K5106 – Marine Engineering Practice and

Legislation

Regulation 41

General requirement for lifeboats

1. Construction of lifeboats

1.1 All lifeboats shall be properly constructed and shall be of such form and
proportions that they have ample stability in a seaway and
sufficient freeboard when loaded with their full complement of
persons and equipment. All lifeboats shall have rigid hulls and
shall be capable of maintaining positive stability when in upright in
calm water and loaded with their full complement and holed in any
one location below the waterline, assuming no loss of
buoyancy material and no other damage.

1.2 All lifeboats shall be of sufficient strength to:

.1 enable them to be safely lowered into the water when loaded with
their full complement of persons and equipment; and
.2 be capable of being launched and towed when the ship is making
headway at a speed of 5 knots in calm water.

1.3 Hulls and rigid covers shall be fire-retardant of non-combustible.

1.4 Seating shall be provided on thwarts, benches or fixed chairs fitted as low
as practicable in the lifeboat and constructed so as be capable of
supporting the number of persons each weighing 100 kg for
which spaces are provided in compliance with the requirement of
paragraph 2.2.2.

1.5 Each lifeboat shall be of sufficient strength to withstand a load, without

residual deflection on removal of that load:

.1 in the case of boats with metal hulls, 1.25 times the total mass of
the lifeboat when loaded with its full complement of
persons and equipment; or
.2 in the case of other boats, twice the total mass of the lifeboat when
loaded with its full complement of persons and equipment.

1.6 Each lifeboat shall be of sufficient strength to withstand, when loaded with
its full complement of persons and equipment and with, where
applicable, skates or fenders in position, a lateral impact against the
ships side at an impact velocity of at least 3.5 m/s and also a drop
into water from a height of at least 3 m.

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1.7 The vertical distance between the floor surface and the interior of the
enclosure or canopy over 50 % of the floor area shall be:

.1 not less than 1.3 m for a lifeboat permitted to accommodate nine

persons or less;
.2 not less than 1.7 m for a lifeboat permitted to accommodate 24
persons or more;
.3 not less than the distance as determined by linear interpolation
between 1.3 m and 1.7 m for a lifeboat permitted to
accommodate between nine and 24 persons.

2. Carrying capacity of lifeboats.

No lifeboat shall be approved to accommodate more than 150 persons.

2.2 The number of persons which a lifeboat shall be permitted to

accommodate shall be equal to the lesser of:

.1 the number of persons having an average mass of 75 kg, all

wearing lifejackets, that can be seated in a normal position
without interfering with the means of propulsion or the
operation of any lifeboats equipment; or
.2 the number of spaces that can be provided on the seating
arrangement in accordance with figure 1. The shapes may
be overlapped as shown, provided footrests are fitted and there
is sufficient room for legs and the vertical separation between
the upper and lower seat is not less than 350 mm.

2.3 Each seating position shall be clearly indicated in the lifeboat.

3. Access into lifeboats.

3.1 Every passenger ship lifeboats shall be so arrange that it can be rapidly
boarded by its full complement of persons. Rapid disembarkation
shall also be possible.

3.2 Every cargo ship lifeboat shall be so arrange that it can be boarded by its
full complement of persons in not more than 3 min. from the time
the instruction to board is given. Rapid disembarkation shall also be
possible.

3.3 Lifeboats shall have a boarding ladder that can be used on either side of
the lifeboat to enable persons in the water to board the lifeboat.
The lowest step of the ladder shall be not less than 0.4 m below the
lifeboats light waterline.

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3.4 The lifeboat shall be so arranged that helpless people can be brought on
board either from the sea or on stretchers

3.5 All surfaces on which persons might walk shall have a non-skid finish.

4. Lifeboat buoyancy.

All lifeboats shall have inherent buoyancy or shall be fitted with

inherently buoyant material which shall not be adversely affected
by seawater, oil or oil products, sufficient to float the lifeboat with all
its equipment on board when flooded and open to the sea. Additional
inherently buoyant material, equal to 280 N of buoyant
force per person shall be provided for the number of persons the
lifeboat is permitted to accommodate. Buoyant material, unless in
addition to that require above, shall not be installed external to the
hull of the lifeboat.

5. Lifeboat freeboard and stability

All lifeboats, when loaded with 50 % of the number of persons the lifeboat
is permitted to accommodate seated in their normal positions to
one side of the centerline, shall have a freeboard, measured from the
waterline to the lowest opening through which the lifeboat may become
flooded, or at least 1.5 % of the lifeboat length or 100 mm, whichever is
the greater.

