London Maritime Academy is a trade name for London Premier Group
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Posted On: 4/14/2026, 6:25:25 PM
Last Update: 4/14/2026, 6:25:25 PM
The VIKING Helix MES, designed for passenger ships that require high evacuation capacity, features a revolutionary helix-type slide that can accommodate 4-8 people at once, as well as a unique bowsing system that keeps life rafts on-side with minimal staff intervention.
The multiple occupancy slide, which allows for the controlled ship evacuation of up to 477 people in 30 minutes into 153-person life rafts beside, can fit adults of different sizes.
Additionally, it allows children and adults to flee simultaneously, and stretchers for injured individuals can be incorporated into the continuous flow.
VIKING Life-Saving Equipment's Helix solution offers operational speed, simplicity, and technical efficiency, reducing crew assistance required for evacuees transferring from the slide to the life raft, according to Alex Kristensen, VP Cruise & Ferry.
Moreover, DNV-certified, the VIKING Helix accommodates a wide range of vessel layouts, but is particularly well-suited to bigger ferries and small to mid-size cruise ships. The system, which can be installed at heights ranging from 5 to 23 meters, requires no welding on the ship, making it simple to integrate into newbuild and retrofit projects.
Likewise, the VIKING Helix has a patent-pending bowsing technology that maintains position, manual bowsing at heights up to 12 metres by automatically activating cylinders once raft ballast water bags are filled. The most commonly reported failure in evacuation training is bowsing line tightening.
Maritime Courses in London focus on the VIKING Helix system, which features automated bowsing and a low-maintenance design, ensuring quick and stable evacuations even in severe sea conditions. The system, validated through trials, is designed for safe operation across various trim and list ranges while reducing service interruptions, thanks to its enclosed, easily removable GRP frame and a 30-month service interval.
According to Kristensen, automated bowsing enhances the Helix MES's functionality, allowing operation with trim and list from 4 to 29 meters, facilitating rapid and safe evacuations in difficult conditions. He noted that this also eliminates the service time and expense of reinstalling bowsing systems every three years, as mandated by SOLAS.
Harbour trials at the VIKING Testing Centre in Esbjerg assessed materials, structural integrity, and system behaviour, involving volunteers of varying ages and physical conditions in slides and life rafts.
Furthermore, follow-up heavy-weather sea trials in the North Sea confirmed the slide's performance amid challenging wind, wave, and motion conditions, particularly regarding vessel movement and evacuee descent management in fluctuating trim and list situations.
A system with minimal operational disruption is designed to require service at an authorised 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,” Kristensen stated. “Switch-out is straightforward, even during short port stays.”
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