Lifeboat release gear

Letter from Capt Peter Donoclift FNi commenting on Brian Johnson's article "Lifeboat release gear" in Seaways September 2008.

Seaways October 2008

I should like to refer to the September issue of Seaways and Captain Johnston’s article ‘Lifeboat release gear’. Captain Johnston is to be congratulated in taking up the cudgels in this ongoing discussion, showing evidence that there are people who are concerned about the numbers of injuries and deaths to seafarers, caused by unsafe designs of existing release systems.
It’s design is laudable, I believe, but needs further explanation in relation to the workings of the lever system, and the ‘oneway hinge’. The lift handle could become an encumbrance and defeat its own purpose. A serious look at the concept is needed but perhaps, instead of a one-way hinge in the system, an eccentric wheel or cam would suffice to allow the hook to rotate in the release mode. Perhaps, if I may suggest, a better description of how the hook under load (regardless of its neutral curvature/interference curvature design) is capable of rotating 90 degrees in the space allocated in the housing may improve the understanding of the system.
Any new system must be simple, as free of maintenance as possible and user friendly.
Notwithstanding the above, it is greatly encouraging to see that there is a body of thought developing on this matter that has been lacking for many years. This will encourage others to contribute to the debate and force a complete rethink of the existing systems which are governed by commerce and closed shop ideology.

Captain Peter Donoclift FNI, Alicante, Spain