We live in a rapidly changing world, so when disasters happen, people increasingly rely on science. Engineers and scientists around the planet are constantly working to create the most modern life-saving means, the maritime industry is also not ignored.
Over the course of several millennia, many lives have been saved thanks to the dinghy, but its technological evolution has been rather slow. Almost a hundred years after the wreck of a passenger ship "", it is difficult to evacuate passengers with emergency... Hundreds of passengers and crew members are killed in the attempt to get to the lifeboats. People who are trapped in a burning or banked ship have to rely on intuition and their own strength.
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 the engineers of several leading firms " 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 open ocean but the smoke-filled corridors and hydraulically tilted design give the impression of a real emergency.
marine laboratory "SHEBA"
Inside the installation " SHEBA»Passengers stay as if they were on board a modern ship. The design is equipped with video cameras and motion sensors. This allows operators to receive information about the behavior of people when evacuation from the ship... By assessing the speed and actions of people, scientists can predict how passengers behave on a ship in an emergency and determine when to evacuate from the ship. The obtained experimental data are entered into a computer program called " Sea exodus", Which allows shipbuilders to virtually evaluate their project in terms of salvation before you start creating it. With the help of the program, operators work through many scenarios of emergency situations, and highlighting the most dangerous from them, they establish the cause of their occurrence (blocking of exits due to fires or flooding, due to flaws in the ship's structure).
boat of the future "ResCube"
Today programs such as “ Sea exodus"Are used when creating. However, even on the most modern liners, passengers must cross several decks before reaching the evacuation deck. Today, being in, passenger ships can carry up to 6,000 people, but in the near future this number will increase and the developers of life-saving appliances 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. Rescue vehicle « ResCube»Allows you to accommodate 330 passengers on board, and protect from bad weather and deadly fire.
« ResCube»Is a completely new approach to passenger rescue large ships... Passengers are accommodated in three rotating cylinders. During the rescue operation, the system rotates 90 degrees due to the force of gravity. Rescue weight dinghy is over 50 tons.
free fall boat
modern lifeboat
free fall boats
The first life-saving appliances Free Falls were created specifically for oil as well as offshore platforms, as people in this industry are constantly faced with flammable gas and oil.
A free-fall boat, hanging 16 meters above the water, is designed to eject a crew of cargo ships in case of danger. Rescue vehicle weighing 5.5 tons can also be dropped from a height of 22 meters. A free-fall boat can carry up to 44 people from danger. Inside the boat, people are strapped and positioned with their backs in the direction of travel.
A typical dinghy differs from a free-fall dinghy in that initially you have to sit in it, then to launch it you need to use a dinghy boom with a winch. It descends into the water rather 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. it life-saving device will survive in the most difficult conditions.
The free fall lifeboat is made of polyester fiberglass, a flame retardant material that resists the temperature of a welding torch. As additional protection a water spray system is used, which will allow the team to survive from the fuel burning in the water.
Drilling platforms are equipped with lifeboats free fall, accommodating up to 90 people, which can be dropped from a height of 38 meters. Such reliable life-saving appliances are already available on many ships. They don't just add peace of mind, they will almost certainly help you avoid death in case of danger.
Our world is becoming faster and more dangerous, so humanity must make every effort to prevent tragedies at sea and modern maritime life-saving appliances increase our chances of surviving in a hostile environment.
The lifeboat is the main active collective life-saving device designed to rescue the crew and passengers. On newly built ships, as a rule, lifeboats should be of the self-healing type, fully enclosed and motorized. Their motors must be capable of mechanical and manual starting, run or automatically shut down (and then easily start) upside down. The speed of the boat in calm water with a full complement of people and supplies must be at least 6 knots. For vessels in service, temporary use of non-self-recovering, open and semi-closed lifeboats is allowed. Lifeboats 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 quick disembarkation of people from the boat.
Lifeboats for oil tankers are made fireproof. When the water sprinkling system is working, they withstand the effect of the flame of continuously burning oil for at least 8 minutes when the boat passes the fire zone on the water. These boats are equipped with a compressed air system that ensures the safety of people and the smooth operation of the engine for at least 10 minutes. In fig. 1 shows the domestic AT-30 tanker boat.
