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Thousands of spectators made their way along Putney Bridge, basking in the sunshine and soaking up the atmosphere. With the 2012 Olympics in London this summer, following on the heels of the Queen?s Diamond Jubilee pageant, the city had never been so vibrant. On the Thames, dozens of ships cruised along the waterfront, including a new range of patrol boats. Commissioned by the Port of London Authority (PLA) to keep London?s river safe, these vessels stayed on guard, casting a watchful eye on the huge Olympic crowds during the games. Promoting safety on the river is the role that the PLA sees as highest priority for their innovative ?Bridge Class? of low-wash, low-emission patrol boats. Named after four of London?s famous bridges, Lambeth, Southwark, Kew and Barnes, the vessels were built by Alnmaritec Limited in collaboration with Newcastle University, but based on the PLA?s design concept. The vessels have been optimized to work on the tidal Thames, with a lightweight but strong 12 ton (11-metric ton) aluminum hull, and two powerful, fuel ef cient John Deere PowerTech 6068T engines, rated at 201 hp (150 kW). With two historical events held in the ever-busy city, this past summer, the eet took on a vital role during the special celebrations. Supported by the PLA?s newly refurbished navigation control centers at Gravesend and Woolwich, where duty of cers observe and report the movement of vessels using a sophisticated network of radar, AIS, VHF radio and other navigational systems, the new launches provided the ?eyes and ears? of the Harbor Masters, out on the river. Designing the vessels took ve years in all. From the start, the PLA was keen to use John Deere engines, which would deliver suf cient power The Port of London Authority and John Deere worked together to keep London?s river Thames safe during the Olympics.Powering London?s Games PROPULSIONNovember 201280 MNMNNov2012 Layout 66-81.indd 80MNNov2012 Layout 66-81.indd 8011/7/2012 11:22:32 AM11/7/2012 11:22:32 AM
