Merchant Shipping Act, 1951 (Act No. 57 of 1951)

Schedules

Second Schedule

Protocol of 1978 Relating to the International Convention for the Safety of Life at Sea, 1974

Annex

Chapter III : Live-Saving Appliances, etc.

Part B — Passenger Ships Only

Regulation 29 : Stowage and handling of lifeboats, liferafts and buoyant apparatus
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(a)Lifeboats and liferafts shall be stowed to the satisfaction of the Administration in such a way that—
(i)they can all be launched in the shortest possible time and in not more than 30 minutes;
(ii)they will not impede in any way the prompt handling of any of the other lifeboats, liferafts or buoyant apparatus or the marshalling of the persons on board at the launching stations, or their embarkation;
(iii)the lifeboats, and the liferafts for which approved launching devices are required to be carried, shall be capable of being put into the water loaded with their full complement of persons and equipment even in unfavourable conditions of trim and of 15 degrees of list either way; and
(iv)the liferafts for which approved launching devices are not required to be carried, and the buoyant apparatus, shall be capable of being put into the water even in unfavourable conditions of trim and of 15 degrees of list either way.

 

(b)Every lifeboat shall be attached to a separate set of davits.

 

(c)Lifeboats may only be stowed on more than one deck if proper measures are taken to prevent lifeboats on a lower deck being fouled by those stowed on a deck above.

 

(d)Lifeboats, and liferafts for which approved launching devices are required to be carried, shall not be placed in the bow of the ship. They shall be stowed in such positions as to ensure safe launching having particular regard to clearance from the propeller and steeply overhanging portions of the hull aft.

 

(e)Davits shall be of approved design and shall be suitably placed to the satisfaction of the Administration. They shall be so disposed on one or more decks that the lifeboats placed under them can be safely lowered without interference from the operation of any other davits.

 

(f)Davits shall be as follows:
(i)Luffing or gravity type for operating lifeboats weighing not more than 2300 kilogrammes (2 1/4 tons) in their turning out condition;
(ii)gravity type for operating lifeboats weighing more than 2300 kilogrammes (2 1/4 tons) in their turning out condition.

 

(g)Davits, falls, blocks and all other gear shall be of such strength that the lifeboats can be turned out manned by a launching crew and then safely lowered with the full complement of persons and equipment, with the ship listed to 15 degrees either way and with a 10 degrees trim.

 

(h)Skates or other suitable means shall be provided to facilitate launching the lifeboats against a list of 15 degrees.

 

(i)Means shall be provided for bringing the lifeboats against the ship’s side and there holding them so that persons may be safely embarked.

 

(j)Lifeboats, together with the emergency boats required by Regulation 27 of this Chapter, shall be served by wire rope falls, together with winches of an approved type which, in the case of the emergency boats, shall be capable of quick recovery of those boats. Exceptionally, the Administration may allow manila rope falls or falls of another approved material with or without winches (except that the emergency boats shall be required to be served by winches which are capable of quick recovery of those boats) where they are satisfied that manila rope falls or falls of another approved material are adequate.

 

(k)At least two lifelines shall be fitted to the davit span, and the falls and lifelines shall be long enough to reach the water with the ship at its lightest seagoing draught and listed to 15 degrees either way. Lower fall blocks shall be fitted with a suitable ring or long link for attaching to the sling hooks unless an approved type of disengaging gear is fitted.

 

(l)Where mechanically-powered appliances are fitted for the recovery of the lifeboats, efficient hand gear shall also be provided. Where davits are recovered by action of the falls by power, safety devices shall be fitted which will automatically cut off the power before the davits come against the stops in order to avoid overstressing the wire rope falls or davits.

 

(m)Lifeboats attached to davits shall have the falls ready for service and arrangements shall be made for speedily, but not necessarily simultaneously, detaching the lifeboats from the falls. The point of attachment of the lifeboats to the falls shall be at such height above the gunwale as to ensure stability when lowering the lifeboats.

 

(n)        

(i)In passenger ships engaged on international voyages which are not short international voyages in which there are carried lifeboats and liferafts in accordance with subparagraph (b) (i) of Regulation 27 of this Chapter, there shall be provided approved launching devices sufficient in number in the opinion of the Administration to enable that number of liferafts which, together with the lifeboats, is required in accordance with that subparagraph to provide accommodation for all on board, to be put into the water loaded with the number of persons they are permitted to accommodate, in not more than 30 minutes in calm conditions. Approved launching devices so provided shall, so far as practicable, be distributed equally on each side of the ship and there shall never be less than one such device on each side. No such devices need, however, be provided for the additional liferafts required to be carried by subparagraph (b) (ii) of Regulation 27 of this Chapter for 25 per cent of all on board, but every liferaft carried in accordance with that subparagraph shall, where an approved launching device is provided in the ship, be of a type which is capable of being launched from such a device.
(ii)In passenger ships engaged on short international voyages, the number of approved launching devices to be provided shall be at the discretion of the Administration. The number of liferafts allocated to each such device carried shall not be more than the number which, in the opinion of the Administration, can be put into the water fully loaded with the number of persons they are permitted to carry by that device in not more than 30 minutes in calm conditions.