VIKING Helix from harbour trials to heavy weather
Evacuation systems must perform when it matters and without delay. That is why testing goes far beyond controlled environments.
From full-scale capacity tests in sheltered waters to heavy weather sea trials offshore, the VIKING Helix evacuation system is developed, tested and refined under conditions that reflect real-life use.
Building flow from the start
Testing begins where conditions are controlled.
In harbour, full capacity tests simulate real evacuation scenarios with large groups moving through the system. Volunteer employees and Danish army conscripts take part, creating realistic evacuation dynamics across different age groups and physical conditions.
The focus is on the system as a whole. Materials, structural integrity and overall behaviour are monitored throughout the test. With its helix-type slide, multiple people can descend at the same time, creating a constant yet controlled flow from embarkation to liferafts.
These tests show how the system performs in practice, from movement through the slide, to boarding liferafts. Yet they are only part of the testing scope.
Designed for simplicity under pressure
Another key focus is operation.
The system is designed to reduce complexity and limit crew involvement. A gravity-based bowsing system automatically positions liferafts alongside the vessel during deployment, removing the need for manual handling and shipside bowsing operations. Passengers of different sizes, including those requiring assistance or stretchers, move through the same system in a controlled way.
But controlled conditions only tell part of the story.
Taking Helix offshore
To understand performance fully, the system must be tested at sea.
Heavy-weather sea trials take place in rough northern waters, where wind, waves and vessel motion introduce conditions that cannot be recreated elsewhere. Here, the helix design allows the slide to move with the vessel, maintaining a controlled descent as trim, list and heave conditions change.
Teams evaluate deployment, positioning of liferafts and whether evacuation remains continuous under dynamic conditions.
Testing is the road to perfection
Each test provides insight.
Engineers and test teams use these insights to refine and optimise performance, from component behaviour to overall function. Small changes can have a direct impact when an evacuation needs to be fast and controlled.
This is how quality is built. Tested, verified and refined under real conditions.
So when the system is deployed to save lives, it performs as intended, as a complete and reliable evacuation solution.