Abandon ship procedures and life rafts

46 CFR §180.150

Survival craft embarkation arrangements. (a) A launching appliance described in paragraph (c) of this section, or a marine evacuation system approved under approval series 160.175, must be provided for each inflatable liferaft and inflatable buoyant apparatus when either— (1) The embarkation station for the survival craft is on a deck more than 4.5 meters (15 feet) above the waterline; or (2) The inflatable liferaft and inflatable buoyant apparatus is boarded prior to being placed in the water. (b) An embarkation ladder, approved in accordance with § 160.017 in subchapter Q of this chapter, or other standard specified by the Commandant, must be at each embarkation station if the distance from the deck on which an embarkation station is located to the vessel's lightest operating waterli…

46 CFR §185.520

Abandon ship and man overboard drills and training. (a) The master shall conduct sufficient drills and give sufficient instructions to make sure that all crew members are familiar with their duties during emergencies that necessitate abandoning ship or the recovery of persons who have fallen overboard. (b) Each abandon ship drill must include: (1) Summoning the crew to report to assigned stations and prepare for assigned duties; (2) Summoning passengers on a vessel on an overnight voyage to muster stations or embarkation stations and ensuring that they are made aware of how the order to abandon ship will be given; (3) Checking that life jackets are correctly donned; (4) Operation of any davits used for launching liferafts; and (5) Instruction on the automatic and manual deployment o…

46 CFR §199.180

Training and drills. (a)Training material must be on board each vessel and must consist of a manual of one or more volumes written in easily understood terms and illustrated wherever possible, or of audiovisual training aids, or of both as follows: (1) If a training manual is used, a copy must be in each crew messroom and recreation room or in each crew cabin. If audiovisual training aids are used, they must be incorporated into the onboard training sessions described in paragraph (g) of this section. (2) The training material must explain in detail— (i) The procedure for donning lifejackets, immersion suits, and anti-exposure suits carried on board; (ii) The procedure for mustering at the assigned stations; (iii) The procedure for boarding, launching, and clearing the survival craft…

46 CFR §28.125

Stowage of survival craft. (a) Each inflatable liferaft required to be equipped with a SOLAS A or a SOLAS B equipment pack must be stowed so as to float free and automatically inflate in the event the vessel sinks. (b) Each inflatable liferaft, inflatable buoyant apparatus, and any auxiliary craft used in their place, must be kept readily accessible for launching or be stowed so as to float free in the event the vessel sinks. (c) Each hydrostatic release unit used in a float-free arrangement must be approved under part 160, subpart 160.062 of this chapter. (d) Each float-free link used with a buoyant apparatus or with a life float must be certified to meet part 160, subpart 160.073 of this chapter.

NAVEDTRA 14343 §5-5

Survival craft — lifeboats, liferafts, and stowage Survival craft carried for abandoning ship include rigid lifeboats (open, partially enclosed, or totally enclosed), inflatable liferafts, and rescue boats. Totally enclosed lifeboats protect occupants from fire, heavy weather, and capsize (self-righting) and are launched from gravity davits; some tankers carry free-fall lifeboats that slide down a stern ramp. Each lifeboat carries prescribed equipment: oars/boathooks, a hand-propelling or engine drive, bailer and buckets, sea anchor, painter, first-aid kit, rations and fresh water, signaling gear (flashlight, whistle, flares, mirror), and a compass. Inflatable liferafts are stowed in glass-reinforced-plastic canisters on cradles fitted with a hydrostatic release unit (HRU): if the ship si…

Boat Crew Seamanship Manual (M16114.5C) Ch. 6 — Rescue and Survival Raft ¶1

Introduction The six-person rescue and survival raft is a multipurpose raft designed for crew survival or rescue and assistance to persons in distress. It is usually carried on Coast Guard boats greater than 30 feet in length. The discussion here applies to a Coast Guard procured raft, but the general procedures apply to almost any commercially available raft. The Auxiliary may use commercially available Coast Guard-approved life rafts that may typically be less complete but still serve the same purpose. The instructions for use and maintenance of any life raft should always be reviewed. F.1. Automatic Inflation and Deployment When properly stowed, this life raft is designed to automatically float free from its storage rack and inflate in the event of capsizing or sinking. As the raft cont…