Life Saving Appliances — Most Asked Questions
43 questions asked about life saving appliances across the Fn 3 and General papers, heaviest first.
Learn the system first
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1 Life boat static and dynamic testing
Also asked: “Lifeboat static dynamic load test”, “Static and dynamic testing of lifeboat”, “Static and dynamic loading test of lifeboat”
Answer
The brake is proved stopped and moving: static with 150% load held, dynamic by stopping a 110% boat at full lowering speed within a metre.
- Static test: hoist the boat 50–100 mm with 150% of maximum load on the brake — it must hold.
- Dynamic test: lower at maximum speed with 110% load and slam the handbrake — travel after braking not more than 1 m.
- Centrifugal brake proved with 110% load to hold lowering speed at or below 36 m/min; roller ratchet must lock the drum if hoisting power fails.
- Design proof behind it: launch with ship making 5 knots, at 10° trim and 20° list, recovery of the rescue boat within 5 minutes.
Surveyor follow-up: dynamic travel is 1.5 m with a new brake liner — brake, falls or load, and what do you check first?
Full theory: Lifeboat Davits and Davit Winches — Gravity Lowering and Two Brakes -
2 Lsa in lifeboat
Also asked: “Lsa in life boat”, “Lsa equipment in lifeboat”
Answer
A lifeboat carries water, food, signals and tools for her full complement: 3 litres of water and 10,000 kJ of food per person, plus flares, smoke and a torch.
- Water 3 litres per person in watertight receptacles — part may be replaced by a desalting apparatus making the same in 2 days; dipper and graduated vessel with it.
- Food 10,000 kJ per person in airtight packing inside a watertight container.
- Signals: 4 rocket parachute flares, 6 hand flares, 2 buoyant smoke signals, daylight mirror, waterproof torch with spare batteries and bulb, whistle, life-saving signals card.
- Tools and comfort: buoyant oars, first-aid kit, 48-hour seasickness kit per person, jack-knife on lanyard, tin-openers, rescue quoits on 30 m lines, manual pump if not self-bailing, fishing tackle.
Surveyor follow-up: water receptacles hold 2 litres per person with no desalinator — compliant or deficient?
Full theory: LSA Chapter 3: Line Throwing, EEBD & SCABA -
3 Type of lifeboat
Also asked: “Types of life boat”, “Type of life buoy”
Answer
Lifeboats run open, partially enclosed, totally enclosed, and free-fall — modern ships carry enclosed boats that survive fire and capsize.
- Open boats are obsolete except on old tonnage — no roof, oar or small engine, helpless in bad weather.
- Totally enclosed boats with hatches, seatbelts and self-righting shape are the standard cargo-ship boat.
- Variants add self-contained air, fire protection with sprinklers, and free-fall launching from the stern ramp.
- Every boat carries a certificate of approval with maker, model, serial, date and persons allowed.
Surveyor follow-up: why is a free-fall boat sited aft, and what ramp details does its certificate state?
Full theory: LSA Chapter 3: Line Throwing, EEBD & SCABA -
4 Lifeboat lowering procedure
Also asked: “Lift raft lowering procedure”, “Lowering of lifeboat”, “Lifeboat lowering Procedure Critical equipment”
Answer
Lowering is gripes off, painter made fast, crew aboard, brake eased — davit arms out, falls even, splashdown controlled by brake and centrifugal governor.
- Switch on davit power, release gripes and lashings, swing arms to the embarkation position and embark with belts on.
- Make the painter fast forward, check hooks and falls clear, release the brake smoothly — never in jerks.
- Centrifugal brake caps lowering speed while the hand brake holds at any point, even on power failure.
- At the water release on-load or off-load per drill, clear the falls, and stream the painter — recover the same way in reverse.
Surveyor follow-up: one fall runs faster than the other mid-lowering — brake on, brake off, or let go?
Full theory: Lifeboat Davits and Davit Winches — Gravity Lowering and Two Brakes -
5 Life raft regulation
Also asked: “Life boat regulations”
Answer
Rafts live float-free: marked container, painter and weak link rigged, HRU serviced yearly, launched manual or automatic.
