1. LIFEBOAT & LIFE RAFT DRILLS
Launching a totally enclosed davit
launched lifeboat as a drill.
Once i get the order from the master to
launch the lifeboat/liferaft,i shall make
sure that i have been properly briefed
about the situation,carry proper means of
communication,wear proper
PPE/PPC,have enough and adequate
lighting on the deck,power on the deck (if
it is a davit launched liferaft ,power for the
davit)and enough manpower to carry out
the job. The lifesaving appliances (SART
and EPIRB) is also carried by the ppl
incharge.
From stowage position:
1. External checks
2. Muster – head count and attired
properly for abandon.
3. External checks on lifeboat –
remove electric, falls wires are
tight, hanging off pennants are
removed, harbour pins are not in
place, falls preventer device is
fitted. Ensure the painter is
stretched and made fast to the
deck.
4. Check communications
5. Remove gripes –( if lowering to the
embarkation deck ensure bowsing
tackle / Tricing in pennants are
fitted and load at embarkation. )
6. (If launching from the stowage
position ) Load the boat with crew
evenly to spread the load.
7. Ship the plug
8. Personnel have lifebelts on and
understand procedure allocating
jobs to bow man and pin man,
and to assist with brake.
9. Confirm for verbal confirmation to
abandon ship, when given start
the engine. Close hatches, ‘air on’
and water deluge system if fitted.
10. Ease on the remote brake until the
davit is full out.
11. Allow the boat to stop swinging,
(as a drill launching party to
activate the brake)
12. Release the brake again, as the
boat descends to just above the
water and stop.
13. Remove fall preventer device,
when personnel back inboard
lower the boat to the water.
14. The pin man would be observing
the hydrostatic interlock to move
in an upwards direction from safe
to active.
15. Remove the pin and release the
onload release system.
16. Go ahead on engines and release
the painter.
17. Take the boat to a safe place –
marshal and clear any liferafts.
Recovery of lifeboat
1. Ensure that the hooks have been
re set and the pin re inserted into
the release mechanism. standby
by bow man and sternman.
2. Approach slowly at an angle top
the forward hook and hook on.
3. Manoeuvre the boat to bring the
after hook in to position.
4. All inside sit down strapped in .
5. Request the weight be taken and
the lifeboat taken just out of the
water.
6. Pin man observes the
hydrostatic interlock, locking
into ‘safe’ . inspect the hook
connections fore and aft and
insert fall preventer device.
7. Recover the boat.
OPEN TOP LIFEBOAT as a drill
Consider, would I fit fall preventer devices,
but as this is an off-load release system, I
would follow the recommendations of the
IMO and lower it to the water and recover it
first (MGN1803)
Alarm
Muster
Headcount
Cross check people understand
their duties
Ensure they are properly attired
All equipment is in good working
order
Send 2 me to ensure the tricing in
pennants are properly attached
the plug is shipped and the
painter has been stretched
Remove the man ropes and place
in the boat
Men out of the boat
Look over the side
Remove the Gripes and clear them
Ensure the harbor pins have been
removed
Break out the embarkation ladder
Lower the boat down to the
embarkation deck
Tricing in pennants will bring the
lifeboat down and into the vessel

2. LIFEBOAT & LIFE RAFT DRILLS
(equal tension on falls wire and
tricing in pennant).
Put the bowman and stern man
into the boat
Rig the bowsing in tackles, rig to
disadvantage in the boat
Release the tricing in pennants
together
Load passengers and seat them in
the boat as low down as possible
Nominate stern man, bowman and
ensure they know their duties
with regards to the fall block and
boat hook
When all understood start the
engine
Ease off on the bowsing in tackles
and ship them
Look over the side to ensure it is
clear
Let go on the run
Let go the after hook first, then
the ford hook
Drop back onto the painter
Bear off.
CONVENTIONAL LIFERAFT as a DRILL
Alarm (7 short 1 long)
Muster
Headcount
Cross check people understand
their duties
Ensure they are properly attired
All equipment is in good working
order eg SART/EPIRB/extra
rations
Remove the webbing and the
senhouse slip
Remove the painter from the HRU
and make it fast to a strong point
Look over the side and remove the
railing if required
Pull out some slack on the painter
Throw the life raft over the side
Put over the embarkation ladder
Tug on the painter to inflate
Coxswain would descend down the
ladder and draw with the painter
under his arm to draw the life raft
towards him
Try and get in the life raft dry
Inspect to ensure it is safely
inflated and no leaks
Board all passengers
Pull the painter in short and cut it
Get to a safe place
Stream the drogue
Close the door and start to
maintain
-
DAVIT LAUNCH LIFERAFT
Alarm
Muster
Headcount
Cross check people understand
their duties
Ensure they are properly
attired(PPE)
All equipment is in good working
order
Remove the senhouse slip
Connect that to the on/off load
release system on the falls wire
Pull out the painter and make it
fast to a strong point
Pull out the container retaining
line, make it fast opposite the
painter
Pull out the bowsing in lines and
make them fast loosely at the
ships side
Swing out the davit
Look over the side
Hoist the life raft so she is now
over the side but held in by the
bowsing in lines
Pull the short inflation line, the
life raft inflates
Pull in on the tricing in lines and
mouse to the ships side
Coxswain to go in and inspect
Board all passengers 1 at a time
stability back to the chambers feet
to the centre
Ease off on the bowsing in lines
Coxswain look below to see it is
clear
Pull the remote break release
As the life raft descends about 3m
above the water PRIME the
on/offload release system
As the life raft meets the water the
on/off load release system should
automatically release
Pull the painter in short and cut it
Get to a safe place
Stream the drogue
Close the door and start to
maintain

3. LIFEBOAT & LIFE RAFT DRILLS
FREEFALL LIFEBOAT drill
Alarm
Muster
Headcount
Cross check people understand
their duties
In the muster ensure that the
crew line up in the nominated
numbers for entering the boat
Ensure that extra lashings (falls
preventer device) have been fitted
to the lifeboat and the falls wire
attached
Removal of lifejackets, helmets
and immersion suits and stowed
on the floor in the lifeboat
Coxswain is the last to join and
faces forward
Ensure the crew are strapped in
with 4 point harness full secure
and head strap
If practicing the release
mechanism (minimum of people
onboard), coxswain in the launch
position to remove the pin and
pump the hydraulic ram until
release.