Fig. 1 Tanker boat AT-30:
a) appearance: 1 - stripes of retroreflective material; 2 - crosses made of reflective material; b) irrigation system: 3 - slotted heads; 4 - a system of pipes for irrigation of the boat, 5 - a pallet for collecting the flowing water after irrigation of the boat before launching it into the water, 6 - kingston hinged branch pipe; 7 - pump, 8 - three-way valve, 9 - ballast compartment;
10 - capacity between the bottom of the boat and the pallet
The lifeboats are painted orange on the outside. In the bow, from both sides of the boat, inscriptions are made in Latin letters indicating the name of the vessel, the port of registration, the size of the boat and the number of people allowed to be accommodated. Outside the lifeboat, a floating life line is fixed with sags. Reflective strips are glued along the perimeter of the boat under the fender bar and on the closing deck. Fore and aft
parts of the boat on the upper part of the closure are glued with crosses made of reflective material.
The number of lifeboats on board the ship is determined by the area of navigation, the type of ship and the number of people on the ship. Cargo ships of unlimited navigation area have lifeboats providing 200% of the ship's crew (100% from each side). Passenger ships have lifeboats on the basis of providing 100% of passengers and crew (50% from each side).
The location of the boats must ensure their preparation for launching in no more than 5 minutes; landing and descent in 10 minutes on a cargo ship and no more than 30 minutes on a passenger. Well distinguishable and compliant with IMO recommendations, conventional signs, signs, symbols should be applied near lifeboats and on escape routes. The gathering place and the landing site must be connected to the command post by two-way loudspeaker communication.
The launching device should ensure the launching of the lifeboat with a roll of 20 and a differential of 10 ° at a vessel speed of up to 5 knots. Provision shall be made for the control of the launching of the lifeboat from the lifeboat, as well as a device for simultaneously releasing the hooks of the davits under load.
The traditional lifeboat launching device is gravity davits. The launch of the lifeboat takes place under the influence of its weight when the brake of the davits is released. When using closed boats, the brake lever is connected through a system of blocks with a cable to the handle inside the boat. The special design of the launching of the release cable from the drum through the brake lever and through the blocks ensures its release synchronously with the release of the davits and the launching of the lifeboat. This allows the speed of descent from the lifeboat to be adjusted.
Lifeboat supply
All lifeboat supplies should be lashed inside the lifeboat, stored in boxes or compartments, mounted on brackets or similar fasteners, or otherwise secured in an appropriate manner.
However, if the launching of the lifeboat is carried out on hoists, then the lifting hooks should not be secured so that they can be used to push the lifeboat away from the side of the vessel. Supplies should be secured so that they do not interfere with abandonment operations. All lifeboat supplies should be as small and light as possible, and they should be conveniently and compactly packaged.
Except where otherwise specified, the normal equipment of each lifeboat should include:
1 with the exception of free-fall boats, a sufficient number of floating oars to allow the boat to move in calm water. Each oar must be provided with a cochet-type oarlock, swivel oarlock or other equivalent device. The oarlocks must be fastened to the boat with braids or chains;
.2 two striking hooks;
.3 a floating scoop and two buckets;
.4 life-saving instructions;
.5 illuminated or suitably illuminated compass. In fully enclosed lifeboats, the compass should be permanently mounted at the helm position; on all other lifeboats, the compass must be in the binnacle if weather protection is required and must be properly secured;
.6 a buoyant anchor of sufficient size with a jerk-resistant anchor that allows a firm grip when wet. The strength of the buoyant anchor, draft and nyral, if provided, must be sufficient in all sea conditions;
.7 two reliable painters of a length not less than twice the distance from the position of the lifeboat to the waterline at the lightest operating draft of the ship, or 15 m, whichever is greater.
In free-fall lifeboats, both painters must be in the bow of the boat and ready for use.