6. Lifeboat propulsion

6.1 Every lifeboat shall be powered by a compression ignition engine. No

engine shall be used for any lifeboat its fuel has a flash point of
43°C or less (closed cup test)

6.2 The engine shall be provided with either a manual starting system, or a
power starting system with two independent rechargeable energy
sources. Any necessary starting aids shall also be provided. The
engine starting systems and starting aids shall start the engine at an
ambient temperature of – 15°C within 2 min. of commencing the start
procedure unless, in the opinion of the Administration having regard
to the particular voyages in which the ship carrying the lifeboat is
constantly engaged, a different temperature is appropriate. The
starting systems shall not be impeded by the engine casing, thwarts or
other obstructions.

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6.3 The engine shall be capable of operating for not less than 5 min. after
starting from cold with the lifeboat out of the water.

6.4 The engine shall be capable of operating when the lifeboat is flooded up to
the centerline of the crankshaft.

6.5 The propeller shafting shall be so arranged that the propeller can be
disengaged from the engine. Provision shall be made for ahead and
astern propulsion of the lifeboat.

6.6 The exhaust pipe shall be so arranged as to prevent water from entering
the engine in normal operation.

6.7 All lifeboats shall be designed with due regard to the safety of persons in
the water and to the possibility of damage to the propulsion system by
floating debris.

6.8 The speed of the lifeboat when proceeding ahead in calm water, when
loaded with its full complement of persons and equipment and with
all engine powered auxiliary equipment in operation, shall be at least
6 knots and at least 2 knots when towing a 25 person liferaft loaded with
its full complement of persons and equipment or its equivalent. Sufficient
fuel, suitable for use throughout the temperature range expected in the area in
which the ship operates, shall be provided to run the fully loaded
lifeboat at 6 knots for a period of not less than 24 hours.

6.9 The lifeboat engine, transmission and accessories shall be enclosed in a

fire retardant casing or other suitable arrangements providing
similar protection. Such arrangements shall also protect persons from
coming into accidental contact with hot or moving parts and protect the
engine from exposure to weather and sea. Adequate means shall be
provided to reduce the engine noise. Starter batteries shall be provided
with casings which form a watertight enclosure around the bottom and
sides of the batteries. The battery casings shall have a tight fitting top
which provides for necessary gas venting.

6.10 The lifeboat engine and accessories shall be designed to limit

electromagnetic emissions so that engine operation does not
interfere with the operation of radio life saving appliances used in the
lifeboat.

6.11 Means shall be provided for recharging all engine starting, radio and
searchlight batteries. Radio batteries shall not be used to provide
power for engine starting. Means shall be provided for recharging
lifeboat batteries from the ship power supply at a supply voltage not
exceeding 55V which can be disconnected at the embarkation station.

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6.12 Water resistant instructions for starting and operating the engine shall be
provided and mounted in a conspicuous place near the engine
starting controls.

7. Lifeboat fittings

7.1 All lifeboats shall be provided with at least one drain valve fitted near the
lowest point in the hull, which shall automatically open to drain
water from the hull when the lifeboat is not waterborne and shall
automatically close to prevent entry of water when the lifeboat is
waterborne. Each drain valve shall be provided with a cap or plug to
close the valve, which shall be attached to the lifeboat by a lanyard, a
chain, or other suitable means. Drain valves shall be readily
accessible from inside the lifeboat and their position shall be clearly
indicated.

7.2 All lifeboats shall be provided with a rudder and tiller. When a wheel or
other remote control steering mechanism is also provided the tiller
shall be capable of controlling the rudder in case of failure of the
steering mechanism. The rudder shall be permanently
attached to the lifeboat. The tiller shall be permanently installed on, or
linked to, the rudder stock; however, if the lifeboat has a remote
steering mechanism, the tiller may be removable and securely stowed near
the rudder stock. The rudder and tiller shall be so arranged as not to
be damaged by operation of the release mechanism or the propeller.

7.3 Except in the vicinity of the rudder and propeller, a buoyant lifeline shall
be bucketed around the outside of the lifeboat.

Lifeboats which are not self-righting when capsized shall have suitable handholds
on the underside of the hull to enable persons to cling to the lifeboat. The
handholds shall be fastened to the lifeboat in such a way that, when
subjected to an impact sufficient to cause them to break away from the lifeboat,
they break away without damaging the lifeboat.

