THE NORWEGIAN SEA RESCUE : P-42 SAR

Redningsselskapet (RS), The Norwegian Sea Rescue Society, is a nationwide humanitarian association whose purpose is to save lives, salvage assets, and protect the coastal environment of Norwegian waters, as well as undertaking outreach and accident prevention initiatives to improve the safety of those at sea in Norway and abroad.

To gain knowledge and foundation for the project Eker Design performed a Concurrent Innovation Process (CIP). CIP is a creative insight process based on cooperation between different scenes of competence, solving a common challenge. In cooperation with RS, Eker Design established the project roster, which consisted of handpicked experts with the highest competence in their line of work. By use of several design tools as user interviews, role play, and design reviews with the use of physical 1:1 prototype and virtual reality, a common understanding of the project was established. All managed, supervised, and moderated by Eker Design.

To design and engineer a professional vessel requires the team to follow several standards and regulations. All systems require backup systems to avoid failing offshore and operating a vessel in all conditions offshore requires well thought out and tested ergonomics. The outdoor activities of a rescue operation require a high focus on crew safety, mobility, and easy access to the required equipment. High operation time, efficiency, and serviceability were other important factors.

Hydrolift P-42 is a semi-closed vessel for search and rescue (SAR) that provides a closed driver environment and an open aft with connection points strategically positioned for crew and personnel safety. The vessel is designed to withstand 6,5G and has a dual waterjet installation that provides extreme maneuverability and a top speed of 45+ knot. The vessel can also be provided with personal watercraft for shallow water access and is equipped with the latest technology within navigation and communication. It has also a pantry, interior sanitary, medical equipment, and a cabin.

One hull – Several vessels

With insight of modular and efficient design from recreational boatbuilding, Eker Design and Hydrolift created a new vessel platform based on the P-42 SAR Staff class. The Hydrolift Professional platform raises the bar in the service vessel category, by combining the latest technology, modern design techniques and verified human factors science. Allowing us to introduce the unprecedented highly reusable and modular platform, focusing on safety, reliability and usability with a significant cost reduction compared to one-off builds.

Utilizing the Hydrolift modular platform as a base, our clients can customize the vessel to their needs, being it a search and rescue, police, fire, ambulance, wind park, patrol, harbor, coast guard or any other vessel. The modular design, with its common parts, simplifies maintenance and training, increases operational quality and reduces operational costs in your Hydrolift Professional fleet

Design Awards

From its first launch in 2016, P-42 has received the honor from its users and two highly recognized design awards – DogA Design Award 2017 and DIA Design Intelligence Award 2017 from China Academy of Art.

This is clever thinking around a very difficult problem. Different patrol boats require different characteristics but creating a common platform that is flexible enough to meet the various challenges and at the same time “strong” enough to standardize is not something that can be done in a jiffy. Eker Design has previously distinguished itself as being innovative and experimental, something for which it deserves all possible praise. It is therefore good to be able to present a DOGA award for a solution that is not only of the highest class when it comes to product design but also cuts through a Gordian knot and offers a real improvement in a market that is very pressured as regards price and time

DOGA DESIGN AWARD JURY 2017

Photo: Glenn Røkeberg, Eker Design, Hydrolift