On all other boats, both bows must be ready for use, with one fixed to the release device, and the other firmly attached to the stem or near it;
.8 two axes, one at each end of the lifeboat;
.9 watertight receptacles containing a total fresh water at the rate of 3 liters for each person from the number of people allowed to be placed on a lifeboat, of which 1 liter of this norm per person can be replaced by water obtained from a desalination apparatus capable of producing a total amount of fresh water within two days, or 2 liters this rate per person can be replaced by water obtained from a hand-operated desalination plant capable of producing the same amount of fresh water for two days;
.10 stainless steel ladle with pin;
.11 stainless graduated drinking vessel;
.12 food ration with a caloric value of not less than 10,000 kJ for each person from the number of people allowed to be placed on the lifeboat; the food ration should be in air-tight packaging and kept in a waterproof container;
.13 four parachute rockets;
.14 six hand flares;
.15 two floating smoke bombs;
.16 one waterproof electric torch suitable for Morse signaling, with one spare set of batteries and one spare bulb, in a waterproof case;
.17 one daytime signaling mirror with instructions for its use for signaling to ships and aircraft;
.18 one copy of the table of rescue signals referred to in regulation V / 16 of the Convention, watertight or watertight;
.19 one whistle or equivalent sound signal;
.20 a first aid kit in a waterproof package that can be closed tightly after opening;
.21 anti-seasickness medication sufficient for at least 48 hours and one hygiene bag for each person;
.22 a folding knife attached to the lifeboat with a string;
.23 three can openers;
.24 two buoyant life rings attached to a buoyant line of at least 30 m in length;
.25 a hand pump of adequate capacity if the boat is not a self-draining type;
.26 one set of fishing tackle;
.27 a sufficient number of tools to make minor adjustments to the engine and related devices;
.28 portable fire extinguisher of an approved type suitable for extinguishing oil fires;
.29 a floodlight with a horizontal and vertical beam sector of at least 6 ″ and a measured light intensity of 2500 cd, capable of illuminating continuously for at least 3 hours;
.30 an effective radar reflector if no radar transponder is installed in the lifeboat;
.31 thermal protective equipment in an amount sufficient for 10% of the number of persons permitted on a lifeboat or two, whichever is greater.
This can happen suddenly. When you sleep in your cabin, or walk with someone on deck. You may feel a strong bump, an explosion that shakes the boat, or a burning smell, or a slight lurch 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 can go out, sirens howl, signal flares fly into the air ...
The topic that I want to touch on is very broad. This is taught in special courses in nautical schools and centers for training and advanced training of seafarers. I physically cannot write everything about survival at sea. I just want to provide an overview of life-saving appliances so that people understand what it is.
Boat water liferaft. 
In the manufacture of an inflatable life raft, they are guided by the international SOLAS convention, so they are all very similar. Inflatable rafts are made from multilayer orange rubberized fabric; they have two buoyancy chambers, two inflatable arches 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 the raft with the full number of survivors afloat. The double bottom, inflated with hand-made fur, provides thermal insulation from water. The rafts have an awning (or even two) that protects people from the external environment. Outside the raft, on the buoyancy chambers, there is a lifeline designed to support those fleeing on the water.
The inflatable raft is stored on deck in a container and secured with a hydrostatic device. To operate the raft, it is necessary to check the attachment of the running end of the launch line to the vessel, disconnect the hydrostatic device by pressing its pedal, throw the raft overboard, select the slack of the launch line, the length of which is equal to double the distance from the installation site to the water, but not less than 15 m , and jerk the line to open the cylinder starting valve. In the inflated state, the raft is attached to the hull of the vessel by means of a launch line, which, after the gas-filling system is activated, plays the role of a falin. 
The raft is fully inflated in 60 seconds. If the raft was not dropped before the sinking of the vessel, then at a depth of 2 to 4 m the hydrostatic device will release a container with positive buoyancy. 
An unopened container that has surfaced to the surface remains attached to the sunken ship. If the depth of the sinking of the vessel exceeds the length of the launch line, then after it has been etched out, the raft will automatically open and after the line breaks (it is notched at the anchorage point on the vessel) it will drift freely.