7.5 All lifeboats shall be fitted with sufficient watertight lockers or

compartments to provide for the storage of the small items of
equipment, water and provisions required paragraph 8. Means shall be
provided for the storage of collected rainwater.

7.6 Every lifeboat to be launched by a fall or falls shall be fitted with a release
mechanism complying with the following requirements:

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.1 The mechanism shall be so arranged that all hooks are released

simultaneously.
.2 The mechanism shall have two release capabilities as follows:
.2.1 a normal release capability which will release the lifeboat when it
is waterborne or when there is no load on the hooks;
.2.2 an on-load release capability which will release the lifeboat with a
load on the hooks. This release shall be so arranged as to
release the lifeboat under any conditions of loading from on-load
with the lifeboat waterborne to a load of 1.1 times the total
mass of the lifeboat when loaded with its full complement of
persons and equipment. This release capability shall be
adequately protected against accidental or premature use.
.3 The release control shall be clearly marked in a colour that contrast
with its surroundings.
.4 The mechanism shall be designed with a factor of safety of 6 based
on the ultimate strength of the materials used, assuming the
mass of the lifeboat is equally distributed between the falls.

7.7 Every lifeboat shall be fitted with a release device to enable the forward
painter to be released when under tension.

7.8 Every lifeboat shall be provided with a permanently installed earth

connection and arrangements for adequately sitting and securing in
the operating position the antenna provided with the portable radio
apparatus required by regulation 6.2.1.

7.9 Lifeboats intended for launching down the side of a ship shall have skates
and fenders as necessary to facilitates launching and prevent
damage to the lifeboat.

7.10 A manually controlled lamp visible on a dark night with a clear

atmosphere at a distance of at least 2 miles for a period of not less
than
12 h shall be fitted to the top of the cover or enclosure. If the light is a
flashing light, it shall initially flash at a rate of not less than 50
flashes per minute over the first 2 h of operation of the 12 h operating
period.

7.11 A lamp or source of light shall be fitted inside the lifeboat to provide
illumination for not less than 12 h to enable reading of survival and
equipment instructions; however, oil lamps shall not be
permitted for this purpose.

7.12 Unless expressly provided otherwise, every lifeboat shall be provided with
effective means of bailing or be automatically self-bailing.

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7.13 Every lifeboat shall be so arranged that an adequate view forward, aft and
to both sides is provided from the control and steering position for
safe launching and manoeuvring.

8. Lifeboat equipment

All items of lifeboat equipment, whether required by this paragraph or

elsewhere in this chapter, with the exception of boat-hooks which shall be
kept free for fending off purposes, shall be secured within the lifeboat by
lashings, storage in lockers or compartments, storage in brackets or similar
mounting arrangements or other suitable means. The equipment shall be
secured in such a manner as not to interfere with any abandonment
procedures. All items of lifeboat equipment shall be as small and of as
little mass as possible and shall be packed in a suitable and compact form.
Except where otherwise stated, the normal equipment of every lifeboat
shall consist of:

.1 sufficient buoyant oars to make headway in calm seas. Thole pins,

crutches or equivalent arrangements shall be provided for
each oar provided. Thole pins or crutches shall be attached to
the boat by lanyards or chains.
.2 two boat-hooks.
.3 a buoyant bailer and two buckets.
.4 a survival manual.
.5 a binnacle containing an efficient compass which is luminous or
provided with suitable means of illumination. In a totally
enclosed lifeboat, the binnacle shall be permanently fitted at
the steering position, in any other lifeboat, it shall be provided
with suitable mounting arrangements.
.6 a sea-anchor of adequate size fitted with a shock-resistant hawser
and a tripping line which provides a firm hand grip when
wet. The strength of the sea-anchor, hawser and tripping line
shall be adequate for all sea conditions.
.7 two efficient painters of a length equal to not less than twice the
distance from the stowage position of the lifeboat to the
waterline in the lightest seagoing condition or 15 m,
whichever is the greater. One painter attached to the release
device required by regulation 41.7.7 shall be placed at the forward
end of the lifeboat and the other shall be firmly secured at or
near the bow of the lifeboat ready for use.

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.8 two hatchets, one at each end of the lifeboat.

