Except for free-fall lifeboats (such as escapecraft you may see on some cargo ships), they must be capable of withstanding and impacts against the ship’s side of at least 3.5 meters per second, and must also be strong enough to be dropped into the water from a height of at least 3 meters Number Carried 50% of the rigid lifeboats must be located on each side of the vessel, for easy deployment in the event the ship is listing heavily to one side. At full capacity, the hoisting time for the launching appliance should not be less than. The wires which lift and lower the lifeboats (aka, “falls”), must have centrifugal brakes, limiting the rate of descent to 36 meters/minute. All seats, benches, etc must be capable of supporting a person weighing 100kg (~220lbs) Deployment Must be no less than 7.3 meters in length When fully loaded with persons and supplies, must be stable in the water, capable of launching while the ship travels at a speed of 5 knots, and strong enough to be lowered while fully loaded. As they say during your muster drill, “fire is the greatest danger at sea”. Must be made flame-retardant and made of non-combustible materials. While requirements vary greatly depending on vessel passenger counts, routes of travel, other safety equipment, and many other factors, we tried to identify, in plain English some of the more common requirements for lifeboats, especially as they relate to cruise ships. Other changes in the past 15 years have had to do with the method of deployment, allowed colors (for visibility), provisions carried on-board, maintenance, and more. You can learn more about Oasis class lifeboats here. Schat-Harding however worked to build larger craft and have this modified to to allow for 370 person craft providing they demonstrate equivalent safety, allowing for the Oasis class’ “rescue vessels” we see today. Until Royal Caribbean launched the mega-ship Oasis of the Seas, carrying up to 8,500 persons, Life Saving Equipment code 4.4.3.1 (for those keeping track at home) mandated that lifeboats carry no more than 150 people. We’ve certainly not stopped innovating either. These days lifeboats usually have multiple motors, carry survival equipment, and have rigid requirements for nearly every element of their design. It wasn't until SOLAS 1948 that there was a requirement for all ships (of certain sizes and uses) to carry at least one motorized lifeboat, and in 1964 motors will still only required on lifeboats designed to carry over 100 persons. Technology however brought forth solutions such as the Fleming Gear, allowing passengers to simply push and pull levers that drew a screw (propeller), combining the uncoordinated strength of rowers. This presented some obvious challenges, as even with adequately strong persons, synchronous rowing is a skill so difficult that even Olympians use a coxswain. Prior to modern compact engine designs rowing was the only way of controlling a small craft other than sailing. The first lifeboats were simply small boats with open tops and oars for passengers to use for propulsion. As of 2017 there are 162 nations who are signatories to SOLAS, meaning over 99% of vessels in the world must be in compliance. Over the decades however many amendments to the first draft have been made and adopted by an increasing number of signatory nations. Unfortunately, with The Great War (later called WWI) brewing, SOLAS 1914 was never adopted by any government or other body. This first pass prescribed numbers of lifeboats and other emergency equipment along with safety procedures, such as continuous radio watches. It was clear that there needed to be better not only oversight, but research into safety at sea, so in 1914, as a response to this disaster, The International Convention for the Safety of Life at Sea (SOLAS) was drafted. In 1912 the world saw what is, to date, easily the most famous maritime tragedy: the sinking of the White Star Line’s Titanic. Modern lifeboats have evolved for enhanced safety, reliability, and even visibility - let’s look at how. The last line of defense is the lifeboat, but it’s far more than a wooden dinghy out of a Hitchcock film. While cruising is about relaxing, fun, enrichment, and telling your office that you’ll be completely unreachable for a week, for the crew and the cruise line there is another important element: safety.
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