The rafts are subdivided into coastal Boat coastal liferaft, and offshore-oceanic Boat blue water liferaft... The capacity of the rafts is different, from 1 to 50 or more people. 
The main advantage of liferafts is their compactness during stowed storage and the absence of complex and cumbersome launching devices. As a result, they are primarily used in small craft. Boarding into rafts on low-sided vessels is carried out mainly in the following ways: on a 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 last method is the most unfavorable due to wetting of clothes, which is associated with the subsequent possible hypothermia, as well as the possibility of shark attack.
On high-board vessels, these methods of boarding a raft are difficult to apply. Therefore, large-tonnage vessels of the world fleet began to be equipped with inflatable chutes with inflatable platforms, which allow quick and safe boarding of the raft. 
Inflatable gutters allow 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 should be 50% of the crew. On passenger ships - 25% of the total number of people on board.
In addition to the dumped rafts, there can be inflatable rafts launched by a special crane-beam. In this case, one girder crane serves several rafts, which are brought to it, inflated on the deck, and people are landed here. They lower the raft into the water together with the people. 
The design of the descent raft ensures the landing of all people assigned to it on the cargo ship within no more than 3 minutes. The number of liferafts on a ship is determined by the number of people on board. On a cargo ship, they must be able to accommodate 100% of the people.
The supply of the liferaft includes: 
floating ring with a line at least 30 m long; 
floating knife, safe for cutting the starting line, stored in a pocket on the outside of the awning near the attachment point of the halyard (knife models are different, but always with a blunt tip); 
two floating anchors to reduce the speed of drift with drafts and nirals; 
folding floating oars;
a scoop of rubberized fabric and two sponges to remove water from the raft; 
manual fur for pumping air into the buoyancy chambers and inflatable bottom;
HISs (chemical light sources) 
a set of repair tools (rubber screw plugs, metal plugs, pieces of rubberized fabric and tubes with glue);
set of signaling means:
- four parachute rockets (different colors, but most often green, white, red), 
- six hand flares (various colors), 
- two floating smoke bombs, 
- radar reflector (very useful thing, made of lightweight metallized fabric, which is easily detected by ship radars), 
- electric sealed lantern,
- signal mirror-heliograph with a hole in the middle for better aiming, 
- signal whistle; 
- color / fluorescent marker (colors the water in a bright color well visible from the air) 
first aid kit, 
pills for seasickness, 
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 dispensing water (a very important thing! disciplines and does not allow you to waste water sparingly); 
set of fishing accessories;
individual heat protective equipment (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. The heat protection device covers, with the exception of the face, the entire body of a person wearing a life jacket. Its design allows you to unpack, put on without assistance or take off in the water if it interferes with swimming, in no more than 2 minutes. Each lifeboat and liferaft must have personal thermal protective equipment in the amount of 10% of the people allowed to be accommodated, but not less than two .; 
illustrated table of life-saving signals and instructions for saving life on a liferaft 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 liferafts and boats. 
They may additionally include:
- defibrillator, with a detailed scheme of application 
- rocket launcher (but recently it has been replaced by signal parachute rockets, as more convenient to use) 
- manual distiller 
- solar distiller 
- and even an oxygen tank! 
The main disadvantages of the existing liferafts are their insufficient stability, significant wind drift, and the difficulty of evacuating from the side of a dying vessel.
Lifeboats
The lifeboat is the primary active collective life-saving device designed to rescue the crew and passengers. On newly built ships, as a rule, lifeboats should be of the self-healing type, fully enclosed and motorized. Their motors must be capable of mechanical and manual starting, run or automatically shut down (and then easily start) upside down. The speed of the boat in calm water with a full complement of people and supplies must be at least 6 knots. For vessels in service, the temporary use of non-self-restoring, open and semi-closed lifeboats is allowed. The lifeboats of a cargo ship should be capable of embarking a full number of people in no more than 3 minutes from the moment the landing command is given, as well as quick disembarkation of people from the boat. 
