Brim Explorer Rethinks Survival Gear for Electric Vessels

Safety Equipment Becomes a Design Priority, Not an Afterthought

As passenger vessel operators shift toward electric and hybrid propulsion, the choice of survival equipment is increasingly shaping overall ship design rather than simply satisfying compliance checklists. According to a case study jointly published by Survitec and Norwegian sightseeing operator Brim Explorer, and reported by The Maritime Executive, marine evacuation systems (MES) are now factored into vessel engineering decisions from the earliest design stages, particularly for low-emission builds.

Brim Explorer, which runs whale-watching and fjord cruise operations in Norway, has built its business around fully electric and hybrid vessels and aims to operate ten fully electric ships by 2030. That growth target means every equipment decision carries consequences for energy consumption, passenger capacity, and day-to-day operations.

Weight, Space and Service Support Drove the Decision

Jan Eskil Hollen, Managing Director – Marine Nordics at Survitec, said operators are now weighing survival systems against broader design goals such as passenger comfort, usable deck space, and operational efficiency, alongside the usual safety and regulatory requirements. In Brim Explorer’s case, the company wanted to devote as much of the vessel as possible to guests while keeping weight down.

After comparing several suppliers, Brim Explorer selected Survitec’s Zodiac Small Inflatable Slide (SIS) marine evacuation system, citing its lightweight build, small footprint, and the availability of servicing and engineering support across Norway. Co-founder and CTO Espen Larsen-Hakkebo said the evaluation covered installation needs, system weight, footprint, and long-term maintenance considerations, and that Survitec offered both a fitting solution and a partner capable of scaling alongside the company’s fleet expansion.

Engineering Around Passenger Space

During the design process, Survitec’s engineers worked with Brim Explorer to rethink where equipment could be installed without eating into passenger areas. One notable outcome was suspending liferaft canisters above passenger gangways instead of placing them on deck, freeing up space for guests while keeping the equipment accessible and compliant.

Cutting Maintenance Downtime

Beyond design, the partnership tackled a common operational headache for high-utilization passenger fleets: servicing downtime. By adopting an equipment exchange programme, Brim Explorer reduced MES servicing time from several days to just hours, keeping vessels available for longer stretches during the operating season. As more operators push toward year-round schedules, this kind of lifecycle support and logistics planning is becoming as commercially important as the equipment’s raw performance.

What It Means for Owners and Managers

This case illustrates a broader shift worth watching for technical superintendents and fleet managers evaluating survival and safety equipment on new builds, particularly electric and hybrid vessels where space and weight margins are tighter than on conventional ships. Treating MES selection as an early-stage engineering decision, rather than a late-stage compliance purchase, can influence hull layout, passenger capacity, and servicing schedules for the life of the vessel. It also underscores a point relevant to independent condition and pre-delivery surveys: equipment placement decisions made at the design stage, such as suspending liferaft canisters over gangways, need to be verified during construction and periodic inspection to confirm they remain compliant and accessible as vessels age and go through modifications. For operators pursuing aggressive electrification targets, this kind of documented equipment history and servicing record will likely become a more prominent part of due diligence during pre-purchase and condition surveys, since regulatory conformity, weight distribution, and evacuation readiness are now interlinked design outcomes rather than separate boxes to check.

A Growing Trend Across Low-Emission Fleets

Hollen noted that as more passenger operators move to low-emission propulsion, Brim Explorer’s approach shows survival technology evolving from a purely regulatory necessity into a core part of modern vessel architecture. For an industry balancing decarbonization goals with passenger safety and comfort, this integration of survival systems into early design conversations may become standard practice rather than an exception.

Reviewed by Ibrahim Halil Ceylan, Marine Surveyor at Apeks Marine.