- Container marked with maker, serial, manufacture and service dates, painter length, max stowage height and launching instructions.
- Stowed float-free with HRU and weak link — the ship may sink but the raft still surfaces and inflates.
- Launch manual by lashing off, painter made fast and throw, or automatic by HRU at depth.
- Serviced yearly by approved stations with pressure relief, canopy, stabilising pockets and full equipment check.
Surveyor follow-up: painter led to the rail but not secured — manual or float-free launch, and what fails first?
Full theory: LSA Chapter 4: Life Rafts — Capacity, Equipment & Launching -
6 Eebd and scaba
Also asked: “Scba and eebd”
Answer
EEBD buys ten minutes to escape; SCBA buys thirty-plus minutes to work — one is a hood, the other a full set.
- EEBD: hood with at least 10 minutes of air for escape from smoke or gas — never for firefighting or tank entry.
- SCBA: full face mask and cylinder for firefighting and rescue, about 30 minutes working air with low-pressure alarm.
- EEBD checks monthly: needle in green, case clean, expiry inside 15-year life, never opened except for use.
- SCBA checks before donning: cylinder pressure, leak-down under 20 bar per minute, demand valve on the mask, alarm at 50–60 bar.
Surveyor follow-up: EEBD or SCBA for a quick entry to grab a man from a smoky compartment?
Full theory: LSA Chapter 1: Categories of LSA & Personal Life-Saving Appliances -
7 Lifeboat davit safeties
Answer
Davit safeties hold the boat at every stage: gripes in stow, limit switch at the top, centrifugal brake on the way down, harbour pin in harbour.
- Falls wire the boat to the winch with lowering speed capped at 36 metres per minute by the centrifugal brake.
- Hoisting slower than 0.3 metres per second proves the winch; the upper limit switch stops the hook before the sheave.
- Dead-man handle, harbour pin and gripes lock the boat stowed against rolling and pitching.
- Launch proved at 20 degrees list and 10 degrees trim — falls turned end-for-end on schedule and renewed before wastage.
Surveyor follow-up: upper limit switch fails its test with the boat halfway — hoist, lower or secure first?
Full theory: Lifeboat Davits and Davit Winches — Gravity Lowering and Two Brakes -
8 Diff between eebd and scba
Also asked: “Eebd and scaba diff”
Answer
EEBD buys ten minutes to escape; SCBA buys thirty-plus minutes to work — one is a hood, the other a full set.
- EEBD hood with at least 10 minutes of air for escape from smoke or gas — never for firefighting or tank entry.
- SCBA full face mask and cylinder for firefighting and rescue with low-pressure alarm near 50–60 bar.
- EEBD checks monthly: needle in green, case clean, expiry inside 15-year life, never opened except for use.
- SCBA checks before donning: pressure, leak-down, demand valve and alarm proved on the mask.
Surveyor follow-up: EEBD or SCBA for a quick entry to grab a man from a smoky compartment?
Full theory: LSA Chapter 1: Categories of LSA & Personal Life-Saving Appliances -
9 Life boat on load and off load release mechanism
Also asked: “Lifeboat regulation onload & offload release mechanism”
Answer
Off-load releases only waterborne with no hook load; on-load releases under full load with crew aboard.
- Off-load trips when the boat floats and falls go slack — the hydrostatic piston lifts and frees the hooks.
- On-load releases under up to 1.1 times full load from inside the boat, guarded against accidental use.
- Hung hooks after waterborne get freed by hand — never forced under load.
- Reset, test and pin both modes on schedule; a disabled off-load in a fire traps the boat.
Surveyor follow-up: boat waterborne but hooks holding — on-load or off-load release, and what first?
Full theory: Lifeboat Davits and Davit Winches — Gravity Lowering and Two Brakes -
10 Write ref to gravity lifeboat davits state the purpose of the following
Answer
Gravity davits lower by weight and hold by brake: arms swing her out, falls lower her, brake and switches guard the drop.
