Shore sentinel is a system for the monitoring of coastal and river coastal oil spills, flood rescue and other emergencies, based on principals established near sensitive points and interest. The system is equipped with amphibious vehicles MACP in adequate numbers to local needs, capable of a rapid intervention in case of emergency. MACP is a fastly equipping air cushion platform with different operating configurations. It is the most compact hovercraft approved for professional use, powered by a 180hp diesel engine, transportable on the road on a trailer. In the logic of the Shore Sentinel the cost, which is the weak point of a “standby” system, is only partially linked to the activities of oil spills. This may be covered by various revenue from land reclamation, flood rescue activities, geophysical survey and other types of services. The services of wetland management and geophysical analysis are possible thanks to the peculiar characteristics of a vehicle MACP to be quickly set up for multiple works.

1. SHORE SENTINEL
A sustainable system for rapid response
Oil spill, Flood rescue, special works and surveys
ABSTRACT
Shore Sentinel is a system aimed at ensuring an emergency oil spills, rescue in floods and other emergencies,
particularly effective in the most difficult areas, coasts and riverbanks. It’s based on teams equipped and located near
sensitive points and areas of interest, with skilled and trained staff.
Each garrison has a good number of MACP amphibious vehicles for local needs. MACP is an air cushion vehicle
of the latest generation, which can be quickly set up with different operating configurations, easily portable, fast and
amphibious. The most compact hovercraft approved for professional use, powered by a 180 hp diesel engine, it can be
transported by road on a trailer.
In the Shore Sentinel logic the cost, which is usually the weak point of a “standby” system, is not related to a single
specific activity, but is divided among many different activities. So the stand-by and the current operations costs are
both covered by small contributions coming from municipalities and companies, who doing so, in case of disaster,
have the guarantee of the immediacy and the professionalism in interventions, and from other revenues coming from
special works; geophysical surveys and other types of services, national and international for the first time possible
with the use of equipped MACP.
Floods and coastal and rivers oil spills
share the question of the difficult access due
to currents, inconsistent mud terrain, shallow
waters, floating or semi-submerged obstacles
that prevent easy access to boats, to wheeled
or tracked vehicles. All the oil spills, even if
they occur at high sea can not be perfectly
solved with big ships and always happens that a
significant part of the spill falls on the coasts.
Accidents in the course of the river are possible

2. for broken pipelines, shipwrecks, human errors.
In addition to major accidents known through the media, spills occur daily at different levels or with such
a continuity that they are no longer a news, as in the Niger Delta, and polluted areas of considerable size
are also present in the heart of the Amazon forest. The mangrove areas are widespread, very sensitive to
hydrocarbons, and inaccessible to ordinary vehicles. Also Arctic or icy areas are poorly managed and long
stretches of polluted coastline have remained untouched for over 20 years (Exxon Valdez).
Similarly, floods are increasing, both the predictable ones and the sudden flash floods and these disasters
cause the most damages and casualties. Echo, the EU Commissioner for humanitarian aid and the European
civil protection spends over 40% of their budget for these emergencies. Spills and floods are statistically
predictable phenomena, but locally unpredictable; as far as you can prevent it is very difficult to act on the
causes that generate the event, and emergency response measures must be specialized in skills, intervention
techniques and means of support.
Skills and techniques can be acquired, but the ideal vehicle for these interventions between land and water,
has easily definable characteristics:
• fast transfers, versatile usage and amphibian configuration, without immersed propellers, tires or tracks
that destroy the bottom,
• compact for easy carrying and idoneous to enter into the vegetation or in flooded narrow streets,
• robust and resistant to hull impacts and damages.
All these features are present in MACP, a new generation hovercraft, and are the basis that allow the Shore
Sentinel system.
Coming from the EU project Hoverspill, MACP
is an air cushion platform which, for its modular
features, can be quickly set up with different
operating configurations.
MACP is the most compact hovercraft appro-
ved for professional use, powered by a 200hp
diesel engine, can be transported by road on a
trailer. The amphibious characteristics make it
excellent for working in mudflats, mangroves,
marshes and lagoons, levees, ice and snow,
against strong current in presence of algae,
floating barriers and outcrops.
The environmental impact is limited: the pres-
sure is less than 10 grams x sqcm, it has no
wheels, tracks or immersed propellers that can
ruin the fragile vital bottom layer.
A MACP does not require to be moored in a
harbor, but can be parked on a beach, on a sli-
de or directly on a boat, truck or a trailer, ready
to be transported at high speed and regardless
of weather conditions, with easy access to the
coast and inland areas or wetlands.
In case of need MACP - Hoverspill can be cu-
stomized in a very short time, in a SAR or flood
rescue version or any other modular system
according to functional or emergency interven-
tions.
MACP are powerful and versatile, compact and sized within the limits of the ease of transport (width less than 250 cm).
Various MACP can be reconfigured for specific emergencies and can become a powerful and flexible basis ready to be used by
authorities. These vehicles are able to travel autonomously at high speed on water or can be easily transported by ship, truck or
trailer.
MACP versatility allows to solve various emergencies and to make different kind of jobs.

