MSM's Lifeboats

[memorykarl]

i have been wondering for a while now, just why does the MSM have 2 semi open lifeboats and 1 full enclosed lifeboat on either side of her, was this designed or was it just a supply thing, or even something else?

for anyone who is confused here is a picture, look at the 2 different types of boats

[Val de Loire]

Two of them are normal lifeboats and the one at the front is a fast launch, used for things like rescueing someone if they fall overboard. Is that what you are asking?

[Ziggur]

Bearing in mind that this is a French registered ship not British, the Board of Trade (Merchant Shipping) Regulations may shed some light.

There must be sufficient lifeboats on each side of a Class 2 ship to accomodate 37.5% of the number of persons that the ship is certified to carry. (The remaining 25% are provided for by liferafts).

There are further regulations which require that one lifeboat on each side is always ready to launch immediately when the vessel is at sea, and that these boats are within a specified maximum length.

So the size and type of lifeboat is partly determined by these regulations. HOWEVER :-\ there are more complications.
Other rules, concerning stability, will affect the design of the ship and therefore the placement of the lifeboats and their size and weight.

To sum up - it's a design thing and a regulations thing and I stand to be corrected on all of the above if there are any real experts out there.

[Andy]

The regulations set out for passenger vessels is extreemly complicated, and as pointed out, differs for every vessel due their individual design and differing capacities.

The Mont St Michel is as far as I am aware the only ferry to have totally enclosed lifeboats onboard. Additionally, she is the only ship I have seen to have the 'order' of the lifeboats different on each side (on the starboard side the totally enclosed lifeboat is forward, on the port side its in the centre). Additionally just forward of the starboard funnel is the ships fast rescue boat.

The Pont-Aven has differing lifeboat's too. The port side has 3 partially enclosed boats plus a fast rescue boat. On the starboard side there are 2 partially enclosed boats plus one smaller one.

An interesting fact is that the Pride of Kent and Pride of Canterbury are the first ferries not equipped with lifeboats at all, being fitted with inflatable escape devices.

[memorykarl]

it was the totally enclosed boats i was wondering about, why have these as well as the partially covered ones??? its the first ferry ive seen with the two types!

thanks all for the feedback so far....!

[Ziggur]

No lifeboats

It's too long to reproduce here so the link is

http://www.survitecgroup.com/features/marin-ark.asp

An article about inflatable systems and the changing attitude of designers and operators with regard to lifesaving equipment.

I'm sure that someone will come up with a definitive answer for WB eventually if we keep waffling

It is not unusual now for fully enclosed lifeboats to have a free-fall launch system rather than a davit arrangement which might account for the irregular positioning of the boats. Perhaps someone could check it out next time they are passing?

Stay cool WB - the answer is out there!

[John]

Andy, the Pont Aven also has inflatable shutes

[memorykarl]

[quote author=Ziggur link=board=1;threadid=674;start=0#msg7943 date=1082241584]

No lifeboats

Stay cool WB - the answer is out there!
[/quote]

i am cool, i always have been. im just curious, very curious ???