96027 Lifeboat Launching Problems

Lifeboat Problems (2)

Report No. 96027

A comment in SEAWAYS August 1995 suggested that it is better to have a manrope to hold on to than nothing. This is not possible in an enclosed boat as the crew are mainly situated inside during lowering and there is only an opening at the side and at the after end of the boat. How can the crew holdon to a manrope, they will probably break their neck or their back. In my experience, most accidents concerning lifeboats happen during lowering from the stowed position to the swung out position. Let us learn a lesson from this and have the crew only in the boat after it has been swung out and then they can use the release gear. I doubt if we will have many accidents during lowering. In the future, it may be best if we have only free fall lifeboats, they are easier to use and there are no dangerous manropes involved.