LSA part 1: Carriage requirements for liferafts, lifeboats, marine evacuation systems and rescue boats
The first of four articles covering carriage, inspections and maintenance of LSA
Relevant documents: SOLAS Chapter III, LSA code, MSN 1676
Questions about the LSA carriage requirements are common at OOW level. Examiners want to see you demonstrate a knowledge of the carriage requirements, launching procedures and arrangements, service intervals and maintenance, and ancillary equipment associated with liferafts, lifeboats and rescue boats.
The carriage requirements for life saving appliances (LSA) are given in SOLAS Chapter III. These are incorporated into UK law as the Merchant Shipping (Life Saving Appliances and Arrangements) Regulations 2020.
The technical details of these appliances are contained in the LSA code. The latest edition of this code was published in Q4 2023.
First, a quick note on length. Many of the requirements are based on the length of a vessel. SOLAS Chapter III defines length as:
‘…96% of the total length on a waterline at 85% of the least moulded depth measured from the top of the keel, or the length from the fore-side of the stem to the axis of the rudder stock on that waterline, if that be greater. In ships designed with a rake of keel the waterline on which this is measured shall be parallel to the designed waterline.’
Cargo vessels less than 85m in length
Remember that a ship licensed to carry <12 passengers is a cargo vessel, even if it’s a pleasure yacht. Many small motor yachts fall into this category.
Cargo ships <85m in length other than chemical tankers, oil tankers and gas carriers, as per SOLAS Chapter Regulation 31 must carry:
100% capacity on each side in liferafts
One spare liferaft (50% of capacity) on each side
or
100% capacity on each side in liferafts
One moveable liferaft (<185kg, 50% capacity) that can be moved in five minutes on a single open deck
What does this mean in practice? If a ship is certificated to carry 50 persons, it might carry either:
2 x 25 person liferafts on each side, plus 1 x 25 person liferaft on each side
or
2 x 25 person liferafts on each side, plus 1 x 25 person liferaft (<185kg) midships near the bow
This requirement is so that if one liferaft is lost there is still enough capacity available on either side for the whole ships complement. These liferafts do not need to be davit launched; that’s a requirement only on passenger yachts, for the spares on passenger vessels and on bulk carriers with freefall lifeboats.
Cargo ships where the distance from the extreme end of the stem or stern of the ship to the nearest end of the closest survival craft is more than 100m shall carry, in addition to the liferafts required above, a 6-person liferaft stowed as far forward of aft, or one as far forward and another as far aft, as is reasonable and practicable. Generally, if only one such liferaft is carried, it is carried at the end of the vessel that is furthest from the accommodation.
Installation and securing
Liferafts come packed in their valise (the hard plastic shell), which sits in a cradle and must be capable of being launched by hand. They must be secured by a float free arrangement; this usually means a Stenhouse slip and a hydrostatic release unit (HRU). See MGN 343 for a great deal of relevant information on inflatable liferafts and their securing arrangements.
For the technical specifications and equipment of liferafts see the LSA code Chapter IV - Survival Craft. Note that obviously it isn’t practical to inflate a liferaft to check its contents, so an examiner might ask how you’d know it complies with the regulations? The answer in this case is that you’d look for the SOLAS wheel mark, or the UK Red Ensign mark.
Servicing
All inflatable SOLAS equipment (liferafts, lifejackets and marine evacuation systems) must be serviced every 12 months. See MGN 548. Note that sometimes this can be extended to 30 months for specially packed liferafts.
How long to launch for cargo vessel liferafts and lifeboats?
All survival craft required to provide for abandonment by the total number of persons on board shall be capable of being launched with their full complement of persons and equipment within a period of 10 min from the time the abandon ship signal is given.
Cargo vessels more than 85m in length
These must carry either:
100% capacity in lifeboats on each side
or
100% capacity in a freefall
lifeboat at the stern
This is in addition to the 100% capacity in liferafts on each side plus the spare liferafts required for cargo vessels <85m.
Bulk carriers of over 150m in length will have davit launched rather than throw-over liferafts.
Passenger vessels on international voyages
There are two options for passenger vessels.
Either:
50% of capacity each side in lifeboats
or
37.5% each side in lifeboats and 12.5% each side in davit launched liferafts
This is always in addition to 25% capacity in liferafts, equally split between each side. There needs to be one launching appliance on each side.
