. The superstructure is on the main deck and comprises a watertight wheelhouse, which provides a high centre of buoyancy for self-righting, and has a raised exterior steering position on the port side. The transom has a ladder for boarding from the water and two small platforms just above the waterline. There is a substantial towing bollard on the quarterdeck and a gap in the stern rail at the top of the ladder which also serves as a fairlead for towing lines. The crew seating includes safety belts and shock absorber mountings to mitigate vertical acceleration shock loads.

A track with sliding cars runs around the wheelhouse just below the handrail, providing secure but mobile harness clip-off points for crew working on or traversing the side decks. The handrails on the foredeck and side decks are inset to avoid damage when alongside large vessels in a seaway. There is a small but sturdy davit on the port side suitable for hoisting survivors on board, in clear view of the exterior control point.

Structure is fibre reinforced plastic composite, partly foam cored and partly solid skin with foam cored frames. Structural glass fibres are used for most of the layup, with carbon fibre stiffening where most effective. High density core material is used in heavily loaded components such as engine beds.

Specifications[edit]

Specifications:[4]

  • Designation ORC 140.RS
  • Survivor capacity: 23/24 persons.(sources vary)
  • Crew 6[clarification needed]
  • Expected lifespan: 40 years.
  • Self righting by inherent stability when intact
  • Original vessel manufacture: France
  • Series manufacturer: Two Oceans Marine (Cape Town)
  • Cost per vessel: R20 million
  • Series cost: R180 million
  • Maximum speed of about 28 knots with crew, equipment and full tanks
  • Range of 250 nautical miles at 20 knots cruising speed with 25% reserve.
  • Length overall 14.8 m
  • Moulded length 13.85 m
  • Waterline length 13.56 m
  • Beam overall 4.8 m
  • Beam moulded 4.6 m
  • Depth 2.08 m
  • Draught (loaded) 1.4 m
  • Displacement (light) 15 900kg according to the stability book
  • Displacement (loaded)
  • Fuel capacity 2 tanks of 1000 litres each
  • Engines: 2 x Cummins QSC 8.3M marine diesels producing 441 kW at ????rpm
  • Gearboxes: ZF 370 V, a 10° V-drive, remote mount marine transmission.[5]
  • Propellers, rudders and shafts CJR[clarification needed]
  • Towing bollard rated for 4.5 tonne
  • Vessel sound level 76 dB[clarification needed]

Names and stations:

  • 14-01, Station 5, Durban
  • 14-02, "Donna Nicholas", Station 10, Simon's Town, April 2021
  • 14-03,

Gallery[edit]

External views of the vessel
  • Profile from port

    Profile from port

  • Bow

    Bow

  • Stern

    Stern

  • Port bow

    Port bow

The upper deck
  • View from port quarter

    View from port quarter

  • Quarterdeck railings

    Quarterdeck railings

  • Towing gear

    Towing gear

  • Flying bridge

    Flying bridge

  • Superstructure from aft

    Superstructure from aft

  • View forward from flying bridge

    View forward from flying bridge

Deck fittings
  • Davit

    Davit

  • Engine room soft patch

    Engine room soft patch

  • Handrail and jackstay track with car

    Handrail and jackstay track with car

  • Anchor gear and pulpit rail

    Anchor gear and pulpit rail

  • Liferaft and forward escape hatch

    Liferaft and forward escape hatch

  • Engine freshwater flush connection

    Engine freshwater flush connection

Wheelhouse interior
  • Helmsman's seat

    Helmsman's seat

  • Navigation table

    Navigation table

  • Wheelhouse exterior watertight door

    Wheelhouse exterior watertight door

  • Port side seating

    Port side seating

  • Crew seat detail

    Crew seat detail

  • Navigators instrument panel

    Navigators instrument panel

Passenger accommodation
  • Forepeak and anchor locker access

    Forepeak and anchor locker access

  • Survivor seating port side

    Survivor seating port side

  • Galley area and companionway ladder starboard forward

    Galley area and companionway ladder starboard forward

  • Seating and watertight door starboard aft

    Seating and watertight door starboard aft

  • Companionway ladder and doorway starboard

    Companionway ladder and doorway starboard

  • Deckhead escape hatch with drop-down ladder looking aft

    Deckhead escape hatch with drop-down ladder looking aft

Tank space
  • Starboard tank space

    Starboard tank space

  • Heads in port tank space

    Heads in port tank space

  • Port tank space

    Port tank space

Engine Room
  • View from forward watertight door

    View from forward watertight door

  • Starboard engine and gearbox

    Starboard engine and gearbox

  • Port engine and gearbox

    Port engine and gearbox

  • Port engine aft

    Port engine aft

  • Starboard exhaust

    Starboard exhaust

Steering flat
  • Port steering ram, tiller, rudder stock and link bar

    Port steering ram, tiller, rudder stock and link bar

  • Electro-hydraulic steering motor

    Electro-hydraulic steering motor

  • Emergency tiller stowed against transom, emergency exit above

    Emergency tiller stowed against transom, emergency exit above

See also[edit]

Similar organizations around the world

References[edit]

  1. ^ "Our History". NSRI. Retrieved 2009-01-18.
  2. ^ "History". www.nsri.org.za. Retrieved 11 January 2021.
  3. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o p q r s t u v w x y z aa ab ac ad ae af ag ah ai aj ak al am an "Rescue base finder". www.nsri.org.za. Retrieved 3 December 2020.
  4. ^ a b "NSRI's ORC project is taking shape". Sea Rescue. Cape Town, South Africa: National Sea Rescue Institute. Summer 2020. pp. 28 to 29.
  5. ^ "Marine Propulsion Systems ZF 370 V" (PDF). www.performancediesel.com. Retrieved 25 April 2021.

External links[edit]

Retrieved from "https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=National_Sea_Rescue_Institute&oldid=1095121067"