General requirements for lifeboat:
All lifeboats shall be of sufficient
strength to:
1. Enable them to safely launch when
fully loaded with their full complement of person and equipment.
2. Be capable of launched and towed when a ship
is making headway at a speed of 5 knots in calm water.
3. Except for free fall, each other
lifeboat to be launched by falls shall be of sufficient strength to withstand
when loaded with its full complement of person and equipment and with
applicable skates or fenders in position, a lateral impact against ship side at
an impact velocity of atleast 3.5m/sec and also a drop into water from a height
of atleast 3 mtrs.
4. 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).
5. 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.
6. 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.
7. The gravity davits must be hold and
slide down the lifeboat even when the ship is heeled to an angle of 15 degree
on either side. Ropes are used to hold the lifeboat in stowed position with
cradle. These ropes are called gripes.
8. The wires which lift or lower the lifeboat are
known as falls and the speed of the lifeboat descent should not be more then
36m/ min which is controlled by means of centrifugal brakes.
9. The hoisting time for the boat
launching appliance should not be less than 0.3 m/sec with the boat loaded to
its full capacity.
10.
The Lifeboat must be painted in international
bright orange colour with the ship’s call sign printed on it.
11.
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.
Additionally for Tanker lifeboats
Self
rightening fully enclosed.
Self-contained air system (Oxygen bottle)
Fire protected lifeboat (Sprinkler system)
Regulation for
lifeboat engine as per SOLAS
1. Lifeboat shall be powered by a
compression ignition engine. No life boat engine can be used if the fuel used
in it has a flash point of 43˚C or less.
2. The lifeboat engine can either be two
stroke or four-stroke type, and can be started either by hand or by power.
3. The engine must be capable to operate
when life boat be flooded upto waterline of crankshaft. Power starting can be
by using accumulator batteries or hydraulic.
4. In power starting, normally two
independent rechargeable energy sources are provided. However, any starting
method should be capable of starting engines at 15˚C of ambient temperature
within two minutes of commencing of starting procedure.
5. The engine power is transmitted to
propeller through gearbox. The gearbox is capable of disengaging the engine as
well as engaging in either ahead or astern direction.
6. The exhaust pipe outlet is located
well clear of waterline.
7. Engine should be capable of operating
for not less than 5 minutes after starting from cold, with lifeboat out of
water.
8. Neptha or Butane spray is injected in air
filter to start from cold condition.
