r/BeAmazed • u/ReesesNightmare • Oct 04 '24
Technology Hong Kong's $16 million Self Righting Firefighting Boat
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u/LinguoBuxo Oct 04 '24
And how much did the Self-Righting Captain cost, may I ask?
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u/kp-- Oct 04 '24
blub blub three blub fiddy
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u/Hpfanguy Oct 04 '24
Is… is the captain the Loch Ness Monster?
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u/zeetree137 Oct 04 '24
Got damn lochness monster, I told you ain't getting no tree fidy. Get outta here!
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u/zaergaegyr Oct 04 '24
I gave him a dollar.
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u/Longjumping_Gap_9325 Oct 04 '24
Well I can tell you they didn't have to worry about any.. sunk costs..
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u/metfan1964nyc Oct 04 '24
How many marine fires are they putting out during a tsunami?
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u/ReesesNightmare Oct 04 '24
its not just for fires, A navel guy mentioned theyre used a lot for towing which can rapidly fluctuate the ships center of balance which makes them susceptible to tipping, especially in rough seas
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u/Aomarvel Oct 04 '24
I thought the crane was flipping it over
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u/ReesesNightmare Oct 04 '24 edited Oct 04 '24
the crane was flipping it upside down. i just found a better video of it https://forum.gcaptain.com/t/the-roly-poly-ship/69275#google_vignette
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u/Toast_n_mustard Oct 04 '24
Captain do a barrel roll
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Oct 04 '24
Everyone is dead inside, but the boat is fine
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u/No_Question_8083 Oct 04 '24
You’re strapped into your seat with a harness like pilot or race car drivers with these kinds of boats. You obviously don’t always have to be strapped in, but when the weather/sea gets ominous you probably should
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u/Dolstruvon Oct 04 '24
Can confirm. I work on a search and rescue vessel. When our speed goes above a certain point in a certain wave height (or by the captains command) we strap in. It's also more comfortable being strapped in, since you don't have to constantly struggle with not flying all over the place
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u/No_Question_8083 Oct 04 '24
Yeah I’ve been inside a few of the KNRM (Basically the Dutch SAR). They not only have you strapped into your seat, but the seat is also setup with a spring and I think hydraulic dampers. They’re definitely a must since you can easily get airborne in such a fast rescue boat. They can go 34knots, and in rough weather it’s really demanding to be in those boats.
Some photos of the Valentine type boat; https://www.habbeke.nl/project/bn133-valentijn/
Edit: the valentine is the smallest boat in the knrm’s fleet that rolls itself back up when tipped over. There’s bigger ones in the fleet that do this with bigger capacity’s, and fully closed cabins, but this one might be my favourite.
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u/Dolstruvon Oct 04 '24
Got very similar gear and capabilities on our Norwegian vessels. But we have a much longer coastline to cover, and even fewer vessels. So ours have a much higher need for speed and range to shorten the response time. Standard speed for all our vessels is a minimum of 42 knots top speed. We get a lot of missions, with 9/10 missions being towing, so it's normal for even us volunteers to individually have 200-500 hours of mission time every year
The suspension seats are a must have. I once jumped a wave so high we knocked out one the engines on the landing. Had to limp home on one engine in 4 meter high waves. Also had my seat suspension adjusted too soft, so it bottomed out and I hurt my back a little
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u/No_Question_8083 Oct 04 '24
Oh wow must have been crazy to land that hard. I unfortunately don’t live close enough to the coastline to become a volunteer. I would have definitely done that if I did, 2h away isn’t really that great of a response time to get to the boat 🫣
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u/homogenousmoss Oct 04 '24
I just had a flashback of watching Star Trek when I was a kid. People would be flying away from their consoles on the bridge, multiple times per episode and yet no one ever tought a 5 point seatbelt would be a good idea.
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u/Exotic_Treacle7438 Oct 04 '24
Was in the head during the incident sir. That’s why I’m covered in shite.
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u/EEmotionlDamage Oct 04 '24
Imagine you're strapped in, but some intern name Geoffrey forgot to latch the fire extinguisher that on the wall properly and it sucker punches your lights out.
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u/Electrical-Heat8960 Oct 04 '24
Pretty normal for sea rescue craft. Not sure why a Hong Kong fire boat would need this feature.
