The lifeboat or its filling is railed. Lifeboats: educational program from the amateur estimata. Launching and boarding life rafts

It can happen suddenly. When you are sleeping in your cabin, or walking with someone on deck. You may feel a strong impact, an explosion that rocks the boat, or a burning smell, or a slight list that gradually increases over time. Shipwreck!!! People refuse to believe what is happening, panic begins if the crew does not take any action. The lights might go out, sirens might wail, flares might fly into the air...
The topic I want to touch on is very extensive. This is taught in special courses at nautical schools and centers for training and advanced training of seafarers. I physically cannot write everything related to survival at sea. I just want to provide an overview of life-saving equipment so that people understand what it is.
Life raft (Boat water liferaft).

When manufacturing an inflatable life raft, they are guided by the international SOLAS convention, so they are all very similar. Inflatable rafts are made from multilayer rubberized orange fabric; they have two buoyancy chambers, two inflatable arcs and an inflatable can in the middle, inflated through non-return valves from a carbon dioxide cylinder. Each of the two compartments of the raft is capable of supporting a raft with a full number of survivors afloat. The double bottom, inflated with hand fur, provides thermal insulation from water. The rafts have an awning (or even two) that protects people from the external environment. Outside the raft, a lifeline is attached to the buoyancy chambers, designed to support those escaping on the water.
The inflatable raft is stored on deck in a container and secured using a hydrostatic device. To put the raft into action, it is necessary to check the fastening of the running end of the launch line to the vessel, disconnect the hydrostatic device by pressing its pedal, throw the raft overboard, remove the slack of the launch line, the length of which is equal to twice the distance from the installation site to the water, but not less than 15 m , and with a jerk of the line, open the starting valve of the cylinder. In the inflated state, the raft is attached to the hull of the vessel using a launch line, which, after the gas filling system is activated, plays the role of a painter.

The raft is fully inflated in 60 seconds. If the raft was not dropped before the ship sank, then at a depth of 2 to 4 m the hydrostatic device will release the container, which has positive buoyancy.

An unopened container that floats to the surface remains attached to the sunken ship. If the depth of the vessel's flooding exceeds the length of the launch line, then after it is etched out, the raft will automatically open and, after breaking the line (it is cut at the point of attachment on the ship), it will drift freely.
Rafts are divided into coastal Boat coastal liferaft, and long-distance-oceanic Boat blue water liferaft. The capacity of the rafts varies, from 1 to 50 or more people.

The main advantage of life rafts is their compactness during camp storage and the absence of complex and bulky devices for launching. As a result, they were primarily used on small ships. Boarding rafts on low-sided vessels is carried out mainly in the following ways: along the storm ladder, jumping from the side into the raft, jumping into the water and then entering the raft from the water. It should be noted that the latter method is the most unfavorable due to wet clothing, which is associated with subsequent possible hypothermia, as well as the possibility of a shark attack.
On high-sided vessels, these methods of boarding a raft are difficult to apply. Therefore, large-capacity vessels of the world fleet began to be equipped with inflatable chutes with inflatable platforms, allowing for quick and safe boarding into the raft.

Inflatable chutes allow the evacuation of 10-12 people. in just 1 minute, and some systems - more than 500 people in 30 minutes.

On cargo ships, the total capacity of inflatable rafts must be 50% of the crew size. On passenger ships - 25% of the total number of people on board.
In addition to those that can be dropped, there may be inflatable rafts that are lowered by a special crane. In this case, one crane beam serves several rafts, which are brought to it, inflated on the deck, and people are boarded here. They lower the raft into the water along with the people.

The design of the launching raft ensures the landing of all people assigned to it on the cargo ship in no more than 3 minutes. The number of life rafts on a ship is determined by the number of people on board. On a cargo ship they must accommodate 100% of the people.
The life raft equipment includes:

a floating ring with a line at least 30 m long;

a floating knife, safe for cutting the launch line, stored in a pocket on the outside of the awning near the place where the painter is attached (knives vary in model, but must have a blunt tip);

two floating anchors to reduce drift speed with drects and nirals;

foldable floating oars;
a scoop made of rubberized fabric and two sponges for removing water from the raft;

manual bellows for pumping air into the buoyancy chambers and inflatable bottom;
CHIS (chemical light sources)

a set of repair tools (rubber screw-on plugs, metal plugs, pieces of rubberized fabric and tubes of glue);
signaling kit:
- four parachute flares (various colors, but most often green, white, red),

- six flares (various colors),

- two floating smoke bombs,

- radar reflector (a very useful thing, made of light metallized fabric, which is easily detected by ship radars),

- electric sealed lantern,
- signal heliograph mirror with a hole in the middle for better “aiming”,

- signal whistle;

- color/fluorescent marker (colors the water in a bright color that is clearly visible from the air)

first aid kit,

seasickness pills,

hygiene bags (for natural needs and 1000 other uses);
food ration at the rate of 2,500 kcal per person;

canned drinking water at the rate of 1.5 liters per person,

three can openers,
a graduated vessel for distributing water (a very important thing! it disciplines and does not allow you to waste water unsparingly);

set of fishing accessories;
personal heat-protective means (at least two). This is a bag or suit made of waterproof material with low thermal conductivity, designed to restore the body temperature of a person who has been in cold water. Thermal protective equipment covers, with the exception of the face, the entire body of a person wearing a life jacket. Its design allows it to be unpacked, put on without assistance, or removed in the water if it interferes with swimming, in no more than 2 minutes. Each lifeboat and liferaft must have individual thermal protective equipment in the amount of 10% of the people allowed to accommodate, but not less than two.;

An illustrated table of rescue signals and instructions for preserving life on a life raft and for its maintenance. All this is part of the so-called EMERGENCY BAGS, which must be kept on coastal and long-distance vessels, and of course on life rafts and boats.

They may additionally include:
- defibrillator, with detailed application diagram

- flare gun (but recently it has been replaced by signal parachute flares, as they are more convenient to use)

- manual distiller

- solar distiller

- and even an oxygen tank!

The main disadvantages of existing life rafts are their lack of stability, significant wind drift, and the difficulty of moving away from the side of a sinking ship.
Lifeboats

A lifeboat is the main active collective lifesaving device designed to rescue the crew and passengers. On newly built ships, as a rule, lifeboats should be of the self-righting type, fully enclosed and motorized. Their motors must be capable of mechanical and manual starting and must operate or automatically shut down (and then be easily restarted) in an inverted position. The speed of a boat in calm water with a full complement of people and equipment must be at least 6 knots. For ships in operation, the temporary use of non-self-righting, open and semi-closed lifeboats is permitted. The lifeboats of a cargo ship must ensure the landing of the full number of people in no more than 3 minutes from the moment the landing command is given, as well as the rapid disembarkation of people from the boat.

