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Remote-controlled Buoy Showcases Its Powerful Towing Capability in Australia
Dolphin 1 Demonstration on Gippsland Lakes.
On Feb 2nd, 2023, the members from the Gippsland Squadron of the Australian Volunteer Coast Guard (AVCG) conduct a demonstration of Dolphin 1 Remote-controlled Life-saving buoy on the Gippsland lakes in eastern Victoria, Australia.
It was a cold and rainy day, but the volunteers were enthusiastic about testing the operation of Dolphin 1. With its powerful water-jet thruster, the water rescue device can reach a maximum speed of 3.3m/s, faster than any human swimmers, to provide rapid responses to drowning incidents.
After all these years of serving emergency rescue forces worldwide, more and more potential capabilities of Dolphin 1 Remote-controlled Buoy have been discovered and applied to practice.
As in the case of the Gippsland Squadron, Dolphin 1 is expected to be used for towing mooring rope in shallow water areas besides water rescue.
The Gippsland Squadron is responsible for patrolling the waters of the Gippsland Lakes, a network of lakes and lagoons in eastern Victoria. Covering an area of approximately 354 square kilometers (137 square miles), the lakes are a popular destination for boaters, anglers, and other recreational activities.
However, these lakes are relatively shallow overall, with an average depth of around 2-3 meters (6-10 feet) or even shallower. It can present challenges for boaters, particularly those with larger vessels or boats with deep drafts. When a vessel goes aground, the Gippsland Squadron may use a mooring rope to secure the boat to a nearby structure for engine repair or tow the vessel to safety.
At the demonstration, Gippsland Squadron tested the Dolphin 1’s towing capability for sending a 10mm small mooring rope and a 20mm larger one in the shallow water area. Noteworthy, ropes of two different types vary in weight, which poses different challenges to the buoyancy and propulsion of the buoy. Dolphin 1 gave a satisfying performance in both testing sections.
The introduction of the Dolphin 1 Remote-controlled Buoy is expected to make the mooring setup dramatically more accessible and more efficient. The Dolphin 1 can drag the mooring ropes in different sizes to reach the trapped vessel flexibly, and the volunteers can remotely control it by the lake or on the rescue vessel.