3. A network of Shore
Sentinel coastal and
inland waterways can
control a large area. It
gives the possibility of
acting very quickly and
in quantity calibrated to
the emergency both in
the waterway and in the
ground
The SHORE SENTINEL solution
The Shore Sentinel system provides various basis located at strategic points along rivers and coasts.
Each Shore Sentinel garrison is equipped with various MACP vehicles and support equipments for transports and
various needs.
A system of “standby” along a river is able to guarantee the intervention in a few minutes in its area.
The first target for a Shore Sentinel team with MACP Hoverspill is the guarantee of the response activity in those areas
defined as “sensitive” for the presence of refineries or oil wells, organize a system of hydrocarbons transport and the
remediation of polluted areas.
But the system can handle larger and less vulnerable areas, guaranteeing an intervention within one to two hours.
In a severe emergency, the modular system shows all the benefits, being able to call back within a short time other
resources and vehicles from far away, so that the needs of the quantitative and qualitative response may be perfectly
adequate.
Other operational areas where MACP is particularly suitable are those where you need to protect biodiversity and
nature as the mangrove areas, areas with thick vegetation and protected ones like the Delta of rivers and all those places
where trained and coordinated teams can operate.
In the specific field of oil pollution, the situation is unfortunately serious, there are huge areas inaccessible to
conventional vehicles between Peru, Brazil and Ecuador (an area the size of Germany), the Niger Delta, the area of
mangroves in Bangladesh etc.
SUSTAINABILITY
For a public administration it is impossible to sustain the cost a system of rapid coastal or river intervention to deal
with events so difficult to predict.
Solely in those areas
identified as “high risk
areas” (near refineries,
terminals or near
company dealing with
oil products) a specific
service can be proposed.
But, considering the
cost aspect as the main
obstacle to a stand-by
program, the project
provides an alternative
solution to cover the
An example:
The Po Basin is an area between
Turin and Venice and includes
about 2200 municipalities,
particularly prone to flooding, spills
and other emergencies that require
a specific answer. They are perhaps
rare, but destructive. Even a modest
annual fee, for eg EUR 1000, would
maintain 8/10 Shore Sentinel
garrisons ready to intervene
efficiently in a few minutes thus
limiting expensive damages.

4. service costs through the implementation and execution of various compatible economic activities that, on their own,
would not allow a sufficient economic return.
The flexibility of the proposed system is also very suitable to solve practically the oil spills problems that can not be
resolved using other means, as are unable to achieve the correct timing or have difficulties of access to the affected sites.
The underlying logic is that of the insurances: all contribute with a small fee, and are guaranteed by
the extraordinary event. The objective is
therefore to have a system always available in an
emergency, without burdening public budgets.
The system remains alerted and trained by the
contribution of several cities and organizations that
can help with a small annual fee for the maintenance of
the stand by service, for all those types of emergencies that
require immediacy of intervention and equipments
of significant cost, but which are not provided for the low
frequency of rare, but catastrophic, events.
Secondly, the “Shore Sentinel” purpose is to organize groups of young people in areas of high economic returns using
resources allocated to training and facilities for the creation of Start-Up.
The training will create the needed professional figures, the equipment will allow to carry out different activities in
order to make the system financially independent and ready to enter in action, when needed, for a variety of missions
commitments.
For young people this is a way to create a starting point for a career in the oil spills field and in other specialized jobs,
in areas of difficult access. In the world there are thousands of polluted sites that are awaiting for professionally trained
teams supplied with the proper techniques and vehicles.
The need for groups of experts with specialized means to access in particular areas and trained in the environment
treatment in wetlands and transitional areas is growing. Operators will be continuously engaged in activities and
therefore always trained to operate in critical conditions.
A single “Shore Sentinel” garrison has an estimated cost of about € 250K per year (average
in EU territory) to maintain a service that covers 24 hours on 24, and this is the cost that
should ideally be covered by the standby contracts.
The services provided to subscribers, in case of intervention,
will be based on subsidized market prices and this must also be considered as an added
value, ensuring a continuous income for the Shore Sentinel team.
Considering that MACP can be used for a variety of different work-oriented tasks,
characterized by a high added value, and that
the various revenue may be used to decrease the need to recover financial
resources for the maintenance of the pure standby.
It is planned the set up of a centralized structure that will be responsible
for managing and controlling the educational aspects, the garrisons
quality and take care of orders and national and international contracts
otherwise difficult to be managed by a single group, thus using the
resources available in the various points, with customization to the
specific needs.
Shore Sentinel Activity fields and financial revenue
Generally any possible activity in wetlands, riverbanks, muddy surfaces
or inconsistent, mangrove areas or thick vegetation that prevent access to
other vehicles.
It is appropriate to address the implications of the above.
For example, Italy has coastlines for about 7500 km.
A river like Po, which is 600 km long, thus of small size, only in its delta
covers an area of approximately 7000 km of watercourses, of different sizes,
more or less navigable, beyond all the tributaries.