Lifeboats for oil tankers are made fireproof. When the water sprinkling system is working, they withstand the effect of the flame of continuously burning oil for at least 8 minutes when the boat passes the fire zone on the water. These boats are equipped with a compressed air system that ensures the safety of people and the smooth operation of the engine for at least 10 minutes. 
The lifeboats are painted orange on the outside. In the bow, from both sides of the boat, inscriptions are made in Latin letters indicating the name of the vessel, the port of registration, the size of the boat and the number of people allowed to be accommodated. Outside the lifeboat, a floating life line is fixed with sags. Reflective strips are glued along the perimeter of the boat under the fender bar and on the closing deck. Fore and aft
parts of the boat on the upper part of the closure are glued with crosses made of reflective material. 
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 heat them, use floating life rings and individual heat protective equipment (at least two). The radio station of the motorized lifeboat and the portable radiotelephone station are used for communication. 
The number of lifeboats on board the vessel is determined by the area of navigation, the type of vessel and the number of people on the vessel. Cargo ships of unlimited navigation area have lifeboats providing 200% of the ship's crew (100% from each side). Passenger ships have lifeboats on the basis of providing 100% of passengers and crew (50% from each side). 
The dinghy has a more durable, specially shaped hull. After releasing the attachment, the boat slides off the platform, 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 away from it. Since when the dumped boat hits the water, significant overloads occur, all people in the boats take places in specially designed seats with shock-absorbing pads and fasten their seat belts. Experiments carried out in Norway have shown that such a boat can be dropped safely from a height of up to 40 m with a differential of up to 15 and a heel of up to 30 °.
Marine lifeboats subdivided:
By body material - metal (steel or aluminum-magnesium alloys), wood (type-setting or glued) and plastic;
By the type of propulsion unit - oar, sailing and propeller driven (driven by a motor or with a manual mechanical drive);
The shape of the hull is of a whaleboat type, with a transom stern, open and hermetically sealed;
By size.
The dimensions of the boats (Fig. 269) are regulated in accordance with the requirements of the International Organization for Standardization (ISO). The range of lifeboats is based on the minimum ratio of their gross volume to the product of basic dimensions LxBxH not less than 0.64. For a wooden boat, this ratio can be at least 0.6 with a decrease in the number of people accommodated in it.
Standard sizes of domestically produced lifeboats are set depending on the capacity, hull material and propulsion type.
For example, boats USAM-48, USAR-48, SSHPM-48 and SSHPR-48 are designed for 48 people each, have a length of 7.5 m, a width of 2.7 m, a midship depth of 1.1 m, a mass with people and supply 5.5 t (letters mean: WITH- rescue, NS- boat, A- made of aluminum-magnesium alloy, NS- plastic made of fiberglass, R- with manual drive, M- motor, T- tanker).
Tanker lifeboat of domestic production of the UST-30 type (Fig. 270, 271) has a capacity of 30 people, length 8.6 m, width 2.6 m, side height 2.3 m, weight with supply 2.9 t, speed 6 , 2 knots It is made of light alloy, sealed, has hatches for the crew and one more hatch at the ends for access to the lifting hooks. High freeboard, water-gas-tight closure ensure the stability of the boat and protect the crew from water, fire and gas.
The requirements for the design of lifeboats are set out in SOLAS-74 and the Rules of the Russian Register. A lifeboat, which carries the full number of people for which it is designed and has the necessary equipment, must maintain positive stability and an adequate freeboard.
The length of the lifeboat must not be less than 7.3 m, except for cases when, due to the size of the vessel or for other reasons, the installation of such boats is impracticable. In such cases, the length of the boat can be reduced to 4.9 m... The mass of the lifeboat with people and equipment should not exceed 20 T, and the capacity is no more than 150 people.
Lifeboats with a capacity of 60 to 100 persons should be either motorized or mechanically driven by a propeller. Boats with an installed capacity of more than 100 people must be powered only.