- Davit arms carry the boat from stowed to embarkation position on gravity with lashings off.
- Falls lower embarked crew to the water on the centrifugal brake capped near 36 metres per minute.
- Winch, hand brake and upper limit switch stage the descent — brake holds at any point on power loss.
- Pendant, painter and harbour pin complete the fit: painter made fast forward, pin in for harbour stow.
Surveyor follow-up: one fall runs faster than the other mid-lowering — brake on, brake off, or let go?
Full theory: Lifeboat Davits and Davit Winches — Gravity Lowering and Two Brakes -
11 Life boat launching
Answer
Launch by gravity and brake: power on, lashings off, arms out, crew aboard, brake eased, painter guiding her clear.
- Switch on davit power, derig lashings and traverse wires, hook falls and close the hatch.
- Swing arms to embarkation, embark with belts on, make the painter fast forward.
- Ease the brake smoothly — centrifugal governor caps the fall with hand brake holding at any point.
- At the water release on-load or off-load per drill, clear falls and stream the painter off the bow.
Surveyor follow-up: one fall runs faster than the other mid-lowering — brake on, brake off, or let go?
Full theory: LSA Chapter 3: Line Throwing, EEBD & SCABA -
12 Lifeboat engine regulations
Also asked: “Regulations of lifeboat”
Answer
Lifeboat engines are compression-ignition above 43 degrees flash: hand-started on dual energy with five minutes flooded running.
- No petrol aboard — diesel only with flash point above 43 closed-cup.
- Hand starting with two independent rechargeable sources, operable five minutes after cold start.
- Runs flooded to the crankshaft centreline with disengageable shaft, guarded exhaust and fuel for the voyage.
- Proved by starting drills with neutral, ahead and astern proved before lowering.
Surveyor follow-up: petrol outboard offered as a lifeboat engine — accept it, and under which regulation?
Full theory: LSA Chapter 3: Line Throwing, EEBD & SCABA -
13 Mob marker, how different from simple lifebuoy ,what color of light it have
Answer
The MOB marker is a lifebuoy with smoke and light: orange smoke by day, flashing light by night, marking the man, not floating him.
- Bridge-wing unit on a 4 kg buoy with lanyard — thrown the instant the fall is seen.
- Dense orange smoke at least 15 minutes by day with a 2-candela flashing light burning 2 hours by night.
- Water entry fires 10 seconds of fully-immersed smoke; 5 kN line on 8 mm non-kinking rope holds the swimmer.
- Auto or manual release with bracket serviced — a plain lifebuoy floats the man, the marker finds him.
Surveyor follow-up: smoke weak with the light strong — battery, canister or stowage, and what do you renew?
Full theory: LSA Chapter 3: Line Throwing, EEBD & SCABA -
14 Things carried in life raft and its capacity
Answer
Rafts carry water, food, signals and tools per head: 3 litres and 10,000 kJ each with flares, mirror, raft and repair kit.
- Water 3 litres per person with part replaceable by desalting output over two days; dipper and measure beside it.
- Food 10,000 kJ per person palatable, divisible and airtight in watertight stowage.
- Signals are rocket flares, mirror, waterproof torch with spares, whistle and signal card with radar reflector or transponder.
- Tools close the list: fishing kit, repair outfit, pump, paddles and first-aid with seasickness cover.
Surveyor follow-up: water short with a desalinator aboard — compliant or not, and what output proves it?
Full theory: LSA Chapter 4: Life Rafts — Capacity, Equipment & Launching -
15 Lifeboat engine requirements
Answer
Lifeboat engines start by hand and run flooded: compression-ignition above 43°C flash, five minutes awash, ahead-neutral-astern.
- Compression-ignition only with fuel flash point above 43°C closed-cup — no volatile spirit aboard.
- Hand or dual independent stored-energy starting with the shaft disengaged to neutral for the first crank.
- Runs five minutes minimum after cold start and keeps running flooded to the crankshaft centreline.
- Exhaust led against water entry with ahead and astern power proved weekly and fuel kept full for the drill load.
