![]() ![]() On-load release, used by US flag vessels that don't have free-fall boats, is essentially what it implies: at any time, even fully loaded and suspended at any height above the water, the release mechanism will release the boat from the falls (hooks). For a thrill, google "world's highest free-fall lifeboat drop" and you will see a test done by a manufacturer from over 200' high. This deployment system requires a "totally enclosed" boat (cruise ships use "semi-enclosed boats) that is watertight, as it will frequently submerge upon entering the water. In the free-fall system, the boat is stowed on slanted rails, and when loaded, a hook is released, the boat slides down the rails and falls into the water. ![]() Lifeboats today have 3 methods of disconnecting from the ship: on-load release, off-load release and free fall.įree-fall, the newest technology, did come about because of the Keilland disaster, and is required for all Norwegian offshore oil platforms. I was working the North Sea oilfields at the time, on the rig used for dive support for victim recovery for the Keilland disaster. I can't envision it for some reason but what is the safely release/anti-drop mechanism that was introduced after a North Sea oil rig (Alexander Keilland?) disaster and how does it work? First and only time I've noticed the ships' lifeboats i water other than at a tender port.Īs for boat recovery, I can imagine those hooks and maneuvering them to get boats attached is inherently dangerous.Īlso was reading the safety manual on a freighter. On my last long cruise, various dining room managers were life boat operators and there was training session at a very sheltered harbour to make sure they could drive the boat and/or use gaff hooks (or whatever tool) to pick up those in the water. ![]() I hope that this instance may show that the other flag states are tightening up their requirements. The USCG does not allow this "gaming" of the system aboard the Pride of America, so she has way more lifeboatmen than are actually required. International crews use the fact that most deck and engine officers have lifeboatmen certificates that can be used to meet the legal requirement for the proper number of lifeboatmen, but those officers would not be anywhere near the boats in an actual emergency. ![]() This is somewhat unusual, as on most ships the crew assigned to the lifeboats have some training onboard, but are not SOLAS certified lifeboatmen. That would mean that they are now certified lifeboatmen. That was fascinating, as 10 or more life boats would be going round in circles each day, with the little fast boat racing around giving orders.įrom what one of the chefs told us, there were lectures to attend as well as the hands-on work.Īnd-after hours of intensive work- he passed! :cool: On our last cruise, there was a training crew on board, who were teaching officers on the hotel side how to handle a lifeboat. and it is on the first time cruiser's page, so some new cruisers won't have seen this before. Quantum of the Seas finished its itinerary with a day at sea on Friday (December 2) before traveling to Port Villa, Vanuatu, over the weekend and later returning to Brisbane on Wednesday (December 7).This was an interesting video. No injuries or significant delays were reported in relation to the incident. "However, the rescue craft was able to be firmly secured in place aboard the cruise ship in its normal position. "The lifeboat was retrieved with large dents and cracks on the starboard aft corner of the lifeboat, as well as damage to the fibreglass underside of the lifeboat," The Instagram account wrote. The rescue craft appeared to have visible large dents and cracks on its starboard aft corner, as well as to the fiberglass located underside. The lifeboat was successfully retrieved from the water and secured to its previous position aboard the cruise ship. The clip, which was initially shared by on Instagram, shows the Quantum of the Seas vessel's number 12 lifeboat, which is located on the ship's port side, fall overboard before slowly drifting in the water and settling as its bow struck the side of the cruise ship during an incident on December 1. A video shared online showed a lifeboat detach from a Royal Caribbean cruise ship. ![]()
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