The buoyancy must be sufficient to keep the lifeboat and its supplies afloat when flooded with water and open to the sea. In addition, a buoyancy reserve must be provided through the additional volume of waterproof air boxes. The volume of air boxes must be at least 0.1 of the gross volume of the boat. The internal buoyancy of a power-driven lifeboat or motorized lifeboat must be increased to compensate for the weight of the power-driven or motor-driven lifeboat.
The number of persons that can be accommodated on a lifeboat is equal to the largest whole number obtained from dividing the volume of the lifeboat (in m 3) by the number 0.283.
The Register Rules establish additional requirements for the construction of fiberglass boats, motor boats and power-driven boats with propeller-driven propellers.
The hull of the lifeboat made of fiberglass (Fig. 272), as well as the hull of the lifeboat made of light alloy (Fig. 273) must withstand the load without being damaged or undergoing permanent deformations when it hits a rigid vertical wall with a span of 3 m, or when it is dropped into water at full load from a height of 2.5 m.
Power lifeboats shall be equipped with a reversing motor capable of reverse propulsion. The engine power must be such as to ensure a forward speed in calm water of at least 6 knots for passenger boats, oil tankers and fishing vessels, and at least 4 knots for lifeboats of other types of vessels. The fuel reserve must provide the engine operation for at least 24 hours in running mode. The engine must be manually operated for 1 minute under any conditions possible during the operation of the vessel.
Power-driven lifeboats (Fig. 271) with full supply and a regular number of people must have a drive that develops power sufficient to ensure that the boat could pass a distance of at least 150 m in calm water from the "Stop" position in the first two minutes, and on a steady course - in 4 minutes a distance of at least 450 m (have a speed of about 3.5 knots).
The lifeboats of oil tankers must be made in such a way that they can withstand exposure to a flame with a temperature of at least 1200 ° C for at least 10 minutes. While the boat passes the fire zone on the water, the temperature inside the boat must not exceed 60 ° C for at least 5 minutes. The boats must be designed so that they come back to normal from any position. The launching control of the tanker boat must be from inside the boat. The boat must be equipped with a compressed air system that ensures the safety of people and the smooth operation of the engine for at least 10 minutes.
The lifeboat is painted and marked with bright indelible paints. The outside of the boat is usually painted white, the inner surface, gunwale and supplies - orange or light red. All inscriptions on the boat are made in clear letters and signs. In the bow, on both sides, inscriptions are made indicating the name of the vessel, the port of registration, the size of the boat and the number of people that can be accommodated in it. If the vessel is of an unlimited navigation area, the name of the vessel is written in Latin letters in the stern of the boat. The boat number (odd numbers - for boats located on the starboard side, counting from the bow of the vessel, and even - for boats on the port side of the vessel) is applied in the bow of the boat below other inscriptions.
Work boats (Fig. 274) are intended for carrying out ship work from them (inspection and painting of the ship's hull, supply of mooring cables, etc.) and for communication with the shore on closed roads. They have a short length - up to 5.5 m. On cargo ships, work boats can be without internal buoyancy, that is, without air boxes. The supply of work boats includes oars, oarlocks, a rudder with a tiller, a support hook, a lantern, a torch, a bucket for water, a flag and a cover for the boat.
Training boats(Fig. 275) are used on training ships and in maritime educational institutions for training cadets. Usually these are small six-oar whaleboats with an internal buoyancy reserve and with a sail rig consisting of two sails.
According to the size and number of oars, training boats are divided into the following main types:
Rowing boats for 10-14 oars with two-masted rack sail rig;
Six-oared yalas with a single-mast rake-split sail rig (the most common type of boats used for initial marine and physical training and sports events);
Yaly four-oared with rack-split sail rig.
Roller oars on boats. On yawls, roll or swing oars are also standard oars. The sailing equipment of boats and yachts provides them with good tacking qualities, which makes it possible to successfully use these boats for long trips and cadet regattas.
Body design
A number of requirements are imposed on the housing design, 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 on the forward course of the vessel at a speed of 5 knots in calm water.
