A Cunning Plan!

A Cunning Plan!

Cygnus Instruments was founded in the 1980s in the South West of the UK by a marine surveyor to supply the surveying industry with equipment that was small, rugged and produced quick, accurate and reliable results.

John Heath, a highly experienced and respected marine surveyor with over 40 years’ experience, is also the current Technical Director for the IIMS. Recently, he received a huge surprise when he was conducting a purchase survey on an ex-passenger vessel on the River Thames. As he was taking measurements with his Cygnus 4+ thickness gauge in order to calculate loss of plate, a very famous face approached him from within the boatyard.  The face was none other than Sir Tony Robinson – a British ‘national treasure’ who is a prolific creator of factual and historical documentaries about the UK, (but is perhaps most famous for playing Blackadder’s sidekick – Baldrick!)

Robinson was filming a series for Channel 5 called “The Thames:  Britain’s Greatest River” and he and his team were in the same boatyard where Heath and his team were working. Robinson approached Heath on the slipway and, much to everyone’s amusement, broke off from filming to be given a lesson on marine surveying and ultrasonic thickness gauging.

“It was quick and easy to show Sir Tony how to use the Cygnus 4+ gauge because the Cygnus products are so easy to use and accurate.  He was really very interested in the whole process of what we were doing and why,” explains Heath.

Cygnus equipment has come a long way since its original launch in the 1980s. All gauges are now wrapped in soft rubber and drop-tested to military standards (MilStd 810G), as well as being completely environmentally sealed – and waterproof to IP67.  The range of Cygnus gauges is now extensive; all units still have the Multiple Echo technique as standard but now A-Scan displays, data logging and twin crystal probes can all be added to the gauges to permit them to be used in almost every scenario and on almost any application.