SELF-RIGHTING RIB

Designer & Shipbuilder
Mustang Marine (Wales) Ltd., UK

Project
Two 10.5m self-righting, extreme conditions survey RIB's for King Edwards Point, run by British Antarctic Survey

ShipConstructor Modules
Structure, Pipe, Equipment, Nest, Report

Project Highlights
Preliminary Testing Integration – When a new senior naval architect came on board with Mustang Marine they recommended the use of Maxsurf as a preliminary design and analysis tool. With that recommendation they brought in the Maxsurf suite of software specifically for initial use on the self-righting RIB project. Several tests were carried out on the vessel, using Maxsurf, including simulated rolls (inverted stability), hydrostatics, and calculation of CG’s (centres of gravity), all important requirements in the design of this vessel. The surprise for Mustang Marine was that Maxsurf was already integrated with ShipConstructor. Maxsurf is now used for preliminary drafting, design, and testing before the project is taken into ShipConstructor for structural work, detailing and nesting of parts prior to production.

Complete Design Solution – This project is one of the first where Mustang Marine used ShipConstructor tools almost throughout the entire vessel. Even on such a small project, there were various requirements and necessary components that dictated the need for modern design tools to be used for the detailing of basic structure through to piping and equipment. A reinforced aluminium hull was compulsory for use in the treacherous Antarctic waters, while detailed and complex pieces of equipment on this vessel include capsize, shut-off aspiration valves to the engine room, and an additional CO activated air-bag to reinforce the inherent self-righting capabilities of the wheelhouse. The strengthened wheelhouse has extra-thick 9.5mm, polycarbonate windows, six fully articulating seats, special climate-control techniques to accommodate both the demands of cold and possible capsize together with high-visibility flying bridge for close contact work in ice and boarding.

Mustang Marine (Wales) Ltd. is supported by Design Systems & Technologies, SSI’s ShipConstructor representative in Europe.