.9 watertight receptacles containing a total of 3 l of fresh water for
each person the lifeboat is permitted to accommodate, of
which 1 l per person may be replaced by a de-salting
apparatus capable of producing an equal amount of fresh water in
2 days.
.10 a rustproof dipper with lanyard.
.11 a rustproof graduated drinking vessel.
.12 a food ration totaling not less than 10,000 kJ for each person the
lifeboat is permitted to accommodate, these rations shall be
kept in airtight packaging and be stowed in a watertight container.
.13 four rocket parachute flares complying with the requirement of
regulation 35.
.14 six hand flares complying with the requirements of regulation 36.
.15 two buoyant smoke signals complying with the requirements of
regulation 37.
.16 one waterproof electric torch suitable for Morse signaling together
with one spare set of batteries and one spare bulb in a
waterproof container.
.17 one daylight signaling mirror with instructions for its use for
signaling the ships and aircraft.
.18 one copy of the life-saving signals prescribe by regulation V/16 on
a waterproof card or in a waterproof container.
.19 one whistle or equivalent sound signal.
.20 a first-aid outfit in a waterproof case capable of being closed
tightly after use.
.21 six doses of anti-seasickness medicine and one seasickness bag for
each person.
.22 a jack-knife to be kept attached to the boat by a lanyard.
.23 three tin-openers.
.24 two buoyant rescue quoits, attached to not less than 30 m of
buoyant line.
.25 a manual pump.
.26 one set of fishing tackle.
.27 sufficient tools for minor adjustment to the engine and its
accessories.
.28 portable fire-extinguishing equipment suitable for extinguishing oil
fires.
.29 a searchlight capable of effectively illuminating a light-coloured
object at night having of width of 18 m at a distance of 180
m for a total period of 6 h and of working for not less than 3 h
continuously.
.30 an efficient radar reflector.
.31 thermal protective aids complying with the requirements of
regulation 34 sufficient for 100 % of the number of persons

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the lifeboat is permitted to accommodate or two, whichever is

the greater.
.32 In the case of ships engaged on voyages of such a nature and
duration that, in the opinion of the Administration, the
items specified in paragraphs 8.12 and 8.26 are unnecessary, the
Administration may allow these items to be
dispensed with.

9 Lifeboat markings

9.1 The dimensions of the lifeboats and the number of persons which it is
permitted to accommodate shall be marked on it in clear permanent
characters.

9.2 The name and port of registry of the ship to which the lifeboat belongs
shall be marked on each side of the lifeboats bow in block capitals
of the Roman alphabet.

9.3 Means of identifying the ship to which the lifeboat belongs and the
number of the lifeboat shall be marked in such a way that they are
visible from above.
Regulation 42
Partially enclosed lifeboats

1. Partially enclosed lifeboats shall comply with the requirements of

regulation 41 and in addition shall comply with the requirement of
this regulation.

2. Every partially enclosed lifeboat shall be provided with effective means of

bailing or be automatically self-bailing.

3. Partially enclosed lifeboats shall be provided with permanently attached

rigid covers extending over not less than 20 % of the length of the
lifeboat from the stem and not less than 20 % of the length of the
lifeboat from the aftermost part of the lifeboat. The lifeboat shall be
fitted with a permanently attached foldable canopy which
together with the rigid covers completely encloses the occupants of the
lifeboat in a waterproof shelter and protects them from exposure.
The canopy shall be so arranged that:

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.1 it is provided with adequate rigid sections or battens to permit

erection of the canopy
.2 it can be easily erected by not more than two persons
.3 it is insulated to protect the occupants against heat and cold by
means of not less than two layers of material separated by
an air gap or other equally efficient means, means shall be
provided to prevent accumulation of water in their air gap
.4 its exterior is of a highly visible colour and its interior is of a
colour which does not cause discomfort to the occupants
.5 it has enterances at both ends and on each side, provided with
efficient adjustable closing arrangements which can be
easily and quickly opened and closed from inside or outside so
as to permit ventilation but exclude seawater, wind and cold,
means shall be provided for holding the enterances securely in the
open and closed position
.6 with the enterances closed, it admits sufficient air for the occupants
at all times
.7 it has means for collecting rainwater
.8 the occupants can escape in the event of the lifeboat capsizing

4. The interior of the lifeboat shall be of a highly visible colour.

5. The radiotelegraph installation required by regulation 6.2.2 shall be installed

in a cabin large enough to accommodate both the equipment and the
person using it. No separate cabin is required if the construction of the
lifeboat provides a sheltered space to the satisfaction of the
Administration.
Regulation 43
Self-righting partially enclosed lifeboats

1. Self-righting partially enclosed lifeboats shall comply with the

requirement of regulation 41 and in addition shall comply with the
requirements of this regulation.

