Developed for passenger ships needing high evacuation capacity, the VIKING Helix MES introduces a new helix-type slide that 4-8 people can use at once, and a unique bowsing system that keeps life rafts on-side with minimal crew involvement.
Enabling the controlled ship evacuation of up to 477 persons within 30 minutes into 153-person life rafts alongside, the multiple occupancy slide accommodates adults of all sizes. It also allows adults and children to evacuate together, while even stretchers carrying injured persons can be brought into the continuous flow.
“The Helix solution has been designed for operational speed and simplicity, technical efficiency, while the controlled descent of evacuees means they need less crew assistance transferring from the slide to the life raft,” said Alex Kristensen, VP Cruise & Ferry, VIKING Life-Saving Equipment.
Certified for use by DNV, the VIKING Helix supports a wide range of vessel configurations and is especially suited to larger ferries and small to mid-size cruise ships. Installed at heights ranging between 5 and 23 meters, the system requires no welding on the ship side, making integration straightforward into newbuild and retrofit projects.
For heights of up to 12 meters, the VIKING Helix features a patent-pending bowsing system which automatically activates cylinders after raft ballast water bags are filled to maintain position manual bowsing. Bowsing line tightening is the failing most frequently reported in evacuation training.
“Automated bowsing allows the Helix MES to work with trim and list in a working range of 4-29 meters, so that fast and safe evacuation goes ahead even in challenging conditions,” said Kristensen. “Users also avoid the service time and cost needed to reinstall bowsing systems every three years when systems are deployed - as required by SOLAS.”
Harbor trials at the VIKING Testing Center, Esbjerg focused on materials, structural integrity and system behavior, with volunteers of different ages and physical conditions moving through the slide and boarding life rafts. Subsequent heavy-weather sea trials in the North Sea verified performance in waters where wind, waves and motions tested the slide’s movement with a vessel and control over evacuee descent in changing trim and list conditions.
Minimized operational disruption is also designed in to a system which requires service at an authorized service station once every 30 months.
“One Helix slide and a 153-person life raft are housed in an enclosed GRP frame which fits into the standard height between two decks and is removed as one unit,” said Kristensen. “Switch-out is straightforward, even during short port stays.”
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