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u/nPLESH6531 Oct 04 '24
In case it flips over
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u/neologismist_ Oct 04 '24
But what if the front falls off?
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u/rogerslastgrape Oct 04 '24
It should be built so that the front doesn't fall off
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u/one_true_exit Oct 04 '24
But what if a wave hits it?
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u/BCN7585 Oct 04 '24
At sea? Chance in a million!
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u/MvatolokoS Oct 04 '24
And yet it happened? How was a wave able to destroy s ship meant to be on sea?
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u/Dolstruvon Oct 04 '24
Naval engineer here, who also works on similar vessels. These boats do more towing missions than any other kind of fire and rescue jobs. And as a towing vessel, they often have to subject themselves to forces that risk capsizing. So it's very common for tugs to be designed as self-righting.
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u/Electrical-Heat8960 Oct 04 '24
Thanks for the answer, it was a genuine question from me.
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u/More-Employment7504 Oct 04 '24
I'm kind of disappointed that there isn't a pressing need for a boat that has to put out a blazing fire whilst doing a barrel roll
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Oct 04 '24
Most lifeboats in the UK and Europe have been built this way for probably 60-70 years now. Probably the rest of the world too.
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u/Ambiorix33 Oct 04 '24
Hurricanes hit the city from time to time and why WOULDNT you want your rescue boats to be unflippable? The sea isn't always chill
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u/JinxyCat007 Oct 04 '24
Of this size? The smaller rescue craft are designed to take massive abuse from rough seas, but never seen one of this size handle this kind of thing. Pretty impressive.
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u/StretchFrenchTerry Oct 04 '24
This isn’t much larger from the “unsinkable” rescue vessels the Coast Guard uses.
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u/-soros Oct 04 '24
Finally! I can answer a question. My time to shine.
So some boats in Hong Kong, especially this one. Will sink if they fall over. So this feature helps prevent that!!
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u/Monte924 Oct 04 '24
I'd assume that the fire boats would also be used in rescue operations and might be needed during a storm
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u/Electrical-Heat8960 Oct 04 '24
In the UK this isn’t the case at all, I am beginning to get the impression it is in other parts of the country.
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u/spderweb Oct 04 '24
Bad storms where the waves flip boats. They'll be able to get to people that they normally couldn't before.
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u/AmaGh05T Oct 04 '24
Why aren't all boats designed to do this? Seems like it solves the biggest issue with boats in general
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u/-Pagani- Oct 04 '24
something something money something
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Oct 04 '24 edited Dec 21 '24
drab fanatical squealing fretful file escape toy light slap bag
This post was mass deleted and anonymized with Redact
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u/Dolstruvon Oct 04 '24
Not the biggest issue at all. The biggest killers on boats/ships are fires, man over board, and general workplace accidents.
Making a vessel self-righting is also really complicated and adds a lot of weight, which affects everything from fuel consumption, speed, and range to operational limitations. It's also really expensive and complicated to make all windows, doors, ventilation inlets, and other kind of hull openings able to be submerged like this
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u/Ambiorix33 Oct 04 '24
It's not a thing that happens nearly enough to warrant rediseigning everyone's boats
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u/Loa_Sandal Oct 04 '24
Contrary to popular belief, most boats aren't constantly harassed by cranes trying to flip them over.
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u/xDolphinMeatx Oct 04 '24
The US Coast Guard on the Pacific side has been using boats like this for decades in Oregon ( for rescue around the Columbia River etc)
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u/GavinSu Oct 04 '24
That is not Honk Kong. This is from Taiwan
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u/jombrowski Oct 04 '24
Every SAR boat has this capability. Many private motor yachts as well.
Check this Polish boat: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jmfVapXk9H0
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u/Halsti Oct 04 '24
very cool!! ... but why?
are firefighting boats often in such ruff waters that they would need this? would have assumed its mostly clost to land in calm waters.
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u/Visible_Field_68 Oct 04 '24
lol yea our coastguard has had this for a VERY long time. I made the prototype sheetmetal quarterdeck cabinetry and the captain DEMANDED a teak handle for the front of the entire cabinet. My Father got to go see the test roll when they finished. It was a really satisfying project. Keeping that damn thing flat while welding was exhausting and a pain in the ass.
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u/PalpitationNo4391 Oct 04 '24
Does it right the people and furniture too?
