Relevant documents and M-notices: MGN 560, MSC 402, SOLAS Chapter III
Practical questions on this subject are common at chief mate level. While it may be enough for an OOW candidate to know that these test are required, a chief officer candidate must have a good idea of how to go about conducting them.
Where does the requirement come from?
SOLAS Chapter III Regulation 20 section 11:
Launching appliances shall be:
subject to a thorough examination at the annual surveys required by regulations I/7 or I/8, as applicable
subjected to a dynamic test of the winch brake at maximum lowering speed. The load to be applied shall be the mass of the survival craft or rescue boat without persons on board, except that, at intervals of at least once every five years, the test shall be carried out with a proof load equal to 1.1 times the weight of the survival craft or rescue boat and its full complement of persons and equipment.
Launching appliances are liferaft, lifeboat, rescue boat and fast rescue boat davits. SOLAS Chapter III is made into UK law by The Merchant Shipping (Life-Saving Appliances and Arrangements) Regulations 2020.
Lifeboat and rescue boat release gear, including fast rescue boat release gear and free-fall lifeboat release systems, shall be:
subject to a thorough examination and operational test during the annual surveys
in case of on-load release gear, operationally tested under a load of 1.1 times the total mass of the boat when loaded with its full complement of persons and equipment whenever the release gear is overhauled. Such overhauling and operational test shall be carried out at least once every five years
The release gear needs to be tested to the same level; it makes sense that this happens at the same time.
Davit-launched liferaft automatic release hooks shall be:
subject to a thorough examination and operational test during the annual surveys
operationally tested under a load of 1.1 times the total mass of the liferaft when loaded with its full complement of persons and equipment whenever the automatic release hook is overhauled. Such overhauling and operational test shall be carried out at least once every five years.
Additionally for release gear (from MSC 402):
The operational tests and overhaul at five-year intervals of release gear for lifeboats (including free-fall lifeboats), rescue boats, fast rescue boats and liferafts shall include:
dismantling of hook release units
examinations with regard to tolerances and design requirements
adjustment of release gear system after assembly
operational tests as per paragraphs 6.2.5, 6.2.6, 6.2.7 or 6.2.8 above, as applicable, but with a load equal to 1.1 times the weight of the survival craft or rescue boat and its full complement of persons and equipment
examinations of vital parts with regard to defects and cracks.
And with regards who can do these tests and overhauls:
Five-year thorough examination, any overhaul, overload operational tests, as described in section 6.3, and repair shall be conducted by certified personnel of either the manufacturer or an authorized service provider
Personnel for the work specified shall be certified by the manufacturer or authorized service provider for each make and type of the equipment to be worked on in accordance with the provisions in this section.
To summarise:
The launching apparatus including the winch should be tested once every 5 years.
Release gear (off-load and on-load) should be dismantled and serviced every five years by the manufacturer or a service provider authorised by the manufacturer, and tested every five years or when overhauled.
All of these tests are to a weight of 1.1 x the boat, its fuel and its full complement of persons.
In order to minimise cost and inconvenience it is sensible to arrange to test all of these components at the same time. This requires that we organise the following:
Qualified load-testing personnel. They must have plenty notice in order to prepare water bags, a pump, a load cell etc.
Personnel to carry out the non-destructive testing, if the load testing personnel mentioned above are unable to provide this service.
An MCA surveyor or authorised class surveyor.
Ships personnel to assist with the operation.
Certification to be available for the surveyor to check prior to carrying out the tests.
Additionally, we should have ships personnel prepare the metalwork around the davit base for non-destructive testing (NDT).
Getting ready
The five-year operational test of the winches of the launching appliances shall be carried out with a proof load equal to 1.1 times the weight of the survival craft or rescue boat and its full complement of persons and equipment. When the proof load has reached its maximum lowering speed, the brake shall be abruptly applied. 6.3.2 Following these tests, the stressed structural parts shall be reinspected where the structure permits the re-inspection.
