[QUOTE=socalguy;170366]Many of the freighters on the Great Lakes have open lifeboats. No way in hell I’d bail out in one of those on Lake Superior. I’d much rather hang with the inflatable rafts in my gumby suit. I don’t see any ships being refitted with new boats any time soon either.[/QUOTE]
Yes, you are most correct! I worked on multiple Great Lakes vessels and at least one of them had open lifeboats. And I don’t think that will change anytime soon… Those ships are really like floating, operating museums.
And I would think that there are some ocean-going US ships left in the Jones Act trades with open lifeboats.
But I think far fewer US flag ships have open lifeboats today than they did just 10 years ago. Why? Because so many of the older ships have been sent to the breaker for scrap.