2. Enclosure

2.1 Permanently attached rigid covers shall be provided extending over not
less than 20 % of the length of the lifeboat from the stem and not
less than 20 % of the length of the lifeboat from the aftermost part of
the lifeboat.

2.2 The rigid covers shall form two shelters. If the shelters have bulkheads
they shall have openings of sufficient size to permit easy access by
persons each wearing an immersion suit or warm clothes
and a lifejacket. The interior height of the shelters shall be sufficient

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to permit persons easy access to their seats in the bow and stern of the
lifeboat.

2.3 The rigid covers shall be so arranged that they include windows or
translucent panels to admit sufficient daylight to the inside of the
lifeboat with the openings or canopies closed so as to make
artificial light unnecessary.

2.4 The rigid covers shall have railings to provide a secure handhold for
persons moving about the exterior of the lifeboat.

2.5 Open parts of the lifeboat shall be fitted with a permanently attached
foldable canopy so arranged that:

.1 it can be easily erected by not more than two persons in not more
than 2 min

.2 it is insulated to protect the occupants against cold by means of not

less than two layers of material separated by an air gap or
other equally efficient means.

The enclosure formed by the rigid covers and canopy shall be so arranged:

.1 as to allow launching and recovery operations to be performed

without any occupant having to leave the enclosure

.2 that it has entrances at both ends and on each side, provided with
efficient adjustable closing arrangements which can be
easily and quickly opened and closed from inside or outside so
as to permit ventilation but exclude seawater, wind and cold,
means shall be provided for holding the entrances securely in the
open and in the closed position

.3 that with the canopy erected and all entrances closed, sufficient air
is admitted for the occupants at all times

.4 that it has means for collecting rainwater

.5 that the exterior of the rigid covers and canopy and the interior of
that part of the lifeboat covered by the canopy is of a highly

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visible colour. The interior of the shelters shall be of a colour

which does not cause discomfort to the occupants.

.6 that it is possible to row the lifeboat

3. Capsizing and re-righting

3.1 A safety belt shall be fitted at each indicated seating position. The safety
belt shall be so designed as to hold a person of a mass of 100 kg
securely in place when the lifeboat is in a capsized position.

3.2 The stability of the lifeboat shall be such that it is inherently or

automatically self-righting when loaded with its full or a partial
complement of persons and equipment and all entrances and
openings are closed watertight and the persons are secured with safety
belts.

3.3 the lifeboats shall be capable of supporting its full complement of persons
and equipment when the lifeboat is in the damage condition
prescribed in regulation 41.1.1 and its stability shall be such that in the
event of capsizing, it will automatically attain a position that
will provide an above- water escape for its occupants.

3.4 The design of all exhaust pipe, air ducts and other openings shall be such
that water is excluded from the engine when the lifeboat capsizes
and re- rights.

4. Propulsion

4.1 The engine and transmission shall be controlled from the helmsmans
position.

4.2 The engine and engine installation shall be capable of running in any
position during capsize and continue to run after the lifeboat
returns to the upright or shall automatically stop on capsizing and be
easily restarted after the lifeboat returns to the upright. The design
of the fuel and lubrication systems shall prevent the loss of more
than 250 ml of lubricating oil from the engine during capsize.

4.3 Air cooled engines shall have a duct system to take in cooling air from,
and exhaust it to, the outside of the lifeboat. Manually operated
dampers shall be provided to enable cooling air to be taken in from,
and exhausted to, the interior of the lifeboat.

5. Construction and fendering

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Notwithstanding regulation 41.1.6, a totally enclosed lifeboat shall be so

constructed and fendered as to ensure that the lifeboat renders
protection against harmful accelerations resulting from an impact of
the lifeboat, when loaded with its full complement of persons and
equipment, against the ships side at an impact velocity of not less than
3.5 m/s.

6. Free-fall lifeboats

A lifeboat arrangement for free-fall launching shall be so constructed that

it is capable of rendering protection against harmfull accelerations
resulting from being launched, when loaded with its full
complement of persons and equipment, from at least the maximum
height at which it is designed to be stowed above the waterline with the
ship in its lightest seagoing condition, under unfavourable conditions
of trim of up 10° and with the ship listed not less than 20° either way.

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