I had that same exact lifeboat on a couple ships. If anything the release mechanism was worse.
If the purpose of the boat is for crew use or training the open boats were far better.
Here’s my post: Recovering Enclosed Lifeboats
There have been a lot more accidents with on/off-load release hooks on conventional covered lifeboats than with freefall lifeboats. Many such accidents has been fatal. The replacement of such hooks is well under way.
Here is a Guard Loss Prevention Notice about the same problem with rescue boats:
Sorry, I left my briefcase behind in Singapore, but you are welcome to Aalesund at any time.
Here are some jobs being offered at the moment:
http://www.overseasjobs.com/do/where/NO/Ålesund?p=1
Is there any follow up on this ship or management company. This happened in 2014. The event no doubt had some significant costs to the owner/manager but now 4 years later did things change for the better?
In other words, did the PSC inspection and results change the companies behavior on this or all of the ships in its fleet. Was it just accepted as a cost of doing business. Get caught, pay the fine / expenses and wait to get caught again?
I imagine it would put them high up on any PSC prioritization list for future port calls. Or did they just get taken off that run?
I only came across the report because I look at the MAIB site. but since the original inspection was due to a report about the crew accommodation I imagine there were further visits - but probably not much constructive was done in the end. The Japanese management company were probably just doing things on the cheap, and it would be the owners who would feel the loss of revenue due to the detention. When I googled the name I found that I had spelt the name wrong and that it is now in Africa somewhere.
From the linked article:
However, the inspector noted that as the boat was recovered several crew members were not convinced that they were safe, and could be seen praying.
I wonder what block on the inspection form you enter that into.
Earl
4 Likes
If part of your SMS involves praying as part of a standard procedure, it’s natures way of telling you something.
3 Likes
That prayers will keep you safe?
Nah, time to move on to a better maintained unit.
Funny but sad.
Had this link sent to me - The Strops would help recover these boats in rough weather
2 Likes
I’d want to carry that a step farther and not have any metal whizzing around your head. Catch the pennant, hook it under a fitting, use that to draw the metal bit into engagement.
1 Like
Storm pennants were used to keep swinging pieces of metal away from the boat crews heads when recovering the sea boat in rough weather.
We used the Robertson Disengaging Gear that was relatively fool proof and could be released under load.
The boat was released by removing 3 safety pins when the boat was close to launching and on the order “slip” the boat was released as the ship rolled and the crest of the wave passed under the keel. The boat was launched at between 5 to 8 knots and the tiller was stopped inboard so the boat sheered away from the ship side as soon as the boat hit the water. If it was a man overboard drill we used to sit on the boat rope for as long as possible as the ship turned towards the oscar dummy to save pulling on the oars.
The recovery operation in rough conditions the ship would pass close to us at at about 12 knots then slam the stern up into the swell as she turned to give us a lee. We rowed like hell in the slick to get under the falls. The boat was hoisted by hand ( 3000 pounds plus crew). The falls were individually hoisted initially and the boat levelled when clear of the water.m
2 Likes
During the loading time of the ms Amstelkroon in Three Rivers, Canada we received an official safety inspection from the Canadian authorities. The river side lifeboat had to be lowered into the water, but it fell from the davits as an overripe fruit at the very moment that it swung free from the ship. A deck lower a curious engineer, watching the exercise, was almost beheaded when the lifeboat took its dive down. It still was a wooden lifeboat and on impact in the water it split wide open like a flowering blossom. It was quite a sight. Panic all round as a lot explaining to the office was due. The captain was not amused with the incident as it would reflect rather badly on him. Poor maintenance, poor training, drills, lack of safety awareness, sloppy seamanship and all that.
The ms Amstelkroon was built in an idyllic environment.
Another, fitting lifeboat was not available, so we got a much bigger one on board, from a passenger ship so it looked, which was strapped down on top of one of the forward holds. It was huge and it had a curious hydraulic hand propelled system.
Everybody looked at it with disbelief. How we had to get this lifeboat in operation and away from a sinking ship during an emergency was a mystery to everybody, but the Canadian authorities saw it fit for the renewal of the ship’s safety certificate. The third officer mumbled that he was curious how long the lifeboat would last out there in that prone position. How prophetic. The elements were not with us on the return trip to Amsterdam either. And the third officer was proven right as a few days later the lifeboat was smashed to smithereens by a huge wave hitting the foredeck.
Later only some ropes had to be cleared as all the debris had been swept clean overboard by the angry North Atlantic. Rightly so. Two lifeboats down. Human stupidity.
6 Likes