Instruction manual

PROFICIENCY IN SURVIVAL CRAFT AND RESCUE BOATS OTHER THAN

FAST RESCUE BOATS

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4.2.6 Rigid liferafts

Rigid liferafts shall comply with the requirements of section 4.2.1(General

requirements for liferafts) and, in addition shall comply with the requirements of

this section.

a) Construction of rigid liferafts

The buoyancy of a life-raft must be provided by approved inherently buoyant

material placed as near as possible to the periphery of the life-raft.

The buoyant material must be fire-retardant or be protected by a fire-retardant

covering.

The floor of a life-raft must prevent the ingress of water and must effectively

support the occupants out of the water and insulate them from the cold.

b) Carrying capacity of rigid life-rafts

The number of persons which a life-raft is permitted to accommodate is

equal to the lesser of:

(a) the greatest whole number obtained by dividing by 0.096 the

volume, measured in cubic meters, of the buoyancy material multiplied by a

factor of (1-SG) where SG is the specific gravity of that material; or

(b) the greatest whole number obtained by dividing by 0.372 the

horizontal cross sectional area of the floor of the life-raft measured in square

meters; or

wearing immersion suits and life-jackets, that can be seated with sufficient

comfort and headroom without interfering with the operation of any of the life-

rafts equipment.

c) Access into rigid life-rafts

At least one entrance must be fitted with a rigid boarding ramp to enable

persons to board the life-raft from the sea. In the case of a davit-launched life-raft

having more than one entrance, the boarding ramp must be fitted at the entrance

opposite to the bowing and embarkation facilities.

Entrances not provided with a boarding ramp must have a boarding ladder,

the lowest step of which must be situated not less than 0.4 meters below the life-

raft's light waterline.

There must be means inside the life-raft to assist persons to pull

themselves into the life-raft from the ladder.