Surveyor follow-up: engine starts but dies flooded at the crankshaft line — fuel, exhaust or cooling, and what test proves it?
Full theory: LSA Chapter 5: Lifeboats — Types, Engine, Davit & Drills -
16 Describe the routine testing required for self-contained breathing apparatus sets
Answer
SCBA sets live tested: monthly pressures and alarms, annual face and function, cylinders proved and logged.
- Gauge every cylinder monthly for full charge with valves proved shut and straps, harness and facepiece sound.
- Function-test demand valves, bypasses and low-pressure whistles that must sound before air runs out.
- Inspect hoses, seals and backplates for cracks and perishing; reject dented, corroded or leaking bottles for retest.
- Log pressures with dates and rotate drill use so no set sits charged and forgotten until the emergency.
Surveyor follow-up: gauge full with the whistle silent and the face seal cracked — charged, serviceable or failed?
Full theory: LSA Chapter 3: Line Throwing, EEBD & SCABA -
17 Rocket parachute regulation
Answer
Parachute rockets are the ship’s long-range flare: SOLAS-counted signals in every lifeboat, liferaft station and on the bridge.
- Carry the SOLAS count by ship length and station — bridge, lifeboats and liferafts each hold their allocation.
- Stow dry, dated and in date with firing instructions pictorial at the locker — expired signals fail the survey.
- Fire vertically for the full parachute hang raining red stars that outlast hand flares for rescue homing.
- Prove by expiry log and muster knowledge — the surveyor asks the lookout, not the master, how to fire one.
Surveyor follow-up: rockets expired last month with replacements ordered ashore — sail, land or downgrade operations?
Full theory: LSA Chapter 2: Pyrotechnics, VHF, SART, EPIRB & GMDSS -
18 Scba check before wearing
Also asked: “Checks on scba before donning”
Answer
Donning checks prove air before entry: full cylinder, no leak-down, demand valve alive, whistle sounding, face seal tight.
- Open the cylinder and read pressure against test pressure near 250 bar — recharge flat bottles, never enter soft.
- Close the valve and watch for leak-down: more than 20 bar per minute means a pneumatic leak to fix first.
- Breathe down with the valve shut to prove the demand valve, then run to 50–60 bar so the whistle sounds.
- Seat the facemask for a positive seal with harness, lifeline and bypass valve proved before crossing the threshold.
Surveyor follow-up: gauge full with the whistle silent and the mask leaking at the cheek — charged, serviceable or failed?
Full theory: LSA Chapter 3: Line Throwing, EEBD & SCABA -
19 Specially arrangement for tanker lifeboats
Answer
Tanker lifeboats are totally enclosed and fire-protected: heat shields, spray cover and independent air over a standard enclosed boat.
- Totally enclosed construction with hatches and buoyancy intact through fire, spray and capsize drill.
- Fire protection by insulation with water-spray cover and air supply so the crew breathes while flames pass.
- Fuel, storage and pumps guarded against physical damage with remote shutdown from a safe position.
- Stowed for 20° list and 10° trim launching with falls and davits proved — tankers add foam cover on deck for the embarkation zone.
Surveyor follow-up: spray system dry with air bottles flat on a tanker boat — enclosed or fire-protected, and what now?
Full theory: LSA Chapter 5: Lifeboats — Types, Engine, Davit & Drills -
20 Survival craft and rescue boat diff
Answer
Survival craft keep you alive adrift; rescue boats fetch the man overboard and marshal the rafts — different build, different drill.
- Survival craft are lifeboats, liferafts and capsules sized to 150 persons maximum, launched loaded with full complement in minutes.
- Rescue boats are small, fast and manoeuvrable — rigid, inflated or combined for 5 seated plus 1 lying, 6 knots with 2 knots towing.
- A lifeboat may double as a rescue boat only where it meets rescue-boat rules for speed, handling and recovery.
- Cargo ships carry at least one rescue boat; passenger ships one per side above 500 gross tons.
Surveyor follow-up: lifeboat accepted as rescue boat with no towing trial logged — compliant or paper compliance?