In the case of rescue boats, fast rescue boats and lifeboats, arrange to have the boat landed ashore. Chip the paint from where the davit meets its pedestal.
Once the boat is safely ashore, remove the release gear and send this off for servicing. Instead of waiting for the same unit to come back, it is common to receive a unit that has just undergone its 5-yearly service and to fit this. If the falls are due to be replaced, do this now, then once the release gear has been fitted put the boat back in its cradle.
Arrange for all requisite persons to attend the vessel on a suitable day. Make sure maintenance records and certification for the following are available:
The davits
The boat
The falls
The release gear
The day of the test
So that the figure of 1.1 x the boat, its complement and equipment can be calculated, the boat must be weighed. This is to ensure that it has not absorbed water or otherwise changed in weight and will be done using a calibrated load cell. Make sure that the bilges are dry before doing this.
The surveyor will check over the certification for all components of the system; the boat, the release gear, the falls and the davit.
A competent person must carry out a thorough inspection of components of the system to ensure that they are in good condition and suitable to be tested.
The boat should be brought to the embarkation position and loaded with weights until the total weight amounts to a load of 1.1 times the weight of the boat when fully loaded with its complement of persons and equipment. This is usually done using water bags and the weight monitored using a calibrated load cell fitted between the falls and the boat.
No-one must enter the boat once 70% of test weight has been reached.
The boat must then be put into the ‘ready to launch’ position and allowed to reach maximum speed on the centrifugal brake before applying the mechanical brake to bring it to a stop.
On-load release gear should be tested with the boat in the water but with its weight still supported by the falls and the hydrostatic interlock not activated. Crew should now enter the boat from a second tender and the gear should then be released, allowing the boat to be supported by the water. Only minimal crew, well-equipped with PPE, should be in the boat for this operation. The boat should never be dropped from clear of the water.
Once the test is complete the excess weight must be removed from the boat, usually by using a pump to empty the water bags. The boat, without anyone in it, must be recovered to the vessel and secured so that a competent person can carry out a thorough inspection of the boat, the release gear, the falls, the winch, the sheaves and the davit to ensure that no damage was sustained during the test.
A non-destructive test should now be carried out, with the results of the test recorded on a test certificate produced by the competent person and signed by the witnessing authorised person. Non-destructive testing can be done by ultrasonic testing, magnetic particle inspection (MPI), or dye penetrant testing. Typically this will focus on stress points on the davit and around the base of the davit.
When testing davits used for davit-launched liferafts, a water bag is used in liu of the liferaft.
Acceptable alternatives
It is possible to test the boat and davits separately; this is often done in dry-dock. This must be agreed beforehand with the lead surveyor for the vessel.
Before departure
The boat, davit and all associated components of the launch and recovery system must be checked by the officer in charge (usually the chief officer) before being brought back into service.
The paperwork
MSC 402:
All reports and checklists shall be completed and signed by the person who carries out the inspection and maintenance work and countersigned by the Company's representative or the ship's master.
Records of maintenance, thorough examination, operational testing, overhaul and repair shall be updated and filed on board the ship for the service life of the equipment.
When thorough examination, operational testing, overhaul and repair are completed, a statement confirming that the lifeboat arrangements remain fit for purpose shall be promptly issued by the manufacturer or authorized service provider that conducted the work. A copy of valid documents of certification and authorization as appropriate shall be included with the statement.
All documentation should be kept in the masters certificates onboard. The date of the test should be recorded in the vessels planned maintenance system and in the masters notes so that the next five-yearly test may be scheduled closer to the time.
MCAQs
You are chief officer on a 220m cargo ship and you will be in port for a ten-day maintenance period, then again in two weeks time. The five-yearly load tests of your launching appliances are due soon; who do you inform, what do you schedule? Are there any considerations with regards to which side is alongside? How will you ensure that all launching appliances get tested?
Who needs to be present for five-yearly load tests?
Is it acceptable to recover a boat to the vessel with the test weights still in it?
Who can service/overhaul off-load release gear?