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40 st / November 2016 www.sea-technology.com strapped vertically along the sides of Royal Fleet Auxiliary support ships. Used also by the Canadian and Australian armed forces, a Mexeflote is a self-powered (twin-diesel) raft that comes in three sections—bow, center and stern— that can be connected together in a number of configura- tions or even linked in series depending on required usage. Think of it as the ultimate aquatic Meccano set, ready to be constructed and deployed at will. The pontoons come in three types, and the largest units—Maxi-Mexeflote C—weigh 140 tonnes, are almost 40 m long and can carry up to 200 tonnes of equip- ment, vehicles and supplies. Hydrometer 360° steerage thrusters power them through seas of up to 1.5-m wave heights. Designed to operate in extremely hostile condi- tions, they're used for everything from beach landings in war zones to creating temporary bridges while providing humanitarian aid. Tough, simple and rock solid, it's easy to assume that, with a quick lick of paint, they'll go on forever—and sadly, for many years, that's all they got. Despite a mandatory high readiness level, they never received a corresponding high- level maintenance budget—until now. With the entire Mexeflote stock in desperate need of a thorough restoration, Landau UK was tasked with restor- ing the units owned by the British Army's 52 Squadron in V ariety, it's said, is the spice of life. Swanwick, England- based marine engineers and retrofit specialists Landau UK could justifiably claim that expression as a company motto. Started in 1996 by Ben Metcalfe, who serves as man- aging director, Landau initially focused on retro work for luxury yachts. More recently, as the company has contin- ued to expand, eclectic roles have been added, including a very successful tie in with the giant commercial opera- tion Babcock, which looks after much of the U.K.'s military hardware. As a result, ever more diverse projects have come Landau's way. In this article, we discuss two fascinating challenges. Mexeflote Think of the British Armed Forces at sea and you intui- tively think of Type-45 destroyers or Type-23 frigates tearing up the oceans at 30 kt., bristling with missiles, guns and other heavy armaments, white ensigns proudly aflutter as they hunt down drug runners, pirates and terrorists, keeping the world safe for another day. But there's an unsung maritime hero of both the Royal Navy and the British Army that never grabs the headlines yet is arguably the backbone of the force: Mexeflotes. You'll see them, though you probably won't know what they are, Refurbishing Vessels For UK Fleet Landau UK Tackles Large Projects for Mexeflote, Sea Cadets By Nick Burnham Mexeflote before and after refurbishment.