Lifeboats for oil tankers are made fireproof. When the water spray system is operating, they can withstand the flame of continuously burning oil for at least 8 minutes when the boat passes through the fire zone on the water. These boats are equipped with a compressed air system that ensures the safety of people and uninterrupted engine operation for at least 10 minutes.

Lifeboats are painted orange on the outside. In the bow on both sides of the boat, inscriptions are made in Latin letters indicating the name of the vessel, home port, dimensions of the boat and the number of people allowed to accommodate. On the outside of the boat there is a floating lifeline secured with weights. Strips of reflective material are glued along the perimeter of the boat under the fender and on the closing deck. In the bow and stern
In parts of the boat, crosses made of reflective material are glued to the top of the closure.

To search for people and alarm, a searchlight is used that rotates 360° in the horizontal plane and tilts up to 90 and down to 30° from the horizontal plane. To collect people from the water and warm them, floating life rings and personal heat-protective equipment (at least two) are used. For communication, a motor lifeboat radio station and a portable radiotelephone station are used.

The number of lifeboats on board a ship is determined by the area of navigation, the type of ship and the number of people on board. Cargo ships with an unlimited navigation area have lifeboats providing 200% of the ship's crew (100% on each side). Passenger ships have lifeboats to provide 100% of passengers and crew (50% on each side).

The drop boat has a more durable, specially shaped hull. After the fastening is released, the boat slides off the platform, the water falls with acceleration, and upon entering the water, it briefly plunges at an angle to the vertical, while moving away from the vessel and floating to the side of it. Since significant overloads occur when the boat being dropped hits the water, all people in the boats take seats in specially designed chairs with shock-absorbing pads and fasten their seat belts. Experiments conducted in Norway showed that such a boat can be dropped safely from a height of up to 40 m with a trim of up to 15 and a list of up to 30°.

Collective ship life-saving appliances are means that can be used by a group of people and must provide reliable and safe rescue when the ship is listing up to 20° on any side and trim is 10°.

Boarding people into life-saving equipment and lowering them into the water in calm conditions should not exceed the following time:

10 minutes - for cargo ships;
30 minutes - for passenger and fishing vessels.

Lifeboats and liferafts, as a rule, must be stowed on the same deck; liferafts may be stowed one deck above or below the deck on which the lifeboats are installed.

A lifeboat is a boat capable of ensuring the preservation of the lives of people in distress from the moment they leave the ship (Fig. 1). It is this purpose that determines all the requirements for the design and supply of lifeboats.

The number of lifeboats on board a ship is determined by the area of navigation, the type of ship and the number of people on board. Cargo ships with an unlimited navigation area are equipped with lifeboats that provide the entire crew on each side (100% + 100% = 200%). Passenger ships are equipped with lifeboats with a capacity of 50% of passengers and crew on each side (50% + 50% = 100%).

Rice. 1 Lifeboats of closed and open types

All lifeboats must:

have good stability and buoyancy reserve even when filled with water, high maneuverability;
ensure reliable self-righting to an even keel when capsizing;
have a mechanical engine with remote control from the wheelhouse;
be painted orange.

The lifeboat must be equipped with a compression ignition internal combustion engine:

the engine must run for at least 5 minutes from start-up in a cold state when the boat is out of the water;
the speed of the boat in calm water with a full complement of people and equipment must be at least 6 knots;
The fuel supply must be sufficient to operate the engine at full speed for 24 hours.

If the ship has partially enclosed lifeboats, then their lifeboats must be equipped with a toprik with at least two life-saving pendants attached to it.

The boat's buoyancy reserve is provided by air boxes - sealed compartments filled with air or foam, the volume of which is determined taking into account that the heads of people sitting in the boat are above the surface of the water, even if the boat is completely flooded.

Information about the capacity of the boat, as well as its main dimensions, is applied to its sides in the bow with indelible paint (Fig. 2), the name of the vessel, home port (in Latin letters) and the ship's number of the boat are also indicated there. The markings to identify the vessel to which the boat belongs and its number must be visible from above.

Along the perimeter of the boat, under the fender and on the deck, stripes of reflective material are glued. In the bow and stern parts, crosses made of reflective material are placed on the upper part of the closure.

Rice. 2 Lifeboat markings

An electric light bulb is installed inside the boat. A battery charge ensures operation for at least 12 hours. A signal light with a manual switch is installed on the top of the closure, giving a constant or flashing (50-70 flashes per minute) white light. A battery charge ensures operation for at least 12 hours.

Lifeboats for oil tankers have a fire-resistant design, are equipped with an irrigation system that ensures passage through continuously burning oil for 8 minutes, and a compressed air system that ensures the safety of people and the operation of engines for 10 minutes. The hulls of the boats are made of double hulls, they must have high strength, the deckhouse must provide all-round visibility, and the portholes must be made of fire-resistant glass.

To ensure the use of the boat by unqualified people (for example, passengers), instructions for starting and operating the engine must be provided in a clearly visible place near the engine controls, and the controls must be marked accordingly.

All lifeboats, rescue boats and launching appliances are visually inspected weekly to ensure they are always ready for use. The engines of all lifeboats and rescue boats must run for at least 3 minutes. Lifeboats, with the exception of free-fall boats, must be moved from their installation sites. The results of the inspection are recorded in the ship's log.

Every month, all lifeboats, with the exception of free-fall boats, fall out of their installation sites without people in the lifeboat. Supplies are checked to ensure they are complete and in good condition.

Each lifeboat, with the exception of free-fall boats, is launched and then maneuvered on the water with a designated control team at least once every 3 months.

In the stowed position, the boats are installed on davits (Fig. 3). The boat rests on one-sided keel blocks, which, to ensure a tighter fit of the boat to the keel blocks, are equipped with felt cushions covered with canvas. The boat is secured with lashings and hooks, which must be released before launching.

Rice. 3 Securing the lifeboat on board the ship

Preparing the boat for launching:

deliver to the boat the equipment and supplies necessary for survival after abandoning the ship: a portable VHF radio station and a radar transponder (Fig. 4), warm clothes, an additional supply of food and water, an additional supply of pyrotechnic signaling equipment;
spread the boat painters as far forward and aft as possible and securely fasten them to ship structures (bollards, cleats, etc.);
remove the landing deck railing;
prepare a storm ladder;
give away the lashings;
give away the davit stoppers.