Full theory: SOLAS Chapter III — Life-Saving Appliances & Arrangements -
21 battery specification lifeboat
Also asked: “Specification of battery”
Answer
Lifeboat batteries start the engine cold and dark: two independent sets, each good for six starts in 30 minutes with two inside ten.
- Two rechargeable sets kept fully charged, either of which starts the boat alone — hand starting stays available besides.
- Each set proves six starts within 30 minutes and at least two within ten before acceptance.
- Engine and reserve fuel tanks kept full for 3 and 15 hours running respectively before every voyage.
- Prove weekly by starting ahead and astern with lights and search gear on the same load the drill uses.
Surveyor follow-up: one set flat with the other proving four starts in 30 minutes — serviceable, charge or renew before sailing?
Full theory: LSA Chapter 5: Lifeboats — Types, Engine, Davit & Drills -
22 Checks in scba
Answer
SCBA checks are a sequence: full cylinder, no leak-down, demand valve alive, whistle sound and the mask sealing.
- Open the cylinder and read pressure against test pressure of 250 bar — a soft set is recharged, not carried.
- Close the valve and watch the gauge: more than 20 bar per minute of drop is a pneumatic leak to fix before entry.
- Breathe on the demand valve with the cylinder shut to prove it, then run to 50–60 bar so the whistle sounds.
- Seal the facemask for positive pressure with the harness and bypass valve proved, and log cylinder and date.
Surveyor follow-up: gauge full with the whistle silent and the mask leaking at the cheek — charged, serviceable or failed?
Full theory: LSA Chapter 3: Line Throwing, EEBD & SCABA -
23 Dynamic aur static test for lifeboat
Answer
The static test loads the brake, the dynamic test stops the boat: one proves holding power, the other proves control.
- Static test: hoist the boat loaded to 150% of its maximum loading, release the handbrake and see if it holds.
- Dynamic test: lower at maximum speed with 110% maximum load and apply the brake — travel after application is the figure read.
- The roller ratchet is proved in the static test, locking the brake drum until the cam is moved by lifting the lever.
- Falls are turned end-for-end within 30 months and renewed within 5 years or earlier if deteriorated — both are test-adjacent duties.
Surveyor follow-up: boat lowered on 110% load with brake travel beyond limits — adjust, repair or condemn the brake?
Full theory: Lifeboat Davits and Davit Winches — Gravity Lowering and Two Brakes -
24 Freefall lifeboat maximum launching speed
Answer
Free-fall boats are certified for a stated ship speed, and the craft must survive entry at that speed and at trim and list.
- The certificate states the free-fall certification height, the required ramp length and the ramp angle.
- Survival after entry is proved against trim up to 10 degrees and list up to 20 degrees from the certification height.
- Proved for four loadings: full complement, occupants right forward, occupants right aft, and operating crew only.
- Oil, chemical and gas carriers with heel beyond the stability criterion need craft proved for the worst heel the ship can reach.
Surveyor follow-up: free-fall boat certified at a height the ship cannot launch from — requalify, re-ramp or replace?
Full theory: LSA Chapter 5: Lifeboats — Types, Engine, Davit & Drills -
25 How to fill scba onboard
Answer
SCBA cylinders are charged with a dedicated compressor through a yoke and a charge connection, never by pouring.
- Use the charging unit to fill from a cool, dry source with the cylinder valve closed and the connection hand-tight.
- Charge to the maker’s full pressure — around 200 to 250 bar is typical — watching the gauge, not by ear.
- Close the cylinder, bleed the connection and the yoke, then record the pressure and date against the set’s register.
- A cylinder that cannot be brought to full pressure is condemned for hydrostatic test — never carried as a usable set.
Surveyor follow-up: set charged to 180 bar with the compressor rated higher — usable, or recharge to the maker’s figure?
Full theory: LSA Chapter 3: Line Throwing, EEBD & SCABA -
26 Launching of free fall?
Answer
Free-fall launching is gravity and one lever: lash the boat on, release the hooks, and let the ramp do the rest.
