LIFESAVING EQUIPMENT
Below is our selection of antique lifesaving equipment
BREECHES BUOY WHIP SNATCH BLOCK.
A Breeches Buoy snatch block, this can be unlocked and opened to allow the block to be connected to the Whip line.
This was necessary when the ship was in danger of breaking up and there was no time to wait for hawser to be hauled out and tied in place, or when the masts had broken away and no other substantial object of any height could be used to tie the apparatus too
Made from brass with double pully sheaves and steel locking mechanism complete with rope becket.
Length: 28 cm / 11 inches including rope becket.
SORRY THIS ITEM HAS BEEN SOLD
ANTIQUE LIFEBUOY, LIFE SAVING APPARATUS
Antique ship's lifebuoy or lifering.
This is an original full size cork and canvas covered lifebuoy or lifering. It has been hand painted with the name of the ship, port of registry, shipping line flag and Red Ensign.
This type of lifesaving device was invented around 1840 by Thomas Kisbee, who was a British Naval officer. They were also adopted for use aboard the Royal National Lifeboat Institution ( RNLI ) fleet of lifeboats in the UK in 1855.
THIS ITEM HAS BEEN SOLD.
Breeches buoy, Life Saving Apparatus -
Line cutting block
A rare Life Saving Apparatus Breeches Buoy Hawser cutting block. Circa 1890. The cutting block is in excellent condition and complete with all the original components: block, hinge, locking pin, internal cutting blades, levers and tripping lanyards. The block measures: 15 1/2" tall x 11 1/4" width (including arms).
The Breeches Buoy cutting block was used to retrieve the valuable hawser line once all the shipwrecked crew had been rescued.
A messenger line was fired over to the shipwreck using a cannon or rocket line gun, this line was then used to pull the thick hawser line over to the wreck and secured to the ship. The hawser line was then tensioned from land which enabled the breeches buoy to be pulled back and forth from ship to shore to rescue the ships crew. Once all the shipwrecked sailors had been rescued the line cutting block was fitted around the hawser and pulled out to the ship, when in position the tripping lines on the cutting block were pulled to operated the cutting blades. This method cut the hawser line close to the ship and enabled the valuable hawser line to be recovered.
BREECHES BUOY ROCKET LINE GUN.
Also known as a Rocket line gun or line throwing pistol. It was used for firing a line over to a shipwreck. This was so the shipwrecked crew could haul the breeches buoy equipment across to the ship.
SCHERMULY PISTOL ROCKET APPARATUS
schermuly rocket line gun, breeches buoy line throwing equipment. pistol rocket apparatus for life saving from shipwreck.
Complete with original line cartridge.
THIS ITEM HAS BEEN SOLD