Rice. 4 Radar transponder (SART) and portable VHF radios

The lifeboat must be equipped with a release valve, which is installed in the lower part of the bottom of the boat to release water. The valve automatically opens when the boat is out of the water, and automatically closes when the boat is afloat. When preparing the boat for launching, the valve must be closed with a cap or plug.

Boarding the boat. Depending on the design of the vessel, boarding the boats is carried out either at their installation sites, or after they are dumped and lowered to the landing deck (Fig. 5).

Boarding a lifeboat is carried out only by order of the commander of the lifeboat or another responsible officer of the command staff. People board the boat, observing the order established by the captain of the boat. First of all, members of the launching team, assigned to assist in boarding the lifeboat and ensuring descent, enter the boat. Then people who need help landing cross: the wounded and sick, children, women, the elderly. The commander of the rescue vehicle takes his place last.

To board, you need to use the bow and stern hatches of the boat. The boat commander directs the placement of people so that their weight is evenly distributed over the entire area of the boat. Those escaping must take their places in the boat, fasten their seat belts and follow the commander’s instructions.

To ensure the boarding of people using a storm ladder, each boat in the area where it is installed has a landing ladder, the strings of which are made of Manila cable with a thickness of at least 65 mm, and the balusters are made of hard wood measuring 480 x 115 x 25 mm. The upper end of the ladder must be secured in its normal place (under the boat), and the storm ladder itself must be rolled up, always ready for use.

Rice. 5 Boarding the crew and lowering the boat

Launching the boat. The boat falls out only under the influence of gravity and is carried out using boat hoists (Fig. 6). By command:

release the folding parts of the rotating keel blocks (if they are intended for installing the boat in a stowed position) and the lashings holding the boat;
release the davit stoppers, which protect against accidental lowering of the boat;
using the hand brake of the boat winch, they move the davits, take the boat overboard and lower it to the level of the landing deck;
fasten the running ends of the davits' davits, install the pulling device and, with its help, press the boat to the side;
choose a tight falini and secure them.

Uniform lifting of the bow and stern hoists is achieved by the fact that both loppers are attached to the drum of one boat winch (Fig. 7). The boat should be lowered so that it lands in the depression between the waves. When the boat is on the crest of the wave, you need to separate it from the hoists using the lifting hook control device.

Lopars are steel cables attached to the boat at its ends and passed to a winch, intended for lowering and raising the boat. Lopars must be periodically tested.

In order to exclude the possibility of lowering the boat until it falls completely overboard, the davit has a horn on which the shackle of the movable davit block is hung. The length and shape of the horn are chosen in such a way that the movable block falls from it only at the lower limit position of the dinghy beam.

The lowering of a boat on hoists can be controlled both from the deck of the ship and from the boat. This allows, under favorable weather conditions, not to leave a descent support team on board.

Rice. 6 Lowering the lifeboat: 1 - davit; 2 - Lapp; 3 - dinghies; 4 - painter

Rice. 7 Boat winch

The lifeboat release mechanism is a device by which the lifeboat is connected to or released from the landing gear when being lowered or taken on board. It includes a hook block and a drive mechanism (Fig. 8).

Rice. 8 Disconnect devices

The mechanism must provide isolation in two ways: normal (without load) and under load:

normal - the hooks are released only when the boat is completely on the water, or when there is no load on the hooks, and manual separation of the davit shackle and the hook toe is not required. To prevent disconnection when there is a load on the hooks, a hydrostatic locking device is used (Fig. 9). When the boat is lifted from the water, the device automatically returns to its original position;
under load (emergency release) - the hooks are released by repeated, deliberate and prolonged actions, which must include the removal or bypassing of safety interlocking devices designed to prevent premature or unintentional release of the hooks. This method of overcoming blocking must have special mechanical protection.

Rice. 9 Lifeboat release mechanism with hydrostatic locking device

The crew members remaining on board the ship are lowered into the boat using a storm ladder, pendants with musings or a net. At this time, the boat is held at the side of the ship by painters.

After all people have boarded, you need to:

close all hatches from the inside and open the ventilation holes;
open the fuel tap and start the engine;
give the falini (as a last resort, they are cut with axes located at the ends of the boat), and the boat departs from the ship. It is recommended to keep the fali-ni, because... they may still be needed.

If lowering some of the life-saving equipment is impossible, the commanders of the lifeboats and rafts will organize the redistribution of people so that the remaining lifeboats and rafts are evenly loaded.

Supply of boats (Fig. 10). Each lifeboat must be equipped in accordance with the requirements of the International Convention SOLAS-74, including:

on rowing boats there is one floating oar per rower plus two spare and one steering oar, on motor boats there are four oars with oarlocks attached to the boat hull with pins (chains);
two release hooks;
a floating anchor with a cable equal to three times the length of the boat and a guy attached to the top of the anchor cone;
two painters no less than 15 meters long; two axes, one at each end of the boat for cutting painters when leaving the ship;
food ration and supply of drinking water 3 liters per person;
a stainless steel ladle with a rod and a stainless steel graduated vessel;
fishing equipment;
signaling equipment: four red parachute flares, six red flares, two smoke bombs, an electric flashlight with a device for Morse code signaling in a waterproof design (with a set of spare batteries and a spare light bulb), one signal mirror - a heliograph - with instructions for its use , signal whistle or equivalent signaling device, tables of rescue signals;
a spotlight capable of continuous operation for 3 hours;
first aid kit, 6 seasickness tablets and one hygiene bag per person;
a folding knife attached to the boat by a pin, and three can openers;
manual drainage pump, two buckets and a ladle;
fire extinguisher for extinguishing burning oil;
a set of spare parts and tools for the engine;
radar reflector or ;
binnacle with compass;
individual thermal protective equipment in the amount of 10% of the passenger capacity of the boat (but not less than two).

Rice. 10 Lifeboat inside

Free fall boats (Fig. 11). The boat's hull has a more robust design and well-streamlined, smooth contours that prevent strong impacts when the boat enters the water. Since overloads occur when hitting the water, the boat is equipped with special chairs with shock-absorbing pads.

Rice. 11 Design of a free-fall boat

Before the boat leaves the ramp, the crew must securely secure themselves with seat belts and a special head restraint. Free fall lifeboats guarantee the safety of people when falling from a height of up to 20 meters.

Free-fall lifeboats are considered the most reliable life-saving equipment that ensures the evacuation of people from a sinking ship in any weather conditions.

Rescue lifeboat (Fig. 12). This is a type of lifeboat designed for rescuing people from the water and for collecting lifeboats and rafts.