- Brow the boat down to the ramp, engage the lashings and prove the hooks are connected and the pins out.
- Close the hatch, clear the ramp and give the order — the boat is released and gravity takes it down the slope.
- No winch and no falls are involved, so nothing can fail between the order and the water.
- Recover by winch or forklift after use, then re-lash and re-check before the boat is declared ready again.
Surveyor follow-up: boat released with one hook not connected — recover, reconnect and re-inspect, or lower as planned?
Full theory: LSA Chapter 5: Lifeboats — Types, Engine, Davit & Drills -
27 Lb davit safeties
Answer
Davit safeties exist because boats get launched by mistake: limit switches, blocks and locks make the wrong launch impossible.
- Switch on hydraulic power and take the lever to the correct position before the boat is walked out.
- Limit switch prevents the falls locking in mid-air if a lift is interrupted, so the boat can still be lowered.
- Blocks and lashings hold the boat at rest; a safety pin or bypass on the release lever stops an accidental drop.
- Davits are proved to launch at 20 degrees of list and 10 degrees of trim, with a limit switch preventing the falls from running out.
Surveyor follow-up: safety pin left in after a drill and the boat due away in ten minutes — which check should have caught it?
Full theory: Lifeboat Davits and Davit Winches — Gravity Lowering and Two Brakes -
28 Life boat and life raft
Answer
Lifeboats are vessels launched on davits; liferafts are canopies shot down from a stowage position — same purpose, different gear.
- Lifeboats are open or enclosed craft with an engine, launched and recovered by davits under crew control.
- Liferafts are inflatable or rigid canopies with no crew, released by a hydrostatic or painter pull and boarded from the sea.
- Boats carry 25% to 150% of their capacity depending on type; rafts are sized to the persons on board with a painter light.
- Liferafts must be certified to survive 30 days afloat; boats are built to be launched, towed and recovered.
Surveyor follow-up: raft intended to tow a lifeboat at 2 knots with no painter light fitted — does it answer the drill?
Full theory: LSA Chapter 4: Life Rafts — Capacity, Equipment & Launching -
29 Life boat releasing method?
Answer
Boat release is two-armed: on-load for the loaded case, off-load with a hydrostatic piston once she is waterborne.
- Off-load releases only waterborne or unloaded — water pressure lifts the piston, moves the lever and trips the hooks.
- A safety pin disables the off-load mechanism where piston failure would threaten, allowing on-load release instead.
- On-load releases the boat with people aboard, and the LSA Code requires it protected to 1.1 times the loaded mass.
- If the hooks do not detach, anyone can unhook manually — except in a fire, where nobody goes out on the deck.
Surveyor follow-up: boat floating with hooks still attached and a fire aloft — manual unhook, jettison the boat, or fight the fire?
Full theory: LSA Chapter 5: Lifeboats — Types, Engine, Davit & Drills -
30 Life raft static and dynamic test ?
Answer
Liferafts are proved at survey and serviced on a schedule, not tested at sea: the static and dynamic checks belong ashore.
- Static checks cover the canopy, inflation cylinder, painter and packing on the annual or service-station inspection.
- Dynamic proving is the inflation and float test with crew weight, carried out at a service station under the code.
- Inflatable rafts go to a service station for hydrostatic testing, and disposable types are inspected at intervals.
- Aboard, the check is dated, the hydrostatic release is in date and the painter light is working — the rest happens ashore.
Surveyor follow-up: raft with a last service date four years old and the hydrostat in date — serviceable or reject?
Full theory: LSA Chapter 4: Life Rafts — Capacity, Equipment & Launching -
31 Lifeboat and liferaft reg and how will u launch
Answer
LSA and SOLAS govern both: boats by davit launch in sections, rafts by painter drop, each to its own release.
- Liferafts are launched by pulling the painter, which fires the hydrostat and inflates the canopy ready for boarding.
- Lifeboats are lowered by gravity or davits, released by on-load or off-load gear and entered through their hatches.
- Both are counted in the survival craft certificate with their capacity, service date and release arrangement stated.
