Lifeboats

4/E Jayvee B. Galos

“Life is a shipwreck, but
we must not forget to
sing in the lifeboats.”
-Voltaire
 LSA Code
• International Life-Saving Appliance Code (LSA Code)
This code provides international standards for the
life-saving appliances required by the SOLAS
Convention.
Life Boat
Life boat IMO Symbol
 Lifeboat

• The primary means of evacuation on board when

abandoning the ship. It becomes a regulatory
component of any ship nowadays.
• Because it is meant for survival, the SOLAS and the
International Life-saving Appliance Code (LSA)
require certain emergency equipment be carried on
each lifeboat.
 SOLAS requirements for Lifeboats
• Each lifeboat to be launched by falls shall be of sufficient strength to withstand
a drop into water from a height of atleast 3 mtrs.
• The size, number and the capacity of the lifeboat for a merchant vessel is
decided by the type of the ship and number of ship’s crew, but it should not be
less than 7.3 m in length and minimum two lifeboats are provided on both side
of the ship (port and starboard).
• The requirement for lifeboat of a cargo ship with 20,000 GT is that the boat
must be capable of launching when the ship is heading with a speed of 5 knots.
• The ship must carry one rescue boat for rescue purpose along with other
lifeboats. One lifeboat can be designated as a rescue boat if more then one
lifeboat is present onboard ship.
• The Lifeboat must be painted in international bright orange color with the
ship’s call sign printed on it.
• A fully loaded lifeboat in calm water has an engine speed of atleast 6 knots and
at least 2 knots when towing a 25-person life-raft and enough fuel for 24 hours.
 A lifeboat must carry all the equipment listed but not limited to:

• Bailer • Heaving line • Seasickness kit

• Bilge pump • Instruction card • Signal; smoke; hand
• Boat hook • Knife flare; rocket
parachute flare
• Bucket • Ladder
• Cap opener • Mirror • Skates and fenders
• Compass • Oars and paddles • Survival instructions
• Dipper • Painter • Sponge
• Drinking cup • Radar reflector • TPA
• Fire extinguisher • Rainwater • Tool kit
• First aid kit collection device • Towline
• Flashlight • Repair kit • Water
• Hatchet • Sea anchor • Whistle
• Search light • Food ration
 Forms of lifeboats

• Open lifeboat
• Totally enclosed lifeboat
Open Lifeboat
 Open Lifeboat

• Has no roof and is normally propelled by manual

power by using hand propelled oars. Engine may
also be provided for the propulsion purpose.
• Open lifeboats are becoming obsolete now
because of strict safety requirements, but they may
be found on older ships.
Totally Enclosed Lifeboat
 Totally Enclosed Lifeboat

• It is made of fire retardant fiber glass that is both

lightweight and sturdy, making it less susceptible to
breakage upon impact on the water.
• Totally enclosed that protects the crew from exposure
to seawater, strong wind, and heat from the sun.
• This type of lifeboat has the highest watertight
integrity and it can also get upright on its own if
toppled over by waves.
• As with other modern vessels or crafts, the lifeboat is
propelled using an engine motor and a hydraulic
steering gear.
 Launching Mechanism of Lifeboats

• Gravity davit system

• Free-fall system
 Gravity Davit System

• A davit has a crane-like device that could support

the lowering and hoisting of lifeboats. The
mechanism is either electrically or hydraulically
driven for the two moving arms to swing the
lifeboat inward and outward.
Two types of releasing mechanism:
• On-load release system
• Off-load release system
Gravity Davit System
 On-load release system

• On load mechanism can release the lifeboat from

the wire, with the ship above the water level and
with all the crew members inside the boat. The
load will be still in the fall as the boat would not
have touched the water.
• Normally the on-load release is operated when the
boat is about to touch the surface of the water so
that the fall is smooth without damaging the boat
and harming the crew inside. A lever is provided
inside the boat to operate this mechanism.
 Off load release system

• The offload mechanism releases the boat after the load of

the boat is transferred to water or the boat has been
lowered fully into the sea.
• There is a hydrostatic piston unit provided at the bottom.
the piston is connected to the operating lever via a link. As
the ship becomes waterborne, the water pressure will
move the hydrostatic piston up. The piston will continue
to move up, pushing the lever and as a result,  it will
operate the hook arrangement releasing the fall wire.
• There is a safety pin arrangement provided near the clutch
box, which disables the offload release (in case of rough
weather or hydrostatic piston malfunction) allowing the
operator to perform onload release of the lifeboat.
 Free-fall system

• This type of release mechanism is very basic, the

lifeboat is secured on a davit ramp and slides
down during the release.
• The launching mechanism is similar to on load
release. The only difference is that the freefall
lifeboat is not lowered till 1m above water level, it
is launched from the stowed position by operating
a lever located inside the boat which releases the
boat from rest of the davit and boat slides
through the tilted ramp into the water.