The advantage of a rescue boat is the speed and reliability of launching and re-boarding while underway in light seas. A powerful stationary or outboard motor provides a speed of at least 8 knots and allows you to quickly examine the area where a person fell overboard, lift him and deliver him to the side of the ship. The rescue boat is capable of performing rescue operations in stormy conditions and with limited visibility. The rescue boats are in constant readiness. The preparation and launching of the boat takes 5 minutes.

The boat provides space for transporting the rescued person in a supine position. The propeller is protected to prevent injury to people at sea.

Rice. 12 Rescue lifeboat

Life rafts

A life raft is a raft capable of ensuring the survival of people in distress from the moment they leave the ship (Fig. 13). Its design must be such as to withstand the influence of the environment afloat for at least 30 days under any hydrometeorological conditions.

Rafts are made with a capacity of at least 6 and usually up to 25 people (rafts with a capacity of up to 150 people can be found on passenger ships). The number of rafts is calculated in such a way that the total capacity of the life rafts available on each side is sufficient to accommodate 150% of the total number of people on board the ship.

Rice. 13 Installation of PSN on board the vessel

On ships where the distance from the bow or stern to the nearest raft exceeds 100 m, an additional raft must be installed. At least 2 vests and 2 wetsuits must be stored nearby, and there must also be landing aids on each side (on high-sided vessels - boarding ladders, on low-sided vessels - rescue pendants with musings).

The total mass of the liferaft, its container and equipment must not exceed 185 kg, unless the liferaft is intended to be launched by an approved launching device or is not required to be carried from side to side.

According to the method of delivery to the water, life rafts are divided into those launched by mechanical means (using rafts) and dropped. Launchable rafts are installed mainly on passenger ships, since boarding in them is carried out at deck level, which is a great advantage when rescuing passengers who may find themselves in a wide variety of physical and mental conditions.

Due to their compactness, inflatable rafts (PSN - inflatable life raft) have become the most widespread.

The main elements of a life raft are (Fig. 14):

buoyancy chamber (provides buoyancy to the raft);
bottom - a waterproof element that provides insulation from cold water;
awning is a waterproof element that provides insulation of the space under the awning from heat and cold.

Rice. 14 Inflatable life raft

The buoyancy chamber of an inflatable raft consists of at least two independent compartments, so that if one compartment is damaged, the remaining compartments can provide positive freeboard and keep the regular number of people and supplies afloat. Typically, the compartments are arranged in rings, one above the other, which allows not only to provide sufficient buoyancy, but also to preserve the area to accommodate people if one compartment is damaged.

To ensure the possibility of maintaining working pressure in the compartments, valves are installed for manual pumping with a pump or bellows.

The problem of thermal insulation of the under-awning space is usually solved by installing an awning consisting of two layers of waterproof material with an air gap. The outer color of the awning is orange. To install an awning in inflatable rafts, arch-type supports are made that inflate automatically along with the buoyancy chamber. The height of the awning is made such that a person can be in a sitting position in any part of the space under the awning.

The awning should have:

at least one viewing window;
rainwater collection device;
radar reflector mounting device or SART;
stripes of white reflective material.

A signal light is installed on the top of the awning, which automatically turns on when the awning is opened. A battery charge ensures operation for at least 12 hours.

An internal light source with a manual switch is installed inside the raft, capable of continuously operating for at least 12 hours.

A lifeline is attached along the outer perimeter of the raft’s buoyancy chamber to help get to the entrance. A rescue rail is also installed along the inner perimeter to help keep people safe during a storm.

The entrances to life rafts are equipped with special devices that help people climb out of the water into the raft. At least one of the entrances must have a landing platform at water level. Entrances that are not equipped with a landing platform must have boarding ladders, the bottom step of which is at least 0.4 meters below the waterline.

On the bottom of the inflatable raft, pockets filled with water are installed around the perimeter. They are bags hanging down with holes in the top. The holes are made large enough so that within 25 seconds after the raft is in the open state on the water, the pockets are filled to at least 60%.

Pockets serve two functions:

provide stability, which is especially important during a storm, when the open raft is on the water without people;
the opened raft has a very large surface windage compared to the submerged part, which leads to strong wind drift. Pockets filled with water significantly reduce the wind drift of the raft.

To inflate the raft, a non-toxic gas cylinder is attached to its bottom, closed with a special launch valve, which opens when the launch line attached to it is pulled. When the start valve opens, gas fills the compartments within 1 - 3 minutes.

The length of the starting line is at least 15 meters. Start line:

used to open the valve on a gas cylinder;
used to hold the raft against the side of the ship.

Installation of PSN. On the ship, the PSN (inflatable life raft) is stored in a plastic container consisting of two halves, hermetically connected and secured with bandage tapes (Fig. 15).

The strength of the tapes, or the links connecting the ends of the tape, is calculated against rupture from the internal gas pressure when the raft is inflated.

The container with the raft is installed on a special frame, pressed to it with a lashing, wound on a recoil device.

Rice. 15 Scheme of fastening the PSN to the vessel: 1 - lashings; 2 - verb-hack; 3 - starting line; 4 - hydrostat; 5 - weak link; 6 − bandage tape

The launching device of liferafts must ensure the safe launching of the raft with a full complement of people and equipment at a list of up to 20° on any side and a trim of up to 10°.

Installing the raft provides two ways to release the lashings - manual and automatic.

To manually free the raft from the lashing, it is enough to remove the fixing link from the hook. There are devices in which the lashing is released by turning a special handle, as a result the pins holding the root ends of the lashing are pulled out. This device is used when several rafts are placed on one frame one after another. This design provides for both sequential release of rafts and release of all rafts by turning one handle.

To automatically release the raft when the vessel is submerged under water, a hydrostat is activated in the release device - a device that releases lashings at a depth of no more than 4 meters.

According to the principle of operation, hydrostats are of disconnecting type and cutting type.

In a cutting-type hydrostat, in the initial state, the spring-loaded knife is held by a locking pin mounted on a spring-loaded membrane (Fig. 16). The space above the membrane is hermetically sealed, so when immersed in water, the pressure begins to increase only under the membrane. The stiffness of the spring holding the membrane is calculated so that at a depth of up to 4 meters, external pressure will press the membrane and release the knife. The compressed spring of the knife, after being released, sharply straightens, and the blow of the knife cuts the rope loop holding the lashings.

Rice. 16 Cutting type hydrostat

Disconnecting type hydrostat (Fig. 17). The housings of disconnecting type hydrostats are quite varied, but they all use the mechanical principle of disconnection when a given pressure is reached on the sensing element. The body of this hydrostat is divided by a membrane into two chambers, one of which is sealed, and the second can receive water during immersion.