- Davit launching must be completed in about three minutes for the full embarkation load, and drills prove it.
Surveyor follow-up: painter line cut on the raft during a drill — replace the painter, re-certify, or reload the raft?
Full theory: SOLAS Chapter III — Life-Saving Appliances & Arrangements -
32 Lifeboat lowering and what you will check as the incharge of lifeboat
Answer
The coxswain checks people, gear, doors and falls in that order — then lowers by hand until the painter is out.
- Crew seated with lifejackets on, belts fastened, grab handles held, and the coxswain in the boat before it moves.
- Hatches closed, bypasses shut, safety pins out of the release lever, and the falls released from their lashings.
- With hydraulic power on and the lever in the lower position, walk the boat down steadily — the brake controls the rate.
- Brow the boat out first if it is not a free-fall type, then lower and keep the painter clear as the boat goes.
Surveyor follow-up: boat lowered with the hatch open and the painter in the falls — stop the descent or recover the boat?
Full theory: Lifeboat Davits and Davit Winches — Gravity Lowering and Two Brakes -
33 Lifeboat lsa we need to carry
Answer
A lifeboat carries its own survival kit: pyrotechnics, flares, a searchlight, food, water and first aid for the complement.
- Each boat stows 4 rocket parachutes, 6 hand flares and 2 buoyant smoke signals with dated stowage.
- Add a searchlight, a line-throwing appliance in the right position, sea anchors and a painter of adequate length.
- Food and fresh water for the number of persons, plus a first-aid outfit and a container with the ship’s particulars.
- A fire extinguisher, a bucket, boat hook and fog signal complete the outfit the surveyor will count item by item.
Surveyor follow-up: boat with dated pyrotechnics but no fog signal or sea anchor — serviceable, or short an entry?
Full theory: LSA Chapter 5: Lifeboats — Types, Engine, Davit & Drills -
34 Lifeboat testing (static and dynamic). Where it is done and why not onboard
Answer
Lifeboat tests are done ashore at approval and servicing stations — a fully loaded boat cannot be dropped at sea to prove a brake.
- Static test hoists the boat loaded to 150% of maximum and releases the brake to prove it holds.
- Dynamic test lowers at maximum speed with 110% load and applies the handbrake, reading the travel after application.
- These are proving tests on the boat and its davit, performed under survey at an approved station.
- Aboard, the equivalent duty is the weekly and monthly drill — proving the crew, not the certified lifting capacity.
Surveyor follow-up: boat overdue for its five-yearly survey with weekly drills logged — compliant, or detained?
Full theory: Lifeboat Davits and Davit Winches — Gravity Lowering and Two Brakes -
35 Lsa equipment carried on lifeboat (main u have to tell epirb ,sart
Answer
The boat carries its own signals and equipment: EPIRB and SART for locating the boat, plus flares, light, water and food.
- EPIRB and SART are carried so a survivor in the boat can be located from the surface or by radar.
- Pyrotechnics stay with the boat — 4 rocket parachutes, 6 hand flares, 2 smoke signals — plus the line-throwing appliance.
- A searchlight, sea anchors, painter, bailing arrangements and a bucket cover the practical survival of a disabled boat.
- Food, water and first aid for the complement, with the ship’s particulars in a waterproof container.
Surveyor follow-up: boat with EPIRB fitted but no SART and one SART left on the bridge — is the boat still adequate?
Full theory: LSA Chapter 5: Lifeboats — Types, Engine, Davit & Drills -
36 Markings on lifeboat (is makers name is there
Answer
Markings are proof of identity and capacity: the ship’s name and port on the bow, the number visible from above, capacity in clear characters.
- The number of persons for which the lifeboat is approved is clearly marked in clear permanent characters.
- The ship’s name and port of registry go on each side of the bow in block capitals of the Roman alphabet.
- The ship identification and the lifeboat number are marked so they are visible from above.
- Rafts carry the maker’s name, serial number, date of manufacture, approving authority, last service station and capacity over each entrance.
