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Irish
Coast Guard Historic |
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Setting the Scene |
SPEEDLINE INTERNATIONAL
250. It was inevitable that at some
stage with more modern designs and materials, the S.P.R.A. would be
superseded for a more user friendly, compact, and lighter version.
The Schermuly Speedline International 250 was developed in the 1970s
& 80s. This was a cylindrical drum containing the rocket in the
centre and 250 yards (225 metres) of light line laid around it in
a separate compartment. Instead of the rocket being fired by a cartridge,
when the trigger was pressed a striker activated and struck the percussion
cap on the rocket which then fired, exactly the same as a firing gun.
This was, I suppose the first of the “disposable” pieces
of life saving equipment. Unlike the S.P.R.A. it could not be re-used
but had to be replaced. Although this type of line throwing apparatus
is now in general use, the S.P.R.A. and other types similar to the
S.P.R.A. are still widely used, particularly when the rocket line
can be retrieved and reused. SPEEDLINE 250. When Schermuly merged with Pains Wessex,
naturally, they continued to produce the best items of equipment produced
by Schermuly. One was the Schermuly Speedline International 250 this
became the Pains Wessex Schermuly Speedline 250. It is identical in
design but Yellow in colour with Red lettering, and is operated in
exactly the same way. It has a Yellow buoyant floating head (optional
extra) for use when persons are in the water or for use when small
boats are close to rocks etc; The buoyant head prevents the rocket
from sinking, the buoyant head was also the invention of William Schermuly
and was available for use with the .S.P.R.A. and 3” Breeches
buoy rocket. THE “COMET” LINE THROWER. Other countries devised and manufactured a hand held line thrower. The one used by the Irish Coastguard is “The Comet” line thrower made in Germany by the Comet pyrotechnic company who also made distress flares etc. The rocket is identical to the Schermuly but a little larger in diameter. This could be due to the fact that Schermuly worked using the Imperial measurement, whilst the Germans worked in the metric system, Even if they were identical in size they could not be interchanged as Schermuly rockets were flame activated and Comet were percussion activated. When the Schermuly International 250 was developed a percussion rocket was introduced, it was however still the same diameter as the previous rocket. The line thrower itself looks nothing like the Schermuly. It resembles a long tube, the front end is the barrel and the rear end the firing mechanism. The firing end was twisted to safety mode, the rocket inserted down the tube, and connected to the rocket line. When the target was lined up, the firing end was twisted to fire, and the rocket was fired. This rocket was capable of carrying a 10 mm (dia) line 300 meters; however the normal line was 350 meters of 5 mm (dia) line ready flaked down in a cardboard box. Even though the breeches buoy system is no longer used, the line thrower, rockets & line is still a part of the Irish Coastguard equipment. |