The release head, to which the lashing is attached, is held from the inside by a locking device mechanically connected to the membrane.

The stiffness of the spring holding the membrane is designed so that under water pressure the detachable hydrostat head will be released, which will lead to the release of the raft from the lashings.

Rice. 17 Design of a disconnecting type hydrostat

When the vessel is submerged, the container with the PSN floats up, and the launch line is pulled out of the container. The connection of the launch line to the vessel is carried out through a weak link. The tensile strength of the weak link is sufficient to pull the launch line out of the container and open the release valve. With further tension, the weak link breaks and the raft is released from its attachment to the side of the ship.

There are designs where the weak link is part of the root end of the starting line itself. The strength of the weak link is too small to hold the raft against the side in conditions of strong wind and seas. Therefore, when releasing manually, the first thing that needs to be done before releasing the lashings is to select a small section of the starting line from the container and securely tie it above the weak link to the structure of the vessel (isolate the weak link). If the launch line is not tied in an area of normal strength, the raft will be torn off and carried away.

The weak link is visually easy to distinguish: it may be a thinner insert in the starting line or a cut in the line.

Launching and boarding life rafts

Brief instructions for bringing the raft into working condition and boarding it are placed on the raft container and near the installation site.

Before boarding an inflatable life raft, the raft commander removes knives, screwdrivers and other piercing and cutting objects from those escaping.

The procedure for launching the PSN into the water and landing in it involves the following actions:

free the lashings;
push the raft overboard. For a high-sided vessel, it is not recommended to release the raft when the list is over 15° from the side out of the water. In this case, jumping to the water without touching the side is unlikely, and sliding down a board that has come out of the water and is overgrown with shells can lead to serious injuries;
pull the starting line out of the container and pull strongly;
Pull the opened raft to the side and secure the line;
If the raft is opened with the bottom up, then there are special straps on the bottom of the raft, by holding them with your hands and resting your feet on the edge of the bottom, you can turn the raft over to its normal position. Since the raft has a large windage, before turning it over it must be turned so that it is on the leeward side. In this case, the wind will help turn the raft over;
move into the raft, trying to get into it dry;
you can jump onto the raft from a height of up to 4.5 meters if you are sure that there are no people in it;
you can go down the storm ladder;
you can go down the rescue pendant with musings;
you can jump into the water next to the raft, and then climb into the raft;
help other survivors get into the raft (use a rescue ring with a line from the raft’s emergency supplies).

After all those escaping are on the raft or in the water (Fig. 18), but holding on to the lifeline of the raft, it is necessary to move away from the sinking ship to a safe distance, for which you need to:

cut off the starting line. The knife is in a pocket on the raft's awning at the point where the line is attached;
select sea anchor;
tighten the water pockets, for which you need to pull the pin, which is attached to the bottom of the pocket, then squeeze the water out of the pocket, press the pocket to the bottom and secure the pin in this state;
use emergency oars.

Rice. 18 In a life raft and on the water

Staying near a vessel is dangerous for the following reasons:

the formation of a funnel when a vessel is submerged under water;
possibility of explosion in case of fire;
surfacing of large floating objects from a sinking ship;
the possibility of the vessel falling on board.

After retreating to a safe distance, all life-saving equipment must unite and remain in the place where the ship is lost. Combining life-saving equipment allows:

distribute people, water, food, etc. evenly;
use signaling means more rationally;
more rationally distribute human resources to perform work (watchkeeping, fishing, etc.).

The organization of the search and rescue operation will begin from the coordinates of the place where the ship was lost, therefore, to reduce wind drift, it is necessary to set floating anchors and lower water pockets.

Life raft equipment:

2 floating oars;
drainage means: floating scoop and 2 sponges;
2 floating anchors, one of which is permanently attached to the raft, and the second is a spare one. Immediately after deployment of the drop-type raft, the attached drogue deploys automatically;
special non-folding knife without a piercing part with a floating handle. The knife is in a pocket near the place where the launch line is attached to the raft;
a rescue ring with a floating line at least 30 meters long;
repair kit for repairing punctures: glue, plugs and clamps;
3 can openers;
scissors;
hand pump or bellows for pumping up the raft;
canned drinking water at the rate of 1.5 liters per person;
food ration based on 10,000 kJ per person;
first aid kit;
seasickness tablets with a duration of action of at least 48 hours per person;
one hygiene bag per person;
fishing equipment;
heat protective agents in the amount of 10% of the estimated number of people, but not less than 2 units;
instructions for preserving life on life rafts.

Signaling means:

radar beacon - transponder (SART);
VHF portable radio;
4 red parachute flares;
6 red flares;
2 floating smoke bombs;
electric waterproof flashlight;
signal mirror (heliograph) and signal whistle.

Auxiliary life-saving equipment

Storm ladders. A landing ladder must be provided at each descent point or at every two adjacent descent points. If a different approved lifeboat or liferaft access device is installed at each lifeboat launching point, there must be at least one ladder on each side.

Marine evacuation system (MES) is a means for quickly moving people from the landing deck of a ship to lifeboats and rafts located on the water (Fig. 19).

The marine evacuation system is stored packed in a container. It must be installed by one person. Bringing it into working condition is similar to the actions with the PSN - dropping or launching; pulling and jerking the starting line; fastening on painters at the side.

The system consists of a guiding device such as an inflatable chute or ramp and an inflatable platform that functions as a floating pier. Having gone down the ramp to the platform, people move onto a raft or boat moored to it.

The full number of people for which the system is designed must be evacuated into life rafts from a passenger ship within 30 minutes from the moment the signal to abandon ship is given, and from a cargo ship - within 10 minutes.

In general, MES is not a mandatory life-saving device.

Rice. 19 Marine evacuation system

Line throwing devices (Fig. 20). Each vessel must have a line-throwing device that would ensure that the line is thrown with sufficient accuracy. The kit includes:

at least 4 rockets, each of which ensures throwing a line over a distance of at least 230 meters in calm weather;
at least 4 lines with a breaking force of at least 2 kN;
a gun or other device for launching a rocket.

Rice. 20 Line throwing devices

Laboratory "SHEBA" (Ship Evacuation Behavior Assessment Facility)

The typical tourist does not have the skills to survive on a ship in distress, so for this purpose, the efforts of engineers from several leading companies " British Maritime Technology», « BMT Fleet Technology Limited», « Grandi Navi Veloci», « University of Greenwich" in 2005 developed a marine laboratory called " SHEBA» (Ship Evacuation Behavior Assessment Facility).

This marine laboratory is far from the open ocean, but the smoke-filled corridors and hydraulically tilted structure give the impression of a real emergency.