Surveyor follow-up: boat capacity marked on the underside only and the bow lettering faded — what does the surveyor raise?
Full theory: LSA Chapter 5: Lifeboats — Types, Engine, Davit & Drills -
37 Rescue boat criteria
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38 Rescue boat solas reg
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39 Safeties in lifeboat
Answer
Boat safeties are the gear that keeps a launch an order and not an accident: pins, clips, covers, lights and a painter.
- A safety pin or seal on the release lever stops the boat dropping without an order, and it stays out only during launching.
- Bailers, a fire extinguisher and a bucket cover the mishaps of a crowded, fuelled, powered craft.
- A watertight lamp, navigation light and a searchlight keep the boat visible and findable on the water.
- The painter is secured inside, not to the ship, so the boat is never held back when she must go.
Surveyor follow-up: release pin still in after the boat is aboard from a drill — re-arm for service or re-drill first?
Full theory: LSA Chapter 5: Lifeboats — Types, Engine, Davit & Drills -
40 Scab and eebd area of use
Answer
SCBA and EEBD are not rivals: the set is for fighting in an atmosphere, the escape set only for getting out of one.
- SCBA is a full breathing set with its own cylinder for entry into smoke, toxic or oxygen-deficient atmospheres.
- EEBD is a lightweight escape-only hood giving about 15 minutes for a quick move out of a smoke-filled space.
- EEBDs must be ready for immediate use at easily visible places in machinery spaces, placed by layout and crew numbers.
- Number and location are shown on the fire control plan and the sets comply with the FSS Code guidance.
Surveyor follow-up: crew sent in with an EEBD instead of a set — recall them, or does the atmosphere decide?
Full theory: LSA Chapter 3: Line Throwing, EEBD & SCABA -
41 What kind liferaft was there
Answer
Two kinds: inflatable canopies for most ships, rigid capsules for ships where an open raft will not survive the water.
- Inflatable liferafts dominate — canopies with buoyancy chambers, dropped and inflated by pulling the painter.
- Rigid liferafts are capsules launched by davit into a chute, chosen where ice, debris or heavy seas make an open raft unsafe.
- Capacity is not less than six persons, and every raft must withstand 30 days of exposure afloat in all sea conditions.
- Serviceable rafts are serviced at intervals; disposable ones carry an expiry marking and go to hydrostatic test ashore.
Surveyor follow-up: rigid capsule on an ice-class ship with no launching davit in the survey record — what is missing?
Full theory: LSA Chapter 4: Life Rafts — Capacity, Equipment & Launching -
42 What lsa carried on survival craft
Answer
Survival craft carry the signals, light, water and food their complement needs — plus the equipment that finds them.
- Pyrotechnics for signalling: hand flares, parachute rockets and smoke, all dated and stowed ready to fire.
- Searchlight, radar reflector or SART, EPIRB where fitted, sea anchor and painter for a stable, findable platform.
- Food and fresh water for the rated complement, with a container of the ship’s particulars and a first-aid outfit.
- On rafts, the painter light and the boarding ladder or gunwale arrangement matter as much as the flare count.
Surveyor follow-up: raft with flares but no sea anchor or painter light — is it a survival craft or a float?
Full theory: LSA Chapter 4: Life Rafts — Capacity, Equipment & Launching -
43 Where hru used in fwd or embarkation side lifeboat?
Answer
The handheld VHF goes in the boat, not the house: it is the survivor’s only voice to the rescue services and the ship.
- Handheld VHF radios are carried in lifeboats and survival craft for distress calls and communication with rescuers.
- A waterproof handset is secured in the boat, with the main VHF set in the wheelhouse for the ship’s own use.
- Channel 16 is the distress and calling channel the survivors and the rescue boat agree before abandoning ship.
- Batteries and the charge state are checked on the same schedule as the pyrotechnics — a dead radio is a silent boat.
Surveyor follow-up: boat with a handheld VHF whose battery is flat at muster — which radio is the boat’s, and who checks it?
Full theory: LSA Chapter 5: Lifeboats — Types, Engine, Davit & Drills
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