SUNDAY, FEBRUARY 24, 1985
IN THEIR CONTINUING SEARCH FOR A BETTER BEACH RAFT. THE TWO DEPARTMENTS LAST YEAR CAME UP WITH A NEW MODEL WHICH HAS A FIBRE GLASS DECK AND A STEEL SHELF. TWO SUCH RAFTS HAVE BEEN PUT ON TRIAL AT REPULSE BAY SINCE THE LAST SWIMMING SEASON.
SAID MR CHEUNG: +ALTHOUGH THE LATEST DESIGN, AT A COST OF $80 000 EACH, IS 78 PER CENT MORE EXPENSIVE THAN THE GRP RAFT AND 2.5 TIMES MORE THAN THE STEEL ONE, IT INCORPORATES THE GOOD POINTS OF BOTH THE STEEL RAFT AND THE GRP ONE.
+WITH THE GRP DECK, IT IS NOT SO VULNERABLE TO MARINE GROWTH, WHILE ITS STEEL SHELF MAKES IT MORE BUOYANT AND WIND RESISTANT THAN THE GRP RAFT.
+FURTHERMORE, TO PREVENT IT BECOMING SLIPPERY, THE GRP DECK IS LAID WITH A SYNTHETIC FIBRE MATTING WHICH HAS BEEN PROVEN TO BE MORE DURABLE. ALSO, ANY LEAKAGE ON THE NEWLY-DESIGNED MODEL CAN BE DETECTED EASILY BECAUSE IT IS COMPOSED OF SEVERAL COMPARTMENTS.+
AS REGARDS MAINTENANCE, MR CHEUNG SAID THAT ALL RAFTS ARE REMOVED BY A BARGE TO A REPAIR SITE EITHER AT CAUSEWAY BAY OR TSING YI FOR A COMPLETE OVERHAUL BETWEEN JANUARY AND MARCH EVERY YEAR. WORKERS WILL FIRST SCRAPE OFF THE BARNACLES AND THEN THE MARINE DEPARTMENT STAFF WILL EXAMINE THE RAFTS TO FIND OUT IF ANY REPAIR WORK IS NEEDED.
ALTHOUGH THE ANNUAL REPAIR EXERCISE IS COSTLY, MR CHEUNG SAID, IT IS NECESSARY TO ENSURE THAT ALL RAFTS ARE ALWAYS IN A STATE OF GOOD CONDITION.
ALL BEACH RAFTS, WITH A STANDARD DIAMETRE OF 4.85 METRES IRRESPECTIVE OF THE TYPE OF MATERIAL, ARE POSITIONED AT A POINT AROUND 100 METRES AWAY FROM THE BEACH.
THE NUMBER OF RAFTS AT THE BEACHES VARIES ACCORDING TO THE ESTIMATED NUMBER OF SWIMMERS AT EACH BEACH. FOR EXAMPLE, REPULSE BAY, THE MOST POPULAR BEACH ON HONG KONG ISLAND, HAS FIVE RAFTS.
THE CSD IS TAKING EVERY PRECAUTIONARY MEASURE TO SAFEGUARD THE SAFETY OF SWIMMERS ON A RAFT. THERE ARE CONSTANT PATROLS BY LIFEGUARDS ON BOARD A CATAMARAN TO ENSURE THAT NO RAFT IS OVERLOADED AND THAT NO SWIMMERS DIVE OR FISH FROM A RAFT.
VERY OFTEN, MR CHEUNG ADDED, A RAFT MAY TURN OUT TO BE A LIFE-SAVING DEVICE FOR WEARY SWIMMERS WHO WILL OTHERWISE RUN INTO TROUBLE BUT FOR ITS PRESENCE.
17