Hi John
Here's another in the series: Lifeboat Stations of the World
(you'll have to start another blog!)
We went to France yesterday (again! Oh the joys of only working on Sundays!) and visited Goury in the NW corner of the Cherbourg peninsula.
It has what must one of the most unusual lifeboat stations in the world.
The octagonal building has two ramps - one going into the harbour and the other going directly into the sea. The lifeboat is housed on a cradle on a turntable which can be aligned to either ramp depending on the state of the tide/wind.
Unfortunately they were just closing for lunch so the interior pic was only hurriedly snatched but I hope the others make it clear.
Quite what the point is, I'm not sure. Wouldn't the tide be the same height on both ramps? Why not just have the one into the harbour?
Maybe Swanage station could be rebuilt further our towards Peveril Point and have a ramp going down both sides?!
Anyway, hope you find them interesting and that they whet your appetite for a trip across the Channel!
Will
I wonder if they recover the boat head first and use the turntable to spin aorund in the boat house?
ReplyDeleteWell, according to the Michelin Green Guide for Normandy they launch into the harbour at high tide and towards the sea at low tide.
ReplyDeleteDoes that make sense?
Hi, I think this is a similar principle to that of Sennen Cove lifeboat station in Cornwall. They have two slips within the same building based on the tides in order to safely launch & recover the lifeboat.
ReplyDeleteWith the most recent redevelopments for the Tamar (expected operational in early 2010) the hydraulic tipping cradle also has to be on a turntable.