Marine laboratory "SHEBA"

Inside the installation " SHEBA» Passengers feel like they are on board a modern ship. The structure is equipped with video cameras and motion sensors. This allows operators to obtain information about people's behavior when evacuation from the ship. By assessing the speed and actions of people, scientists can guess how passengers behave on a ship in an emergency and determine the time of evacuation from the ship. The obtained experimental data are entered into a computer program called “ Sea exodus", which allows shipbuilders to virtually evaluate their project from the point of view salvation before you start creating it. Using the program, operators work through a variety of emergency scenarios, and by highlighting the most dangerous ones, they establish the cause of their occurrence (blocking exits due to fires or flooding, due to flaws in the design of the vessel).

boat of the future "ResCube"

Today programs such as “ Sea exodus" are used when creating. However, even on the most modern airliners, passengers must cross several decks before reaching the evacuation deck. Today, while in , passenger ships can carry up to 6,000 people, but in the near future this number will increase and developers of life-saving equipment have to take care of amateurs.

« ResCube" is a system of free-fall marine lifeboats positioned vertically along the sides of a passenger ship, allowing passengers to enter from six decks at once. Life-saving device « ResCube"allows you to accommodate 330 passengers on board, and protect you from bad weather and deadly fire.

« ResCube"This is a completely new approach to rescuing passengers on large ships. Passengers are accommodated in three rotating cylinders. During a rescue operation, the system rotates 90 degrees - this occurs due to gravity. Rescue weight lifeboats is more than 50 tons.

free fall boat

modern lifeboat

free fall boats

First life-saving equipment Freefalls were created specifically for oil and offshore platforms, as people in this industry are constantly faced with flammable gas and oil.

The free-fall lifeboat, hanging 16 meters above the water, is designed to eject the crew of cargo ships in case of danger. Life-saving device weighing 5.5 tons can be dropped from a height of 22 meters. The free-fall boat can take up to 44 people away from danger. Inside the boat, people are fastened and positioned with their backs facing the direction of travel.

A typical dinghy differs from a free-fall dinghy in that you first need to get into it, then you need to use a dinghy beam with a winch to launch it into the water. It descends to the water quite slowly, and fuel can still burn on the surface of the water. Many injuries can occur during descent, but a free-fall lifeboat eliminates all of this. This life-saving device will survive in the most difficult conditions.

The free-fall lifeboat is made of polyester fiberglass, a fire-resistant material that is resistant to the heat of a welding torch. As an additional protection, a water spray system is used, which will allow the team to survive from fuel burning in the water.

Drilling platforms are equipped lifeboats free fall, accommodating up to 90 people, which can be dropped from a height of up to 38 meters. Such reliable life-saving equipment is already available on many ships. They don't just add peace of mind, they will almost certainly help you avoid death in an emergency.

Our world is becoming faster and more dangerous, so humanity must make every effort to prevent tragedies at sea and modern maritime life-saving equipment increase our chances of surviving in an aggressive environment.

Housing design

There are a number of requirements for the design of the housing, some of which are listed below:

1) All lifeboats must be of sufficient strength to:

· they could be safely launched when loaded with their full complement of people and supplies; And

· they could be launched and towed at forward speed of the vessel at a speed of 5 knots in calm water.

2) The lifeboat hull must be rigid and made of non-combustible or non-combustible material.

3) The boat must have a closure on top that protects people from environmental influences:

· If the closure is completely rigid, then such a boat is closed type boat.

· If the closure part is a soft awning, then such a boat is partially enclosed boat. In this case, the bow and stern ends must be protected for at least 20% of the length by rigid closure elements. The awning is usually made of two layers of waterproof fabric with an air layer. When open, the awning is rolled up and secured above the entrance.

Passenger ships can be equipped with both types of boats, and cargo ships can only be equipped with closed type boats (SOLAS-74 Chapter III rules 21 and 31).

Placing partially enclosed boats on passenger ships gives a great advantage in the speed of boarding passengers during evacuation.

4) Lifeboats must have a reserve of buoyancy that allows a completely flooded boat with supplies and people in it to stay afloat.

This additional buoyancy is provided by lightweight floating materials that are resistant to sea water and oil products. These buoyancy features are usually located along the inside perimeter of the boat under the seats.

5) Lifeboats must be stable when filled with 50% of the number of persons permitted to accommodate them, seated in a normal position on one side of its centreline.

6) Enclosed lifeboats must be self-righting when capsized.

Capsizing can occur, for example, under the impact of a collapsing wave crest, which is most likely when the boat enters the wave deformation zone in shallow water.

Boat equipment

Diagram of a fireproof lifeboat launched on paddles

Seating places.

Seats are equipped on transverse and longitudinal banks or fixed seats. The method of fitting the seats is usually related to the type of boat.

	Layout of seats in a boat lowered on paddles In a boat lowered on slings, most of the seats are equipped on cans located along the sides (with their backs to the side). On large-capacity boats, when the width allows, additional seats can be equipped on the longitudinal banks in the middle (facing the side), or on the transverse banks.
	Layout of seats in a free-fall boat In free-fall boats, seats with backs and headrests are installed. They are installed in transverse rows so that people sit facing the stern, which ensures that the backrest takes on the inertia of a person when the boat enters the water.

Fully enclosed boats require the seats to be equipped with seat belts.

Engine

Every lifeboat must be equipped with an internal combustion engine. Lifeboats are equipped with compression ignition engines that meet the following requirements:

1) The engine is capable of operating for at least 5 minutes from the moment of starting in a cold state when the boat is out of the water.

This allows you to start the engine for periodic checks out of the water, and in case of abandonment of the vessel, lower the boat into the water with the engine running and immediately move away from the vessel.

2) The speed of a boat in calm water with a full complement of people and equipment must be at least 6 knots, and at least 2 knots when towing a life raft of the largest capacity installed on a given vessel, loaded with a full complement of people and equipment.

3) The fuel supply must be sufficient to operate the engine at full speed for 24 hours.

To ensure that the boat can be used by unqualified people (for example, passengers), instructions for starting and operating the engine must be provided in a clearly visible place near the engine controls, and the controls must be marked accordingly (Appendix 4).

Drainage

1) The boat must be either self-draining or have a hand pump to remove water.

2) The lifeboat must be equipped with a release valve.

Drain valve(one or two depending on the size of the boat) is installed in the lower part of the bottom of the boat for releasing water. The valve opens automatically when the boat is out of the water and automatically closes when the boat is afloat. Typically this task is performed by a float type valve.

