TL;DR — A lifeboatman endorsement requires either 6 months sea service plus an approved course, or 12 months sea service alone, plus a practical demonstration and English-language examination; launching appliances must operate by gravity or stored mechanical power independent of ship's power, and must handle trim up to 10° and list up to 20° either way. 46 CFR §12.407 46 CFR §199.150
What the Rule Says
Lifeboatman Endorsement Requirements
Every person fulfilling manning requirements as lifeboatman on a U.S. vessel must hold the endorsement. The requirement does not apply to persons employed on unrigged vessels, with two exceptions: seagoing barges and tank barges navigating waters other than rivers and/or canals. 46 CFR §12.407
To qualify, an applicant must be at least 18 years of age, pass the physical and medical examination under 46 CFR Part 10 Subpart C, and present evidence of passing a chemical test for dangerous drugs or qualifying for an exemption under §16.220.
Sea service eligibility takes one of two paths:
- At least 6 months of sea service in any department, plus successful completion of an approved course; or
- At least 12 months of sea service in any department on ocean, coastwise, inland, and Great Lakes routes.
Before issuance, the applicant must prove knowledge and ability by oral or other examination and by actual practical demonstration. Completion of an approved course satisfies this requirement provided the course includes the practical demonstration component.
The practical demonstration must cover six specific abilities:
1. Take charge of a survival craft or rescue boat during and after launch 2. Operate a survival craft engine 3. Demonstrate the ability to row by actually pulling an oar in the boat 4. Manage a survival craft and survivors after abandoning ship 5. Safely recover survival craft and rescue boats 6. Use locating and communication devices
The examination must be conducted only in the English language and must cover: lifeboats and liferafts, their essential parts, and required equipment; clearing away, swinging out, and lowering of lifeboats and liferafts, handling under oars and sails, and proper handling in a heavy sea; and the operation and functions of commonly used types of davits. The applicant must also be able to speak and understand English as required in the rating and in an emergency.
Survival Craft Stowage Requirements
Each survival craft must be stowed: as close to accommodation and service spaces as possible; without interfering with embarkation or operation of any other survival craft or rescue boat; as near the water surface as safe and practicable; and sufficiently ready for use so that two crew members can complete preparations for embarkation and launching in less than 5 minutes. 46 CFR §199.130
Except for liferafts intended for throw-overboard launching, survival craft must be stowed not less than 2 meters above the waterline with the vessel in the fully loaded condition, under unfavorable trim, and listed up to 20 degrees either way (or to the angle at which the weatherdeck edge becomes submerged, whichever is less).
Survival craft must generally not require lifting from the stowed position to launch, with two exceptions: a davit-launched liferaft may be lifted by a manually powered winch from its stowed position to its embarkation position; and a survival craft weighing 185 kilograms (407.8 pounds) or less may be lifted not more than 300 millimeters (1 foot) to launch.
Each lifeboat for lowering down the side must be stowed as far forward of the vessel's propeller as practicable, must be stowed attached to its launching appliance, and must have a means for recharging batteries from the vessel's power supply at a voltage not exceeding 50 volts.
Each liferaft must be stowed to permit manual release from its securing arrangements, at a height not greater than the maximum stowage height indicated on the container. A liferaft without an indicated maximum stowage height must be stowed not more than 18 meters (59 feet) above the waterline in the lightest seagoing condition. Each liferaft must be arranged to drop into the water from the deck on which it is stowed, and must have a painter system and a float-free arrangement using a hydrostatic release unit approved under approval series 160.162.
Launching Appliance Requirements
Each launching appliance must be approved under 46 CFR Part 160, Subpart 160.132, with a winch approved under Subpart 160.115. A launching appliance for a davit-launched liferaft must also include an automatic disengaging apparatus approved under Subpart 160.170. 46 CFR §199.150
A launching appliance is not required for survival craft that: can be boarded from a deck position less than 4.5 meters (14.75 feet) above the waterline in the lightest seagoing condition and are stowed for direct launching under trim of 10° and list of 20° either way; are carried in excess of the 200-percent survival craft complement and have a mass of not more than 185 kilograms; are carried in excess of the 200-percent complement and stowed for direct launching under those same conditions; or are provided for use in conjunction with a marine evacuation system and stowed for direct launching under those conditions.
Each launching appliance must be capable of safely launching the fully equipped survival craft against trim up to 10° either way and list up to 20° either way, both with the full complement of persons and with only the required operating crew.
Critically: a launching appliance must not depend on any means other than gravity or stored mechanical power, independent of the vessel's power supplies, to launch the survival craft in both the fully loaded and light conditions.
The structural attachment to the vessel must be designed to withstand at least 4.5 times the load imparted by the launching appliance and its fully loaded survival craft under the most adverse combination of list and trim.
Additional requirements: all maintenance parts must be readily accessible; the appliance must remain effective under icing conditions; the same type of release mechanism must be used for each similar survival craft on board; preparation at one station must not interfere with any other station; persons must be able to safely and rapidly board; and during preparation and launching, the craft, appliance, and water area must be illuminated by the vessel's emergency electrical power. The deck operator must be able to observe the survival craft at all times during launching.
Lifeboat Launching and Recovery Specifics
Each lifeboat must be provided with a launching appliance capable of launching and recovering the lifeboat with its crew. The arrangement must allow the operator on the vessel to observe the lifeboat at all times during recovery, and must be designed to ensure persons can safely disembark from the survival craft prior to its stowage. 46 CFR §199.155
Each lifeboat other than a totally enclosed lifeboat must be provided with a davit span with not less than two lifelines of sufficient length to reach the water with the vessel in its lightest seagoing condition, under unfavorable trim, and listed up to 20 degrees either way.
