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RNLI 47ft Watson Class Lifeboat Mod 1975

Description and History
The 47ft Watson Class Lifeboat was a NON SELF-RIGHTING lifeboat built for the Royal National Lifeboat Institution (RNLI) and based on a design by George Lennox Watson dating back to the 19th Century. This was also the last variant of Watson Class Lifeboat built before design and construction began on the Oakley and Solent Class boats which were self-righting. Regardless, these Lifeboats were ubiquitous around the coast lines of England and Ireland between 1956 and 1991. Over the years, they went through several rebuild programs, the biggest of which happened in 1970 and again in 1975.

Stormworks Lifeboat:
This version of the 47ft Watson is as it would have looked after its 1975 refit. This refit included, among other things, making the engine compartment water tight, the complete re-positioning of the engine controls from the engine compartment bulkhead to the helm, and the addition of a self-righting airbag.
This boat despite its small size can handle even the biggest waves, provided the Coxwain (that's you) knows what they are doing. As in real life these boats needed to be "worked" to get the best out of them, and the RNLI selected only the finest men for the job of Coxwain. Like all RNLI lifeboats before it, they were designed to be virtually unsinkable. The hull was filled with water tight blocks so that even if the boat was swamped, she would still float. Their center of gravity was also very low to arrest rolling as much as possible, and this Stormworks version is no different.

-Speed: 15 KTS Ahead / 5 Astern
-Range: at 70% Throttle - 75 KM / at Full Throttle - 55 KM
-Survivor Capacity: 14

Starting the Engines:

1. Climb down into the Engine Compartment and turn on the 'Battery Trip/Reset' key switch; it is spring loaded and there to cut the power if the batteries are exposed to water, and prevent further damage to the electrical systems.
   
2. Turn on the breakers to their respective compartments and systems
   
3. Turn on the 'Battery Isolators' for their respective engines
   
4. Turn on the 'Sea Chest Pumps'
   
5. Ensure the 'Transmission Clutch Disconnects' are off. They are primarily used for disconnecting the propellers from the engines when the boat is out of the water, to avoid injury to people working near them.
   
6. If capable of doing so raise the mast. The 47ft Watson Lifeboats pumped their exhaust up the mast. Therefore the engines could not be run when the mast was down. If you are in the boat house lower the exhaust hose down onto the deck and connect it to the fluid port located on the port side of the mast.
   
7. Move to the Wheel House and turn on the Fuel Pumps, then the Ignition

The Self-Righting "Airbag" History:
In 1969 the RNLI's Longhope Lifeboat capsized while on a "shout" with the loss of all eight crewmen. While the lifeboat remained afloat it had also remained upturned, which would have made surviving in the rough seas an impossibility. From that point on the RNLI made efforts to design new boats that were inherently self-righting, or refit existing boats with self-righting airbags.

Self-Righting "Airbag" Operation and Notes:

• Located in the Aft-Compartment on the ceiling is a Key Switch for arming the system, turn it on (reference the picture above). It does not require electricity to operate.
  
• It is recommended when the system is not needed to turn it off, to avoid 'accidental inflation' of the airbag.
  
• Once discharged the bag will deflate and be completely unusable at sea.
  
• Once the boat has righted itself the 'Battery Trip/Reset' switch will have to be reset to get power back to the boat.
  
• The system should be viewed the same as a seat belt in a car. It is there for your safety, but should not be used in lieu of good seamanship.
  
• The system can be reset/reused only when certain criteria have been met:
  
  • The boat must be upright.
    
  • The boat must be connected to the towing cable at the boathouse
    Once those criteria have been met along the side of the deflated airbag on the starboard side is a hidden button marked "Reset Rollover Airbag" press it and the bag should reset itself and be functional again.
    *Note: The airbag does not work in calm seas.

Launching:
There is really only two ways to do this when located inside the boat house. I have seen both methods used in RNLI archival films.

• Lower the boat down the slipway far enough that the masts are clear the boathouse, raise the masts, then start the engines.
  
• Release the boat from within the boathouse, have a man stationed near the mast to raise it as soon as the masts clear the boathouse.

In both cases the engines should be running and throttled up before hitting the water so as to propel yourself clear of the slipway as quickly as possible. The real practice was to release the boat so it would hit the water in the trough of a wave. However, because of the shallow nature of the in-game slipway and the rail system I would recommend releasing the boat so it hits the crest of the wave instead.

Lifeboat Recovery:
*Note: It was apparently common place to delivery any casualties to a nearby dock or beach where emergency personnel would be standing by. The lifeboat would then be beached, and when the sea had calmed enough it would return to the Lifeboat House.

1. Reverse the boat as closely as possible to the slipway
   
2. Attach the cable to the electrical connection just under the rudder
   
3. Then begin reeling the boat back up the slipway
   
4. It is recommended that you get the lifeboat onto the track as soon as possible while still in the water. As it can be difficult if not impossible to do once the boat is completely out of the water.

Notes to the Coxwain:

• The Wheel House is what was called "Self-Draining" which also means it is "Self-Filling", be mindful of this when in rough seas
  
• The Diesel Heater does not work if the engines are off.
  
• The Rudder can be raised slightly to make recovery at the boathouse slipway easier (the switch to do this is located at the very stern under the bulwarks).
  
• Don't raise the masts when inside the boathouse, you'll regret it.
  
• The ramp and cable release pin can be raised and released/"knocked out" remotely from the helm, by "calling" to the 'Head Launcher' (the man charged with the safe launching of the lifeboat).

The men who voluntarily put to sea in these small boats are hero's of the highest caliber. Their bravery in the face of great peril is and continues to be above reproach. I dedicate these boats to the brave men and women the world over that put to sea in the hopes of preserving life, and at times at the cost of their own.

"With courage, nothing is impossible." - RNLI motto

ENJOY!

Thanks to Sengir_Vampire for the Radar/Lidar. I modified it to fit my purposes, so don't be angry at the creator if it doesn't work.
https://steamcommunity.com/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=1749474737&searchtext=radar

UPDATE 21 NOV 2020:
- Upgraded to 1.0 standards this includes equipment and connectors
- First Aid kits are located in the walls near paint blocks resembling RNLI first air kits and labeled as such.
- Rope is located (hidden) in the deck near the Port and Starboard Rope Connectors
- Munition Case (Red case in the Fore Survivor Shelter) now have a Flare Gun and spare shells hidden near them.

UPDATE 01 JUL 2021:
- Increased speed to 15 kts
- Handling in bad weather greatly improved

UPDATE 13 AUG 2022:
- Upgraded Radar
- Added a Heading Hold that operates when away from the helm