Each drain valve is equipped with a cap or plug to close it, attached with a pin or chain next to the valve.

When the boat is stored on board a ship, the release valve must be open to allow any water that enters the boat to drain away.

When preparing the boat for launching, the valve must be closed with a cap or plug.

Access to the boat

The entrances to the lifeboat are made on both sides and are of such dimensions and position that it is possible to lift helpless people aboard the boat, both from the water and on stretchers.

The lifeboat is designed and positioned in such a way that all people assigned to the boat can board it:

on a passenger ship - within no more than 10 minutes after the command to land is given; on a cargo ship - within no more than 3 minutes after the landing command is given.

The lifeboat must have a boarding ladder to allow people to climb into the lifeboat from the water. As a rule, the ladder is made removable and stored inside the boat.

On the outside, along the sides of the boat, above the waterline (within reach of a person in the water), a handrail or lifeline is installed.

If the boat is not self-righting, then the same handrails should be installed in the lower part of the hull so that people can hold on to the overturned boat.

If the ship has partially enclosed lifeboats, their davits must be equipped with a toprik with at least two life pins attached to it.

Toprik- a cable stretched between the ends of the davits.

Rescue pendant- a vegetable or synthetic rope with musings (knots), used as an emergency means for lowering from the side of a ship into a boat or into the water.

Signal light

A signal light with a manual switch is installed on the top of the closure, giving a constant or flashing (50-70 flashes per minute) white light. The battery charge ensures operation for at least 12 hours.

Emergency lighting

Inside the boat, a light source is installed at the top to provide sufficient illumination for reading instructions. The battery charge ensures operation for at least 12 hours.

Rescue equipment is a set of means for rescuing people from a sinking ship or in the event of them falling overboard. It includes life-saving appliances and devices for their installation, fastening on the ship and launching. It can be used collectively (boats, rafts, life tables) or individually (lifebuoys, bibs, vests).

A davit is a device for lowering a boat from the side of a ship onto the water and lifting it on board. Each boat is served by two davits. The combination of the boat, the keel block, as well as the deck lifting mechanisms for lifting and lowering the boat into the water makes up the boat device.

Each davit consists of a boom, a support structure, a boat hoist (davit) and a mechanism that provides movement, such as a winch.

Davits can be: horizontal, tilting and rotating.

Davits are divided into 3 types: horizontal, tilting and rotating.

Horizontal(leaning, gravity, rolling or hinged) davits fall out under the influence of mass, both their own and the boat's, after the release of the lashings, the travel stopper and the winch band brake. The advantage of this design is that the boats can be stored on high decks and far from the side; The disadvantage is that in winter, due to freezing of the guide frames, before lowering the boat into the water, it may be necessary to chip away the ice from them.

Design collapsing The (folding) davit is provided with the help of special screw and gear devices. Often davits of this design are used on small ships and vessels. The disadvantage of all, except for the crescent-shaped, tilting davits is that the distance between their pair must exceed the length of the boat they serve, which inevitably entails irrational use of the boat deck area.

Collective ship life-saving appliances (SSA) are means that can be used by a group of people.

Collective SSS and their launching devices must ensure reliable and safe operation so that they can be launched at the lowest draft of the vessel with a list of 20° on any side and a trim of 10°.

Boarding people into life-saving equipment and lowering them into the water in calm conditions should not exceed the following time: 10 minutes - for cargo ships; 30 min - for passenger and fishing vessels of unlimited navigation area.

Lifeboats and liferafts should generally be stowed on the same deck, but liferafts may be stowed one deck above or below the deck on which the lifeboats are stowed.

LIFEBOATS.

Lifeboat - this is a boat capable of ensuring the preservation of the lives of people in distress from the moment they leave the ship. It is this purpose that determines all the requirements for the design and supply of lifeboats.

According to the method of delivery to the water, lifeboats are divided into mechanically launched and free-fall launched.

Regardless of design differences, all lifeboats must: have good stability and reserve buoyancy even when filled with water, high maneuverability; ensure reliable self-righting to an even keel when capsizing; have a mechanical engine with remote control from the wheelhouse, ensuring the speed of the boat in calm water with a full complement of people is at least 6 knots and the propeller is protected from accidental impacts; be painted orange.

Strips of reflective material are glued along the perimeter of the boat, under the fender and on the deck. In the bow and stern parts, crosses made of reflective material are placed on the upper part of the closure.

Fig.73. Closed lifeboat.

Lifeboats for oil tankers have a fire-resistant design and are equipped with: irrigation systems that provide passage through continuously burning oil for 8 minutes; compressed air, ensuring the safety of people and the operation of engines for 10 minutes. Boat hulls are made of double hulls and must have high strength; The deckhouse must provide all-round visibility; the portholes are made of fire-resistant glass.

The lifeboat must be equipped with an internal combustion engine with compression ignition: the engine must run for at least 5 minutes from start-up in a cold state when the boat is out of the water;

The speed of a boat in calm water with a full complement of people and equipment must be at least 6 knots; The fuel supply must be sufficient to operate the engine at full speed for 24 hours.

Fig.74. Open type lifeboat.

If the ship has partially enclosed lifeboats, their davits must be equipped with a toprik with at least two life pins attached to it.

Toprik - a cable stretched between the ends of the davits.

Rescue pendant - a vegetable or synthetic rope with musings (knots), used as an emergency means for lowering from the side of a ship into a boat or into the water.

Information about the capacity of the boat, as well as its main dimensions, is applied to its sides in the bow with indelible paint; The name of the vessel, port of registry (in Latin letters) and the ship's number of the boat are also indicated there. The markings to identify the vessel to which the boat belongs and its number must be visible from above.

Fig.75. Lifeboat markings.

The boat must either be self-draining or have a hand pump to remove water.

The lifeboat must be equipped drain valve. A drain valve (one or two depending on the size of the boat) is installed in the lower part of the bottom of the boat to release water. The valve opens automatically when the boat is out of the water and automatically closes when the boat is afloat. Typically this task is performed by a float type valve. When the boat is stored on board a ship, the release valve must be open to allow any water that enters the boat to drain away. When preparing the boat for launching, the valve must be closed with a cap or plug.

Boats lowered on hoists are equipped with a release mechanism, which is designed in such a way that both hooks are released simultaneously. In this case, the release mechanism provides for two methods of release: conventional - release occurs after the boat is launched into the water, when the load on the hooks disappears; under load - when separation can be carried out both on the water and in weight if there is a load on the hooks.

A signal light with a manual switch is installed on the top of the closure, giving a constant or flashing (50-70 flashes per minute) white light. A battery charge ensures operation for at least 12 hours.

