For anyone interested in the history of lifeboat voyages and sea survival in general, the only comprehensive history I’ve found is Lifeboat by John Stilgoe. Lots of sea stories.
Turns out the concept of having a small boat with lots of floatation and stability, stocked with supplies, and maintained in case disaster, was a radical notion until about the beginning of the 20th century. Before that, if you sank, you usually drowned, and if you did make it to a boat, there was a good chance your fellow crew members would eat you.
Another book well worth the read is Survivors: British Merchant Seamen in the Second World War. This has to do with the whole seaman’s experience, not just lifeboats, but survival at sea figures largely into it.
You learn that seamen who had to take to the lifeboats because their massive ship was torpedoed, commonly panicked, gave up and died. The men most likely to survive were fishermen, who were used to working in similar tiny boats since boyhood, and were used to the life.
Fun fact from the book: The organization Outward Bound was originally formed to teach merchant mariners how to live in lifeboats for long periods. Only afterwards did it gravitate to teaching young people outdoor skills.