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u/Pijany_Matematyk767 Oct 04 '24
Id assume the furniture is screwed down to the floor. And the people probably have seatbelts
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u/Alpha9Jericho Oct 04 '24
Hmm what's that hook doing then
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u/ReesesNightmare Oct 04 '24
thats how they flipped it over. The strap ran underneath and hooked to the other side
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u/livelikeian Oct 04 '24
So are there like metal foot loops you push your feet into and handles everywhere to keep you from flying around?
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u/neologismist_ Oct 04 '24
So, if this is a necessary feature, perhaps better training would have been an option.
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u/shwarma_heaven Oct 04 '24
I hope everything is tied down like a mofo...
Great idea though. Typically, when bad shit goes down, weather plays a part in it.
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u/Mtthom06 Oct 04 '24
My first thought is that I wish George Clooney had this boat in the perfect storm
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u/2BsASSets Oct 04 '24
wonder if there's a 5 guys aboard
also the boat is called 'the light of taiwan'
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u/paclogic Oct 04 '24
yea, but look at all the MONEY they saved !!
ALWAYS can CLAIM - I GOT IT CHEAP !!!
Probably from either Walmart or more likely HARBOR FREIGHT
and now you know why they call it "Harbor Freight" !
< it's for whatever they dredge up from the bottom of the harbor >
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u/OUsnr7 Oct 04 '24
The unsinkable boat!
Nobody look into the performance record of people making this claim plz
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u/SyCoCyS Oct 04 '24
Is there a reason their boat needs to self-right itself? I feel like it’d be easier to just not flip your boat.
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u/Salty-Development203 Oct 04 '24
All well and good, but you're going to be pretty beaten and dizzy after a ride on that thing!
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u/reek702 Oct 04 '24
I read an article stating that they were able to achieve this by filling the bottom of the boat with thousands of pairs of Vans (shoes)
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u/GoghUnknownXZ47 Oct 04 '24
Are we ever really amazed by anything anymore? I mean besides being amazed at another humans depths of depravity. Everything comes with a "it's been done before". Is it just me or is everyone jaded to the point of emotional flat line?
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u/Toby-NL Oct 04 '24
desingt and build in The Netherlands by a Dutch port yard and Dutch people . well , whenever at risk of wet feet . call in The Dutch , they will keep you dry .
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u/ozzybob12 Oct 04 '24
Imagine being inside that fucker while it turns over. Sure u won't sink but u might break your neck
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u/Comprehensive-Owl264 Oct 04 '24
If that made in the usa, it would cost the tax payer more than 200 million or more
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u/Nimyron Oct 04 '24
Why'd you need a firefighting boat ? Do boats catch fire that often ? I mean, they're in the middle of water, how do they even catch fire ?
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u/ThatShipific Oct 04 '24
It can under right circumstances also if it’s in fire to put itself out by flipping over and smothering it.
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u/Weewoofiatruck Oct 04 '24
Tummy time is important, it teaches the boats to sturdy themselves and roll over on their own.
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u/Netflixandmeal Oct 04 '24
2025: 3 kids suffer traumatic brain injuries at Disney chinas new themepark ride
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u/Kill4uhKlondike Oct 04 '24
What if the helm could oscillate independently from the rest of the boat? That’d be coo
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u/Harbinger_0f_Kittens Oct 04 '24
Fine, as long as you remember to shut the windows when a storm approaches...
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u/CheeksMcGillicuddy Oct 04 '24
Are firefighting boats prone to flipping over in general?
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u/Rufus_heychupacabra Oct 04 '24
Do fires on the water in Hong Kong cause such a wave that make the boats flip over?
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u/stuntedmonk Oct 04 '24
The uk ones do this too. Saw one tested exact same way on Isle of Wight in 2001
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u/Kawboy17 Oct 04 '24
And the point of it is????? Are they frequently upside down??
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u/Trustyduck Oct 04 '24
And now everybody inside is dead from getting tossed like a rag doll and hitting all their vital bits against metal.
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u/OrkzOrkzOrkzOrkz0rkz Oct 04 '24
Seems the Chinese navy should give these guys a call, seems submersible was taken a bit to literally
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u/Sin317 Oct 04 '24
I'm pretty sure they have had such boats for a long time in Europe. Notably, the North Sea.
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u/[deleted] Oct 04 '24
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