2) The hull of the lifeboat must be rigid, of non-combustible or non-combustible material.
3) The boat must have a closure on top that protects people from the effects of the external environment:
· If the closure is completely rigid, then such a boat is closed dinghy.
· If part of the cover is a soft awning, then such a boat is partially enclosed dinghy... In this case, the bow and stern ends must be protected by at least 20% of the length by rigid closure elements. The awning is usually made of two layers of waterproof fabric with an air gap. When open, the awning is twisted and fixed above the entrance.
Passenger ships can be equipped with boats of both types, and cargo ships - only with closed type boats (SOLAS-74 Chapter III, regulations 21 and 31).
The placement of partially enclosed lifeboats on passenger ships gives a great advantage in the speed of embarkation of passengers during evacuation.
4) Lifeboats must have a buoyancy sufficient to keep a fully flooded lifeboat with supplies and people in it afloat.
This additional buoyancy is provided by lightweight floating materials that are resistant to sea water and oil products. These buoyancy elements are usually located around the inner perimeter of the boat under the seats.
5) Lifeboats must be stable when they are filled with 50% of the number of people allowed for stowage, sitting in a normal position on one side of its centerline.
6) Enclosed lifeboats shall be self-healing when capsized.
Overturning 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 the device of a fire-protected lifeboat launched on lopars
Seats.
Seats are equipped on transverse and longitudinal banks or fixed seats. Equipment method seats usually associated with the type of boat.
 | Layout of seats in a boat launched on Lapps In a boat launched on Lapps, most of the seats are equipped on banks located along the sides (back to side). On boats of large capacity, when the width allows, additional seats can be equipped on longitudinal banks in the middle (facing the board), or on transverse banks. |
 | Seating layout in a free-fall boat Free-fall boats are fitted with seats with backs and head restraints. They are installed in transverse rows so that people sit facing the stern, which ensures that the back of the person's inertia is taken when the boat enters the water. |
Fully enclosed boats require seat belts to be fitted.
Engine
Each lifeboat must be equipped with an internal combustion engine. The 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 boat, lower the boat into the water with the engine already running and immediately move away from the vessel.
2) The speed of the lifeboat 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 liferaft 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 run 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).
Dehumidification
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 launching water. The valve automatically opens when the boat is out of the water and automatically closes when the boat is afloat. Typically, this task is performed by a float valve.
Each drain valve is equipped with a cap or stopper to close it, attached with a pin or chain next to the valve.
When storing the lifeboat on board the vessel, the drain valve must be open to allow any water that gets into the boat to drain off.
When preparing the boat for launching, the valve must be closed with a cap or plug.
Access to the dinghy
Entrances to the lifeboat are made from both sides and are of such size and position that it is possible to lift people on board the lifeboat in a helpless state, both from the water and on a stretcher.
The lifeboat is arranged and positioned in such a way that all people assigned to the lifeboat can board it:
on a passenger ship - within no more than 10 minutes after giving the command to board; on a cargo ship - within no more than 3 minutes after giving the command to board.
The lifeboat must have a boarding ramp to allow people to climb into the lifeboat from the water. As a rule, the gangway is removable and stored inside the boat.
On the outside, along the sides of the boat, above the waterline (within the reach of a person in the water), a handrail or a lifeline is installed.
If the lifeboat is not self-healing, then the same handrails should be installed in the lower part of the hull so that people can hold onto the overturned lifeboat.
If the ship has partially enclosed lifeboats, their davits should be equipped with a top with at least two life pendants attached to it.
Toprik- a cable stretched between the ends of the davits.
Rescue pendant- vegetable or synthetic rope with musings (knots), used as an emergency means for lowering from the side of the ship into a boat or into the water.
Signal fire
On the upper part of the closure, a signal lamp with a manual switch is installed, giving a constant or flashing (50-70 flashes per minute) white light. Battery charge provides operation for not less than 12 hours.
Emergency lighting
A light source is installed at the top of the boat to provide sufficient lighting to read the instructions. Battery charge provides operation for not less than 12 hours.