5. The EU has a coastline of 68,000 km, more than three times longer than that of the United States and almost twice that
of Russia; with EEA member countries, including Iceland, Norway and Turkey, its length corresponds to 185 000 km.
According to military estimates of common availability, a hovercraft has access to the 70% of the world’s coastlines, and this
is a figure for large vehicles, such as Textron USA or ZUBR Russian.
Smaller hovercrafts have additional access to inland waters, large rivers like the Nile, the Amazon, Niger, Congo, Volga,
Danube (whose basin affects 10% of EU territory) are long thousands of kilometers and their delta and tributaries are tens
of times larger.
Europe has an inland waterway network of 37000 km, where heavy use for freight and passenger transport creates the
need for various services.
With smaller dimensions accessibility extends
to mangroves areas, which are spread over vast
coastlines in the world (see the attached map),
smaller rivers, lagoons and the Ramsar areas, i.e.
wetlands variously distributed worldwide.
Even ignoring rocky shores and other inaccessible
areas for various reasons, it is reported how the area
of Shore Sentinel possible intervention is immense,
and so far not managed for the access difficulties
typical of the areas concerned.
In these areas, shallow or supershallow waters,
MACP variously equipped can deal with various activities, not exhaustively:
• interventions in oil spill management and remediation
• assistance to traditional navigation subject to silting and groundings
• assistance to coastal and lagoons airports
• services for coastal aquaculture
• operations with ice, also floating
• environmental controls, illegal discharges and security
• coring, drilling and characterizations
• pipelines control
• geophysical surveys, seismic and bathymetric
• check of bridges piers stability
• mosquitoes biological control
• algae and weeds removal
• ecological treatments
• basins oxygenation
• various operations at all locations subject to tides
• transport of lightweight goods, correspondence
• patients transport
• facilities management in beaches. For example in some countries like Italy you
can obtain in concession the management of beaches that need security and control
• Formation, training
• Flood rescue and oil spill response & remediation for operations abroad
• MACP commissions for sales, assistance and maintenance; demo
Sources:
CEDRE: http://www.cedre.fr/
ISCO: http://www.spillcontrol.org/
RAMSAR: http://www.ramsar.org
Mangrove environment: http://mangroveactionproject.org/
and various other arising from info present in these sites.
MACP is a fastly equipping air cushion platform with different operating
configurations.
• MACP is the most compact hovercraft approved for professional use.
• The soft hull is impact-resistant and unsinkable.
• The amphibian characteristics make it excellent for very shallow water surveys, working
in difficult zones, against strong current and in presence of algae, floating objects and
outcropping obstacles.
• Mudflats, mangroves, swamps and lagoons, river banks, ice and snow are its field of
action.
• Logistics is minimized: it is transportable on the road on a trailer. Goes up and down from
the trailer and the shoreline indipendently.
• SBP sensors, Boomers, Echosounders may be positioned inside the hull for different
surveys. The systems are raised while “on cushion” and are immersed while working at low
speed.
• An electromagnetic sensor (GPR type) allows for realizing high-speed bathymetry for
35/40 km in fresh water
CHARACTERISTICS
Hull Height clearance: 250/400 mm.
dimensions: 245 x 580 x 245 H.
80 lt. diesel tank
engine: FNM diesel 130 kw -200 cv
Thrust fan: 1300 mm
Separated & Automatic Lift- 2 x 700 mm fans
Flapton trim control & reverse, UNIK Driving system
Walkable & Workable Flat Deck over 65% of footprint
“Quick Lock” modular connections for seats, crew protection, boxes, ..
Shock absorber bottom hull (SoftSkin)
Shock absorber perimetric bumper &skirt protection
Road trailer wide limit (250 cm)
*Built under workboat rules
PERFORMANCES
1 pilot + max 550 kg (or equivalent weight of people)
VMax:> 80kmh 45kN
Fuel consumption: 15/25 lth
It is equipped with a PTO providing 35/40kW that is suitable for hydraulic and
electric generators or compressors for works or seismic
Can be equipped with various equipment, or coupled to other MACP to form platforms roomiest
Specialized services with MACP:
Surveys, remediation
Stand-by Services
Coverage:
within 6 mg.
sea state : 4
Wind <25kts
SOA - Servizi Operativi Anfibi Srl - Via Vignolo 2 - 16046 Mezzanego (GE) Italia
tel.+39 0185 335021 gsm +39 3200931641 soa@soanfibi.it - web: www.soanfibi.it
High floating stability