For embarkation arrangements: a launching appliance or marine evacuation system must be provided for each inflatable liferaft or inflatable buoyant apparatus when the embarkation station is on a deck more than 4.5 meters (15 feet) above the waterline, or when the craft is boarded prior to being placed in the water. An embarkation ladder must be at each embarkation station if the distance from the embarkation deck to the vessel's lightest operating waterline is more than 3,050 millimeters (10 feet). 46 CFR §180.150
Davit Types
Three broad families of davits are recognized. Radial (round-bar) davits are the oldest and simplest: the boat is stowed inboard and the davit arms are swung out by hand to plumb the boat over the side. They are slow, require many hands, and are now limited to small boats. Mechanical (crescent/quadrantal) davits move the boat outboard by a screw or gear as the arms rotate, keeping the boat under control throughout the swing. Gravity davits are the standard for lifeboats on merchant ships because they require no external power to launch: when the tricing pendants and gripes are released and the winch brake is lifted, the weight of the boat and davit arms rolls the davit down inclined tracks (trackway) or pivots it, carrying the boat outboard and lowering it clear of the ship. Gravity davits are typically of the roller-track (gravity-roller) or the pivoting (luffing) type. Because they launch by gravity, they can be operated even when the ship has lost power or is listing. NAVEDTRA 14343 §5-1
Inspection points common to all davits include: freedom of movement, condition of trackways/rollers and pivot pins, lubrication, condition of limit switches and stoppers, and that the davit is not seized by paint or corrosion.
Why It Matters on the Exam
Exam questions on this topic cluster around four areas:
Endorsement eligibility numbers. The exam will test whether you know the two sea service paths (6 months + approved course vs. 12 months alone), the minimum age of 18, and the drug testing requirement. Confusing 6 months with 12 months, or forgetting the approved course requirement for the shorter path, is a common error. 46 CFR §12.407
Stowage thresholds. The 2-meter minimum height above waterline (fully loaded, listed to 20°), the 18-meter maximum stowage height for liferafts without a marked limit, the 5-minute preparation standard for two crew members, and the 50-volt maximum for battery charging circuits are all testable numbers. 46 CFR §199.130
Launching appliance independence. The rule that a launching appliance must operate by gravity or stored mechanical power independent of ship's power is a high-frequency exam point. This is the regulatory basis for why gravity davits are preferred. 46 CFR §199.150 NAVEDTRA 14343 §5-1
Trim and list limits. Launching appliances must handle trim up to 10° and list up to 20° either way. Candidates frequently reverse these numbers.
Common Pitfalls
- Confusing the 6-month path (requires approved course) with the 12-month path (no course required). Both are valid, but they are not interchangeable. 46 CFR §12.407
- Stating that the practical demonstration can be waived entirely. It cannot — it may only be satisfied through an approved course that itself includes the practical demonstration.
- Reversing the trim and list limits: trim = 10°, list = 20°. 46 CFR §199.150
- Forgetting that the 2-meter minimum stowage height applies to the vessel in the fully loaded condition, not the lightest seagoing condition. The 18-meter maximum for liferafts, by contrast, applies to the lightest seagoing condition. 46 CFR §199.130
- Assuming all survival craft require a launching appliance. Several categories are exempt, including craft boardable from less than 4.5 meters above the waterline that can be launched directly under the specified trim and list conditions.
- Confusing the embarkation ladder threshold (deck more than 10 feet above lightest waterline) with the launching appliance threshold for inflatable liferafts (embarkation station more than 15 feet above waterline). 46 CFR §180.150
- Describing gravity davits as requiring ship's power. They operate by gravity alone — this is their defining regulatory advantage. NAVEDTRA 14343 §5-1
Quick Check
What are the two sea service paths to a lifeboatman endorsement, and what distinguishes them?
Path 1: at least 6 months of sea service in any department plus successful completion of an approved course. Path 2: at least 12 months of sea service in any department on ocean, coastwise, inland, and Great Lakes routes, with no course required. 46 CFR §12.407
What six abilities must an applicant demonstrate in the practical portion of the lifeboatman examination?
(1) Take charge of a survival craft or rescue boat during and after launch; (2) operate a survival craft engine; (3) demonstrate the ability to row by actually pulling an oar; (4) manage a survival craft and survivors after abandoning ship; (5) safely recover survival craft and rescue boats; (6) use locating and communication devices.
How much time are two crew members allowed to complete preparations for embarkation and launching of a survival craft?
Less than 5 minutes. 46 CFR §199.130
What is the maximum stowage height for a liferaft whose container does not indicate a maximum stowage height?
Not more than 18 meters (59 feet) above the waterline with the vessel in its lightest seagoing condition.
What power source may a launching appliance use to launch a survival craft?
Only gravity or stored mechanical power, independent of the vessel's power supplies. No dependence on ship's electrical or other power systems is permitted. 46 CFR §199.150
What trim and list conditions must a launching appliance be capable of handling?
Trim of up to 10 degrees either way and list of up to 20 degrees either way.
What structural safety factor is required for a launching appliance's attachment to the vessel?
The structural attachment must be designed to withstand at least 4.5 times the load imparted by the launching appliance and its fully loaded survival craft under the most adverse combination