Instead of the 12.5% capacity in davit launched liferafts mentioned above, vessels may have a marine evacuation system (MES). Technical details of these are given in the LSA code Chapter VI - 6.2 Marine Evacuation Systems
For a passenger vessel of less than 500GT and with fewer than 200 persons onboard, they can carry either:
100% capacity in inflatable or rigid liferafts on each side (if these are capable of being moved to the other side, on a single deck)
or
150% capacity in inflatable or rigid liferafts on each side.
How long to launch for passenger vessels?
Within 30 minutes of the abandon ship signal being given, with everyone starting at muster stations and wearing lifejackets.
Additional requirements for certain trades
Oil tankers, chemical tankers and gas carriers carrying cargoes having a flash point not exceeding 60°C must carry fire-protected lifeboats.
Chemical tankers and gas carriers carrying cargoes emitting toxic vapours or gases shall carry lifeboats with a self-contained air support system.
Types of lifeboat
Partially enclosed. High capacity and with easy access through roller-style flaps or doors. These permit the maximum ventilation. These are common on cruise ships and on vessels operating in warm waters.
Fully enclosed. Access is through a hatch or sealable door. These are required on oil tankers, chemical tankers and gas carriers. They can have an air supply from a cylinder, and sprinkler systems depending on which type of vessel they are on.
Freefall lifeboats. These are always at the stern of a vessel. No davit is required; they fall straight from their cradle to the sea, at an angle that sees them move clear of the vessel. They can be launched in severe conditions of trim and list.
Rescue vessels. These carry more than 150 persons. Special qualifications are needed to drive these; they are often used as tenders by cruise ships.
Technical requirements for lifeboats are laid out in the LSA code Chapter IV - Survival Craft.
Must carry fuel to run at 6kts for 24 hours
Rescue boats
Cargo vessels must carry at least one rescue boat
Passenger vessels of less than 500 gross tons shall carry at least one rescue boat.
Passenger vessels of 500 gross tons and over must carry at least one rescue boat on each side of the ship.
For the technical requirements for rescue boats, see LSA code Chapter V - Rescue boats. However, to give a quick guide as to how they differ from a lifeboats, they must:
Carry enough fuel to manoeuvre at 6 knots for 4 hours
Be capable of towing the largest liferaft on the ship, fully loaded, at a speed of at least 2 knots
Be capable of carrying five seated persons and one lying on a stretcher, all wearing immersion suits
Stowed in a state of continuous readiness, capable of being launched in not more than five minutes
Capable of being recovered in not more than five minutes
Fast rescue boats
Ro-ro passenger ferries require at least one fast rescue boat.
How does a fast rescue boat differ from a rescue boat?
Capable of manoeuvring for 4 hours at 20 knots with a crew of three
At least two trained and qualified crews (STCW Proficiency in Fast Rescue Boats)
Self righting, or capable of being righted by two of their crew
The lowering speed for a fully equipped fast rescue boat with its full complement of persons on board must not exceed 1 metre per second, the hoisting speed when lifting the fully equipped rescue boat loaded with 6 persons must not be less than 0.8 metres per second.
See section VI of the LSA code for technical details of fast rescue boats and their launching appliances. Understand that fast rescue boats are designed to be deployed and recovered in poor weather conditions.
Service, inspection and test schedules for LSA are covered in a separate article.
MCAQs
What are the carriage requirements for liferafts on a cargo vessel of:
56m, certificated to carry 33 persons?
84m, certificated to carry 45 persons?
275m, certified to carry 39 persons?
What are the requirements for lifeboats and liferafts on a cargo vessel of 95m and with a capacity of 25 persons?
What are the options for carriage of liferafts and lifeboats on a passenger vessel with a capacity of 250 persons? Do all the liferafts need to be davit launched?
What are the different types of lifeboat and on what kinds of vessel would you expect to find them?
Can a rescue boat be a lifeboat? Can a lifeboat be a rescue boat?
What are the launch time criteria for liferafts and lifeboats for passenger vessels? How about for cargo vessels?
What are the carriage requirements for a fast rescue boat?
What differentiates a fast rescue boat from a rescue boat?