Ever wonder where the first Inflatable Boats were made? Imagine making an Inflatable Boat from animal pelts and making them air tight then blowing them up by mouth. Yes, it is true. There are ancient images on cave dwellings depicting these one man inflatable watercrafts long before the days of compressors. These depictions were sometimes mistaken for scuba diving gear when in reality, they were the origin of the Inflatable Boat.
The 1st Duke of Wellington in 1939, Arthur Wellesley had tested the development of the Inflatable Pontoon Boat during his term as the Leader of the House of Lords. Then in the early 1900s due to technology advances in the manufacturing process of rubber, it was then possible to make the Inflatable Raft from rubber. Obviously during this time period, the Inflatable Boats were not mechanically propelled, so the only way to navigate these Inflatable Rafts was to paddle. Due to inherent flaws in the rubber manufacturing process the Inflatable Boats tended to split at the seams.
Later, with the tragedy of the Titanic's sinking along with the losses of life in WW! On War Ships which were sunk by enemy submarine torpedoes, there was a real need for Life Rafts in the form of Inflatables. If you were not aware, the major cost of life on the Titanic as well as many other ships of the time was the lack of Life Boats. Can you imagine going on a ship and there were twice the number of people on the ship than there were seats on the Life Boats.
The SOLAS Convention in its successive forms is generally regarded as the most important of all international treaties concerning the safety of merchant ships. The first version was adopted in 1914, the second in 1929, the third in 1948, and the fourth in 1960. The most prominent focus was to ensure that ships had sufficient lifeboats so that every person aboard the ship had access to a place on a lifeboat. [http://www.imo.org/Conventions/contents.asp?topic_id=257&doc_id=647#1]
Cargo ships did not have a difficulty in meeting the new standards at the time as they did not carry many hands on these vessels; however War Ships and Passenger Liners had a very difficult task at hand. For the Passenger Liners to accommodate this had to stack the lifeboats where ever they could in order to meet the new requirements.
The time span between the first and second world war allowed the Goodyear Company to develop a new style of rubber Inflatable Boat from 4 rubber cylinders and a rigid bottom to the boat. These Inflatables could be stacked vertically on deck of the warships which allowed them to accommodate the capacity. Conservative mentality of the time led to the un-acceptance of the Inflatable for the time which hampered the production.
A man named Pierre Debroutelle designed a new version of the Inflatable Boat in 1937. This model was the premier model with the now traditional U-Shaped inflatable tube. His design was so innovative that it was the first Inflatable Boat to be certified by the French Navy. Subsequently, a wooden transom was created and then patented in 1943. On modern Inflatable Boats, you will be able to distinguish the commonalities between the 1937 model and today's model.
World War II created a prominent need for a new version of the Inflatable Life Raft with the escalation of the number of submarine attacks against the War Ships and Merchant Ships due to the number of casualties
Now the US warships started to use rubber life rafts. And since the rubber and manufacturing processes were significantly better due to quality increases than in the prior 35 years, the Inflatable was back, bigger and better than ever before, and now it was boat-shaped.
Now is the Inflatable Boats day to shine as it is no longer only a utilitarian war and rescue watercraft, it is now an economical option with can go many places that other boats can not including the trunk of your car. Inflatables are a smart option for anyone, and if the cost of boat ownership have held you back from having a conventional boat, Inflatables are an affordable option.
The 1st Duke of Wellington in 1939, Arthur Wellesley had tested the development of the Inflatable Pontoon Boat during his term as the Leader of the House of Lords. Then in the early 1900s due to technology advances in the manufacturing process of rubber, it was then possible to make the Inflatable Raft from rubber. Obviously during this time period, the Inflatable Boats were not mechanically propelled, so the only way to navigate these Inflatable Rafts was to paddle. Due to inherent flaws in the rubber manufacturing process the Inflatable Boats tended to split at the seams.
Later, with the tragedy of the Titanic's sinking along with the losses of life in WW! On War Ships which were sunk by enemy submarine torpedoes, there was a real need for Life Rafts in the form of Inflatables. If you were not aware, the major cost of life on the Titanic as well as many other ships of the time was the lack of Life Boats. Can you imagine going on a ship and there were twice the number of people on the ship than there were seats on the Life Boats.
The SOLAS Convention in its successive forms is generally regarded as the most important of all international treaties concerning the safety of merchant ships. The first version was adopted in 1914, the second in 1929, the third in 1948, and the fourth in 1960. The most prominent focus was to ensure that ships had sufficient lifeboats so that every person aboard the ship had access to a place on a lifeboat. [http://www.imo.org/Conventions/contents.asp?topic_id=257&doc_id=647#1]
Cargo ships did not have a difficulty in meeting the new standards at the time as they did not carry many hands on these vessels; however War Ships and Passenger Liners had a very difficult task at hand. For the Passenger Liners to accommodate this had to stack the lifeboats where ever they could in order to meet the new requirements.
The time span between the first and second world war allowed the Goodyear Company to develop a new style of rubber Inflatable Boat from 4 rubber cylinders and a rigid bottom to the boat. These Inflatables could be stacked vertically on deck of the warships which allowed them to accommodate the capacity. Conservative mentality of the time led to the un-acceptance of the Inflatable for the time which hampered the production.
A man named Pierre Debroutelle designed a new version of the Inflatable Boat in 1937. This model was the premier model with the now traditional U-Shaped inflatable tube. His design was so innovative that it was the first Inflatable Boat to be certified by the French Navy. Subsequently, a wooden transom was created and then patented in 1943. On modern Inflatable Boats, you will be able to distinguish the commonalities between the 1937 model and today's model.
World War II created a prominent need for a new version of the Inflatable Life Raft with the escalation of the number of submarine attacks against the War Ships and Merchant Ships due to the number of casualties
Now the US warships started to use rubber life rafts. And since the rubber and manufacturing processes were significantly better due to quality increases than in the prior 35 years, the Inflatable was back, bigger and better than ever before, and now it was boat-shaped.
Now is the Inflatable Boats day to shine as it is no longer only a utilitarian war and rescue watercraft, it is now an economical option with can go many places that other boats can not including the trunk of your car. Inflatables are a smart option for anyone, and if the cost of boat ownership have held you back from having a conventional boat, Inflatables are an affordable option.
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