Lifesavers

Turning head-over-heels and carrying on

Leendert Langbroek is actually retired. But there are no other skippers in the KNRM as experienced as he is. So the service called him back on board for a very special mission – he was to test a new lifeboat. The Nh 1816. If she proves her worth, she will replace the Koos van Messel and her Arie-Visser class sister ships in the KNRM. She is the first vessel of her type in the KNRM to be built by the Damen shipyard and powered by mtu engines. Two 8-cylinder Series 2000 diesel engines, each producing 895 kW of power, propel the 19-m vessel via twin waterjets at speeds up to 33 knots (61 km per hour). They are housed in two separate, watertight engine rooms. But the really clever trick is that they carry on running even if the boat capsizes and completes a full turn around its longitudinal axis. "That is something the engines in our other ships couldn't do," relates Leendert Langbroek. He had been on the previous vessel once when it capsized. The engines failed and the ship was left floundering helplessly at the mercy of the waves. And because the bridge was full of water, the computer systems stopped working too. The rescuers needed rescuing themselves, and the episode taught the KNRM a lesson. On the Nh 1816, all the computer systems are watertight.

"She certainly is a nice ship," observes Leendert Langbroek of the Nh 1816 without being over-effusive. That is just not his way. Whether Leendert Langbroek could ever be ruffled is impossible to say. "Calm and considered" is how his colleagues describe him. He is seeing them this evening because they meet up once a week for drill practice. This will be one of the first exercises on the new lifeboat. She has been stationed in IJmuiden for a couple of months, but so far she has been used almost exclusively for trial runs and not for exercises. "The Koos van Messel proved her qualities in high winds and heavy weather, so that is something the new ship first has to achieve," observes Jaap van der Laan. In his mid-50s, he is operational inspector at the KNRM station in IJmuiden and also a volunteer member of the lifeboat crew. He is the first to turn up for today's exercises and is now waiting for the others with Leendert Langbroek.

A trip out with the boys

There are 20 volunteer lifeboat crew members at the KNRM station in IJmuiden and a total of 1,300 in the country. Unlike full-time skipper Leendert Langbroek, they all have separate day jobs and the rescue missions with the KNRM are a sort of hobby for them. Before they are allowed to take part they have to complete three years of training covering first aid, radio operation, navigation, helmsmanship, knot-tying and rescue. The crew members also have to be part-time engineers so that they can get the ship going again in an emergency. In weekly exercises, they head out to sea to practice rescue drills. This week, Leendert Langbroek and Jaap van der Laan are joined by Richard van der Hammen, Ton Haasnoot, and Bas Tol. Their kit? Waterproofs, life jackets and plenty of positivity. The five seem to be looking forward to their trip out with the boys.
 

But before they have a chance to have much of a chat about the weekend's events, Lennerd Langbroek starts up the engines and goes to his station. Richard van der Hammen sits on the skipper's right and navigates. To the skipper's left is Ton Haasnoot. Today he is responsible for communication with the coastguard and other shipping. Jaap van der Laan and Bas Tol are not on the bridge. They are on the deck putting on their waterproofs and life jackets. Today, they are the main protagonists in the 'man overboard' exercise and have the privilege of jumping into the North Sea at a decidedly chilly 10°C. "But in these suits it's fun and not cold at all," says Bas Tol with a mischievous smile. He is the joker in the pack, and with his curly blond hair and broad grin would not be out of place in an episode of 'Baywatch'.

Heart attack on board

The five head slowly out of IJmuiden harbor with the evening sun still above the horizon and no sign of any waves. It looks like a straightforward exercise. Then skipper Leendert Langbroek suddenly opens the throttle. He has spotted a freighter in the distance. He gives the two mtu engines a good workout and heads towards the cargo vessel at 33 knots full speed. But it is by no means noisy on the bridge. "Even when I go flat out, it is 20 decibels quieter here on the Nh 1816 than on the Koos van Messel," recounts Leendert Langbroek. Ton Haasnoot, who is responsible for communication today, finds the name of the freighter – it is the Thorco Copenhagen. He radios the freighter captain to inform him what the crew of the Nh 1816 is planning. They draw up very close to the cargo vessel and sail slowly alongside her. A couple of centimeters is all that separates the Nh 1816 from the Thorco Copenhagen. "That's the skill of our skipper," says Ton Haasnoot before going on to explain what this exercise is about. "From this distance, our crew can board the freighter so as to provide first aid if necessary." That has happened on many occasions. He remembers an emergency call-out when a captain of a freighter had suddenly been struck down by severe chest pains. Skipper Leendert Langbroek and his crew arrived just in time to save him. He had suffered a serious heart attack and survived only thanks to the assistance of the KNRM.

Man overboard

The Nh 1816 continues on its way. When the shore is almost out of sight and the evening sun creates a spectacular reflection on the calm waters, it is time for the next drill. Jaap van der Laan and Bas Tol go out on deck ready to jump overboard. The excitement and anticipation are written all over their faces. Without hesitating, they jump into the ice-cold North Sea. They appear blissfully unbothered by the temperature thanks to their special suits. In fact, they start to wave cheerily as if enjoying a seaside swim. Skipper Leendert Langbroek pulls a couple of quick turns around the pair so that the waves disappear in the center of the circle. At the same time, Ton Haachoot pulls on his rescue suit. He has to save the pair but seems to be calmness personified. "More haste, less speed," he says calmly as he puts on his hat. Then it is time. With practiced skill, he lowers the stretcher over the bow of the ship and throws the two swimmers a line. Jaap van der Laan is the first to grab hold of it. He pulls himself up to the lifeboat and reaches out for Ton Haasnoot's hand. Now you can see the strain on his face after all. He pulls his colleague onto the stretcher and hauls it up slowly. Jaap van der Laan jumps up with a smile, shakes himself down briefly and then watches as his colleague pulls Bas Tol out of the water as well.

Capsized by crane

So what is next? Is the crew going to practice an overturn maneuver? "No", states skipper Leendert Langbroek, who has been standing at the helm in complete concentration throughout the exercise. To overturn the boat in such small seas, you would need a crane. They did it once, so that the crew would know what it felt like when the ship is upside-down. The engines did not keep running on that occasion because the ship turned over too slowly. They are switched off to protect them if the overturn maneuver takes longer than 30 seconds. But then they can be restarted straight afterward without any trouble. If it was really stormy out at sea and the waves were a lot higher than the lifeboat, the Nh 1816 would overturn and right itself in just a few seconds. So then the engines keep running the whole time. "We know that they can do that not just from our colleagues in the British lifeboat service, the RNLI, whose 10-cylinder mtu engines were also designed especially for overturn capability. We also saw it demonstrated on the test stand at MTU Benelux," recounts Jaap van der Laan with conviction.