Lifeboats with an autonomous air supply system must be arranged in such a way as to ensure normal engine operation for at least 10 minutes with closed inlets and openings. At the same time, the air must remain safe and breathable.

Fig.76. Disconnection devices.

Fireproof lifeboats must ensure the safety of the people in them for at least 8 minutes while on the water in a zone of fire covering it on all sides, and the air temperature at the level of the head of a seated person should not exceed 60°C. Typically, such boats are equipped with a water spray system to increase fire resistance. Sea water is used for irrigation. The water intake device of the system is located in the lower part of the boat in such a way as to prevent flammable liquids from entering the system from the surface of the water.

Supply of boats.

Each lifeboat must be equipped in accordance with the requirements of the International Convention SOLAS-74, including: on rowing boats, one floating oar per rower plus two spare and one steering oar, on motor boats - four oars with oarlocks attached to the hull of the boat with pins (chains); two release hooks; a floating anchor with a cable equal to three times the length of the boat and a guy attached to the top of the anchor cone; two painters no less than 15 meters long; two axes, one at each end of the boat for cutting painters when leaving the ship; food ration and supply of drinking water 3 liters per person; fishing equipment; signaling equipment: four red parachute flares, six red flares, two smoke bombs, an electric flashlight with a device for Morse code signaling in a waterproof design (with a set of spare batteries and a spare light bulb), one signal mirror - a heliograph - with instructions for its use , signal whistle or equivalent signaling device, tables of rescue signals;

Fig.77. Parachute rocket.

A spotlight capable of continuous operation for 3 hours; first aid kit, 6 seasickness tablets and one hygiene bag per person; a folding knife attached to the boat by a pin, and three can openers; manual drainage pump, two buckets and a ladle; fire extinguisher for extinguishing burning oil; a set of spare parts and tools for the engine (on motor boats); radar reflector; binnacle with compass; individual thermal protective equipment in the amount of 10% of the passenger capacity of the boat (but not less than two).

Once a month, the boat equipment must be checked, ventilated and dried.

Fig.78. Boat supply.

Launching the boat.

Boats launched by mechanical means are installed horizontally on both sides of the vessel. Davits are a device designed to store a boat, having beams that tilt over the side, used when lowering and raising the boat.

The boat is lowered on the landing pads along the side of the ship until the boat is on the water.

Lopars are steel cables attached to the boat at its ends and carried to a winch, intended for lowering and raising the boat.

The boat is lowered only under the influence of gravity or accumulated mechanical energy and does not depend on the ship's energy sources.

The descent of a boat lowered on hoists can be controlled both from the deck of the ship and from the boat. This allows, under favorable weather conditions, not to leave a descent support team on board.

A feature of the most common gravity davits is that the boat falls out under the influence of gravity after the stoppers are released. They are distinguished by the speed of falling out - no more than 2 minutes, reliable operation at a roll of up to 20°.

Fig.79. Fastening a lifeboat on board a ship.

Gravity davits are divided into rolling (sliding) ones, in which the boom with the boat suspended from it moves along the frame guides on rollers, thereby dumping the boat, and hinged ones, dumping the boat due to rotation around the hinge located at the lower end of the davit.

Each pair of davits is served by one manually or mechanically driven boat winch.

Each boat in the area where it is installed has a landing ladder, the strings of which are made of Manila cable with a thickness of at least 65 mm, and the balusters are made of hard wood measuring 480x115x25 mm.

The upper end of the ladder must be fixed in its normal place (under the boat), and the storm ladder itself must be rolled up, always ready for use.

Fig.80. Boat winch.

Fig.81. Storm ladder.

Before launching the boat into the water, a number of actions must be performed:

1) Delivery to the boat of equipment and supplies necessary for survival after abandoning the ship:

Portable VHF radio and radar transponder (SART);

Fig.82. Radar transponder (SART) and portable VHF radios.

Warm things (blankets);

Additional supply of food and water;

Additional supply of pyrotechnic signaling devices.

2) Before launching into the water, it is necessary to close the drain valve with a plug (located at the bottom point of the body and marked accordingly).

3) If necessary, paint painters from emergency supplies are prepared for use, which are attached to the ends of the boat and carried along the side. A boat lowered on the side of the boat in stormy conditions must be kept from swinging and beating against the side of the ship. If the boat is lowered while the ship is moving relative to the water, then in this case it is also necessary to use a painter to hold the boat against the side.

When lowering the boat, the painter is pulled into a tight line through the cleats or other suitable structural elements. If the length of the painter allows, then it is preferable to wind it with a duplin (wiring it around some structural element and returning the running end to the boat), so as not to leave people on board the ship who would then have to go down into the boat along the storm ladder.

4) Removing the landing deck railing.

5) Preparing the storm ladder.

6) Recoil of lashings.

7) Recoil of the davit stopper.

Fig.83. Boarding the crew and lowering the boat.

People can be boarded in a boat lowered on hoists: on passenger ships - either at the place where it is installed, or from the landing deck; on cargo ships - at the installation site.

Further control of the descent is carried out using the hand brake of the release winch. The brake is released, and the boat, under the influence of its own gravity, begins to fall over the side of the davits and descend. When boarding passengers from the landing deck, the descent is slowed down, bringing the entrance of the boat to the level of the landing deck.

After people board the boat, the handbrake is released and the boat is lowered into the water.

Disconnection from the paddles should be made at the moment when the boat is at the bottom of the wave: after passing this position, the boat will begin to rise to the crest, and there will be no load on the hooks.

The falini are attached in such a way that the boat is located at the side under the storm ladder. After the last person moves from the ship to the boat, the painters are freed (in extreme cases, they are cut with axes located at the ends of the boat), and the boat departs from the ship. It is recommended to preserve the falini, because they may be needed for towing, for combining with other life-saving equipment, for pulling the boat ashore, etc.

Fig.84. Release of davits.

In recent years, life-saving devices have begun to be used free fall boats. The boat's hull has a more robust design and well-streamlined, smooth contours that prevent strong impacts when the boat enters the water. Since overloads occur when hitting the water, the boat is equipped with special chairs with shock-absorbing pads.

Fig.85. Free fall boat.

Before leaving the boat ramp, all people in the boat must securely fasten themselves with seat belts with a quick-release buckle and a special head restraint. Of great importance for the safe perception of dynamic loads is the correct position of the body in the chair, which should be practiced during training - during drills.

Free-fall lifeboats guarantee the safety of people at a distance of 20 m from the landing platform to the water surface.

Free-fall lifeboats are considered the most reliable life-saving means for evacuating people from a sinking ship in any weather conditions.