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Tsunami Survival Pod

The HAVANA 'Tsunami Survival Pod' 
As we have all seen, our earth is changing and with numerous earthquakes and volcanic activity on the rise, the danger of Tsunami's affecting more shores around the globe greatly increases.  This was more than evident by the last earthquake that triggered a devastating Tsunami that levelled towns and villages in Japan and surrounding islands.  More than 23,000 people lost their lives that day which made us at Havana Houseboats ask, "What could have been done to save these people?"  So we applied some of the key features we used in our successful houseboat hull design, viewed countless amounts of footage of the Tsunami in action and took notes on how different objects reacted when hit with the waves and the very next day we came up with an innovation that would save thousands around the globe.  The concept of the Tsunami Survival Pod was complete and we began production.
 
Havana Houseboats are proud to announce the first Executive Style Tsunami Survival Pod [TSP].  This world first innovation has safety features that will ensure the survival of its passengers.  The TSP's safety features include:
  • a main hatch that opens inwards to prevent any obstruction of exiting
  • 5 point harnessed full safety seats - tail bone protection  
  • crash bar crumple zones around the outside to absorb sudden impacts
  • a secondary hatch in the floor in the event that the TSP is pinned upside down
  • the doors seal water tight
  • viewing windows to help people with claustrophobia
  • windows are 1 inch thick
  • a crush capacity in excess of 6 tonne
  • in the event the pod is washed out to sea, it has exterior flashing beacon lights to attract the attention of rescuers
  • enough air capacity for 2.5 hours
  • seats can also accommodate infant and child restraints
  • lifting hooks to allow helicopter rescue if necessary
  • streamline design to prevent the Pod from being snagged on any debris or pinned under the water, even the wheels are designed to detach once floating
  • constructed of 4mm spiral welded steel with welded ring frames and painted with a marine epoxy paint to give the Pod longevity
  • the 1 inch thick window mounted in the hatch is designed to be removed from the outside allowing rescuers to unlock the hatch in the case of passengers being rendered unconscious
As we saw in Japan, the days following the Tsunami brought very inclement weather and snow fell on much of the region, this greatly diminished any chance for anyone who did survive the Tsunami.  For this reason, the Pod is fitted with food rations and blankets and can be used as shelter in the aftermath of a Tsunami.  Due to the 6 tonne crush capacity it can also be used as an earthquake shelter. It has been designed to fit inside a standard size garage or carport and the wheels allow for easy mobility in a confined space.
 Please email us regarding ordering and prices.
matt@havanahouseboats.com
   
  

   



  
 
 
 
Australia In The Danger Zone
 
Don't be fooled, there is a real possibility that parts of our coastline may be under threat of a Tsunami in the not too distant future.  We have already had a Tsunami hit Australian shores, although not large, it still creates an area for concern.
 
Co-Director of the Joint Australian Tsunami Warning Centre Dan Jaksa said, "If a Tsunami was to hit the Coast, it wold be from an earthquake of magnitude 8 or higher in the southern island of New Zealand."
 
[This comment was taken from an Australian news website] - A major Tsunami warning for Australia's east coast did little to deter people from flocking to beaches.
 
In Sydney, many travelled kilometres to try to get a glimpse of the "big wave" that never came.  Sirens sounded, lifesavers warned people off beaches and the Quicksilver Pro Surfing competition on the Gold Coast was postponed following yesterday morning's warning by the Joint Australian Tsunami Warning Centre.
 
The alert for Queensland, NSW, Victoria and Tasmania followed the 8.8 magnitude earthquake that struck Chile on Saturday night, sending a Tsunami racing across the Pacific Ocean at nearly 70km/h.
 
Due to these facts, we have been in contact with some of our local island resorts here in Queensland regarding supplying Pods for their staff and we will be extending the offer to overseas high risk areas around the ring of fire earthquake zone including New Zealand where we will only need a shift in a tectonic plate under the ocean instead of under land to trigger a Tsunami.  The recent volcanic activity in Chile could easily have the same result, along with the Tongan Trench that lies parallel to our shores, puts us easily in the path of danger.

WARNING!
Latest Discovery in New Zealand

Scientists investigating the earthquakes that have hit Canterbury since September's massive 7.1 tremor last year have found a previously unknown fault line that could trigger a magnitude 7 earthquake in the area.

One hundred and eighty one people lost their lives in a 6.3 magnitude quake on February 22.

Scientists from GNS Science, Niwa, Canterbury University, Otago University and the University of Calgary are involved in a project that aims to understand more about the pattern of aftershocks and shed light on where future earthquakes might occur.

They have estimated the probability of an earthquake of magnitude 6 to 7 happening within the next year at 23 percent for the region, and about 6 percent for the Christchurch city area, GNS Science said.

Please visit this link for the whole article  http://nz.news.yahoo.com/a/-/latest/9573184/faultline-that-could-trigger-big-quake-discovered/

This news came just days before the latest Tsunami warning in New Zealand on 6th June 2011.

ARTICLE OF INTEREST - Australian Popular Science Website (Sept 2012)
 
 

This Escape Pod Could Save Lives In A Tsunami

Australian business owner Matt Duncan usually builds steel-hulled houseboats, but he was so affected by last year's devastating tsunami in Japan that he's turned his focus to seaworthy survival craft. His bright orange Tsunami Survival Pod can accommodate four people for two and a half hours.

Duncan tells the Gold Coast Bulletin that he couldn't take his eyes off the TV last spring after a tsunami ravaged Japan. "I was home the day the tsunami hit, watching it on television and just thinking, 'What could I have done to save these people?'" he recalled. He watched hours of footage and observed how different objects responded to the action of the waves and the other debris pulled out to sea.

Within a few days, he'd designed this safety pod, using the spiral-welded steel he uses for his houseboats. It has crumple zones to absorb impacts; racing-style seats and five-point safety harnesses for four passengers; a flashing beacon to alert rescuers; and hooks for helicopters to grab and lift it to safety. It even has one-inch-thick polycarbonate windows so you don't feel claustrophobic.

He said the pods will retail for $8,500 in Australian dollars, or about $8,872 USD, and they can fit in an average garage. A tsunami usually comes with at least some warning, so someone could conceivably wheel it out and hop in before the water rises.