European Mariner MES Trial

After European Mariner spent three days last week and two days this week laid up with her starboard side alongside Curran Quay to allow crane access for maintenance work, the results of this work became clear on Wednesday 1/2/06 when a new type Marine Evacuation System (MES) was given a trial run.

The MES used on European Mariner is the Marin-Ark evacuation system manufactured by RFD at Dunmurray, near Belfast. Being a freight ro-ro vessel European Mariner does not carry the system at all times but instead P&O work in conjunction with RFD who use the Mariner as a test bed for their new designs. The original Marin-Ark MES was cleared for full scale use in November 1997 after tests of the system aboard Lion in severe weather were successful. (Back in those days you'll recall the European Mariner was sailing under the name Lion on the Larne - Ardrossan route.) Lion was out of service for 3 days between the 8/11/97 and the 11/11/97 sailing off the north coast of Northern Ireland in force 9 gales with wave heights averaging at least 3m so that the system could be tested in severe weather conditions. In the meantime at Larne, the Rosslare based Panther (perhaps better known around Larne as European Pathfinder) sailed in Lion's place on the Ardrossan service.

The Marin-Ark system fitted to the vessel employs an enclosed umbilical style slide system which transfers passengers from the ship's lifeboat embarkation deck straight into the liferafts at water level without the passengers ever being exposed to the weather. In trials at Larne Harbour 400 volunteers were evacuated from Lion in around 20 minutes using the slide, which has special arrangement of fabric within it to control the evacuees' descent so they don't plummet at high speed straight down to the liferafts at the bottom.

	Left, above and top: Three scans taken from P&O's staff magazine showing the testing of the Marin Ark System aboard Lion in Larne Harbour during 1997. Pictured is Larne's former Waveney class lifeboat William and Jane (click to enlarge)

	Lion arriving at Larne on 21/5/96 from Ardrossan. Photo: Aubrey Dale (click to enlarge)

Development of the system involved Lion from September 1996 and the ship's crew along with RFD personnel were instrumental in making the whole project a success. Such was their acclaim that it featured in BBC television's Tomorrow's World program where it was awarded top marks by judges looking at innovative new products. The Marin Ark system along with others like it have subsequently become standard lifesaving equipment in many modern ferries.

Bringing the story up to the 1/2/06 and two names later, the Lion now known as European Mariner underwent tests of a new updated system alongside at Curran Quay under the watchful eye of Larne's Trent class lifeboat Dr John McSparran. The new system employs a dual umbilical chute able to load passengers into two liferafts simultaneously. This new MES takes up less space when stored thus saving space on the deck of vessels it is fitted to.


Two views of European Mariner with the Marin Ark MES deployed and Dr John McSparran standing by

Dr John McSparran tows the liferafts to Phoenix Quay for recovery.	Mobile crane lifts the liferafts back on shore. Wonder who gets the job of folding them up again?