I joined the coast guard because I wanted to help people. Hovercraft(气垫船)are rare and special. They've been discontinued in most commercial operations because they're so expensive to make, but when it comes to search and rescue, they're priceless.
From far away, a hovercraft looks like a normal boat. But if you look under its skirt, the craft is not touching the water—it floats on a cushion of air. That cushion allows us to travel over everything from water to muddy land—and even break through ice. We do all of that as a 70-tonne machine, going a maximum of nearly 120kilometers per hour. These features allow us to rescue a large number of people quickly, get onto land, and get someone into an ambulance far easier than with any other device I can think of.
The advantages of hovercraft can also make them difficult to handle. We've got a massive vehicle moving fast, sometimes in a thick fog bank up a narrow river. During assignments on other coast guard ships, I had 20 minutes to make alterations to avoid a crash. In a hovercraft, I have 10 seconds. You have to have enough situational awareness to make the right decision every time.
People call us for all sorts of problems: missing divers, on-board fires, or even when they've run out of fuel or had a mechanical breakdown. A container ship could burst into flames. We have a strong network here at the base to help everyone through difficult situations like that. Thankfully, we have captains who train us in a safe environment, but you don't ever get fully comfortable. Anything can throw the hovercraft off—maybe your lift settings are off a little, or the wind blows with a bit of extra weight. After several years operating a hovercraft, I'm still learning. Every one of the captains here agrees: you can drive this thing for 20 years and still be surprised.