6. THE FLOOD RESCUE - Relief in flood
The amount and intensity of floods has had a sharp increase in these recent decades. In these emergencies
usually are used boats and rafts that have all the limitations of the plunged vehicles: strong currents are
critical and emerging or floating obstacles can prevent any activity. In addition shallow waters make difficult
the use of boats and amphibious vehicles wheeled or tracked which have a low maneuverability, sensitivity to
current and have proven to have an extremely limited use.
The SAR configuration MACP has almost all the desirable features:
• fully amphibious
• high intervention speed
• high load capacity when compared with the compact size: 6/7 people or 500 kg
in addition to the pilot, for the high speed performance; at low speed and in non-
critical conditions the load can double
• unbreakable and unsinkable bottom
• easy retrieval of objects or people in the water, no submerged propeller,
on MACP can be quickly mounted different equipments, which are
available even when it is on the ground or on its transport trailer
• water pumps with high pumping capacity: up to 3000 l / min
• desalination or reverse osmosis treatment plant to purify polluted water
• basis for stairs and winches to rescue people on rooftops
• High-power electric generators, powered directly by the engine
• sanitary cabins modular (pediatric, etc.)
• inflatable structures cabins for various purposes,
the capacity and the performances are remarkable, but
consequently involve dimensions and weights, and the compact SAR
MACP (about the size of a SUV and suitable for sea operations)
should ideally be accompanied by a small and agile vehicle,
dedicated to an environment without waves, easily transportable
by air also in very poor areas in view of a specialized team. This small vehicle will be so light, within the 240
kg, that in case of need can be raised by hand (to overcome a trunk or a wall) or disassembled into parts to
facilitate the transport; dismounted the dimensions will be calibrated for the air transport, and the same
power unit can be used to feed generators, pumps and desalination.
The FR team properly trained can provide means and skills and be employed in areas affected by floods, oil
spills and so on, operating under
the directives and instructions
of the authorities.
From a managerial and
operational autonomy, the
MACP are notable for a general
economic fuel consumption and
maintenance.
The fuel requirement of a team
are therefore limited, and allow
to operate autonomously for
over a week with the aid of a
container support, sufficient to
vehicles and people.
maximum weight for a single subset: 60 kg.
liftable by two people
Flood Rescue HyperLight MACP
the MPS propulsion
system can be used
as a power take off
independently, to
provide electrical or
mechanical energy.
Totally flat deck amphibious
• Unsinkable, unfillable, antishock “SoftHull”
• Antishock perimetric bumper
• Flaptons & Unik system: only one handlebar for control the
direction, 2 axis trim and reverse motion
• Simplified maintenance
440 x 220 cm, 240 kg.
engine: from 60 to 100 hp, diesel or gasoline
payload:
400 kg, or pilot + 320 kg or 4/5 pax - (on cushion,
high speed transfer)
700 kg or 8 pax at low speed
© - MACP Hovercraft Ltd . www.sofhull.com
Ready for airborne transport: 150 cm. max wide
Very large Flat deck

7. Methods of action
The international intervention program on call involves the collaboration with the Flood Team Europe and ECHO. In this context, various facilities in containers and ready to leave
for the affected areas will be set up at the airport in Rotterdam.
The availability will be communicated to ERCC, ECHO and the concerned organizations.
ERCC: http://ec.europa.eu/echo/what/civil-protection/emergency-response-coordination-centre-ercc_en Flood Team Europe: http://floodteam.org/
extreme climate
<http://www.nwf.org/Wildlife/Threats-to-Wildlife/Global-Warming/Global-Warming-is-Causing-Extreme- Weather /> Floods.aspx
©Marco Mastrangeli, Angelo Odetti, 10/2015
A flood Rescue training (with Rescue Project staff)