Cruise Talk: Lifeboats vs Rafts

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»	Cruise Talk » Technically Speaking » Lifeboats vs Rafts

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Topic: Lifeboats vs Rafts

eroller
First Class Passenger
Member # 1649

posted 01-18-2005 11:01 PM

Today I received the latest issue of Cruise Business Review, and as usual it's excellent. Two featured ships are BIRKA PARADISE and COLOR FANTASY. Both ships look very interesting and innovative, especially COLOR FANTASY. COLOR FANTASY's interiors are so similar to RCI's Voyager Class I'm surprised that some red flags were not raised. Maybe RCI is flattered and since the ships don't compete they don't really care?

My question is about lifeboats.

BIRKA PARADISE has a passenger capacity of 1800 + crew. She has a total of four lifeboats.
A comparable cruise ship would have 12 lifeboats minimum.

COLOR FANTASY has a passenger capacity of 2750 + crew. She has a total of six lifeboats.
A comparable cruise ship would have 16 lifeboats minimum.

I know that inflatable rafts are permitted as life saving equipment for a certain percent of the ship's total capacity, but what qualifies a ship to have a higher percent of rafts as opposed to boats? I assume it's where the ship is sailing? I remember seeing the original designs for PRIDE OF AMERICA and I was surprised by how few lifeboats there were. I believe NCL America changed this and added lifeboats. I was told it was because the ship would only be cruising around the islands of Hawaii.

So maybe it's the ship's proximity to land? What if COLOR FANTASY or BIRKA PARADISE were sent to the Caribbean for a season of cruising? Would they be permitted based on their current arrangement of lifeboats? Maybe they would be required to carry few passengers? I also have to wonder if lifeboats are that much more expensive that companies would rather just use rafts. If there are rules in place governing where a ship can sail based on actual lifeboat capacity, it seems rather limiting that a company wouldn't outfit the ship with the required lifeboats just so she could sail anywhere. Likewise, if rafts are now considered sufficient lifesaving equipment for a majority of passengers, then why do cruise lines still outfit their ships with a large numbers of lifeboats? I'm assuming the rafts are much less expensive.

I'm just curious how this all works.

Thanks!

Ernie

Posts: 7046 | From: Miami, Florida USA | Registered: Oct 2000 | IP: Logged

lasuvidaboy
First Class Passenger
Member # 4527

posted 01-18-2005 11:35 PM

From the very low number of boats, it looks like these companies might be tempting fate IMO.

Posts: 7654 | From: Hollywood Hills/L.A. | Registered: Mar 2004 | IP: Logged

sslewis
First Class Passenger
Member # 3649

posted 01-25-2005 08:52 AM

After Estonia rafts capsized, they though them useless..and rather let survivors drown in peace!

Posts: 2513 | From: Shipspotting Solent shores when weather allows.... | Registered: Feb 2003 | IP: Logged

Norfolk Boy
First Class Passenger
Member # 5387

posted 01-30-2005 12:10 PM

Ernie, You are basically right in the assumption that it is how far from land the ship sails that is one of the factors on decidingthe number of life boats on board.
Under international regs, passenger ships are divided up into a number of classes depending on a) where they travel and b) how many people they carry. The two main classes are I (passenger ships egaged on long international voyages) and II (passenger ships engaged on short international voyages. The other classes deal mainly with domestic craft, such as river cruisers and local ferries.
A class I ship must have sufficient lifeboats on either side of the ship to accommodate 50% of all persons on board.(Total 100%) At the discretion of the flag state, some of these boats can be replaced by rafts, but there must always be at least 75% boat capacity and a max 25% rafts. This is in fact what almost always happens. A Class II ship on the other hand is only required to carry lifeboat capacity for 30% total + 70% rafts.
In addition both classes of ship must carry a further 25% capacity in liferafts that can be easily transported from one side of the ship to the other, giving a grand total of 125% spaces on every ship.
So to use your example of 2750 passengers plus say 350 crew (on a ferry) the ship is likely to be certified for 3100 persons max. As a class II 30 % is 930. The maximum number allowed in a lifeboat is 150, as the ship has 6 boats = 900 we can see that in fact there must be a few less crew on board.

As to cost, rafts are of course much cheaper, along with the davits and, as important, they take a lot less space and don't obstruct balcony views. One of the reasons that the cruise lines have not pushed hard to have the boat regulations changed though is that the sight of a long line of lifeboats down the side of the ship gives the passengers a certain "feel good" factor of reassurance.

Posts: 28 | From: Miami | Registered: Jan 2005 | IP: Logged

Ernst
First Class Passenger
Member # 5369

posted 01-30-2005 12:44 PM

... COLOR FANTASY's interiors are so similar to RCI's Voyager Class I'm surprised that some red flags were not raised.

This design (of the promenade deck) has actually been intorduced on the Silja Serenade / Silja Symphony. (built by the same yard as the RCCL Voyger Class vessels and the new COLOR ferry) On a crusie ship for the carribean I would have pefered an open version. (is that possible ?)

Posts: 9746 | From: Eindhoven | Registered: Jan 2005 | IP: Logged

eroller
First Class Passenger
Member # 1649

posted 02-04-2005 12:37 PM

quote:
Originally posted by Norfolk Boy:
Ernie, You are basically right in the assumption that it is how far from land the ship sails that is one of the factors on decidingthe number of life boats on board.

Thank you so much! You explained it perfectly.

I've also noticed on some new ships (Radiance Class comes to mind) there is a large white, enclosed structure on the Promenade Deck. I believe this is an inflatable evac station complete with slide. I assume this counts as a "raft"? I'm curious why some new cruise ships seem to have this feature, but not the majority. Maybe it's still not considered economical or maybe it takes up too much valuable space?

Thanks again for all your info.

Ernie

Posts: 7046 | From: Miami, Florida USA | Registered: Oct 2000 | IP: Logged

Ernst
First Class Passenger
Member # 5369

posted 02-04-2005 12:49 PM

quote:
Originally posted by eroller:

Thank you so much! You explained it perfectly.
I've also noticed on some new ships (Radiance Class comes to mind) there is a large white, enclosed structure on the Promenade Deck. I believe this is an inflatable evac station complete with slide. I assume this counts as a "raft"? I'm curious why some new cruise ships seem to have this feature, but not the majority. Maybe it's still not considered economical or maybe it takes up too much valuable space?
Thanks again for all your info.
Ernie

There has been a test with an inflatable "evacuation station" / giant raft on a ferry sailing form germany. (DFDS?) (This thing is big infaltable "box" for app. 100 passangers, boarded via a slide) The conclusion was, that this might even be superior to a lifeboat, as it is much easier to board.

Posts: 9746 | From: Eindhoven | Registered: Jan 2005 | IP: Logged

PamM
First Class Passenger
Member # 2127

posted 02-04-2005 03:17 PM

On the Norwegian Coastal [Hurtigruten] Ships there were no lifeboat drills for passengers since "they sail in sheltered waters & never have 36 hours or longer continuous sailing". Perhaps since the problem with Midnatsol and the engine failure that has changed?

See this page re the large liferafts. have to be stored in a steel box aboard, 12m above waterline, and slide cannot be more than 15m above the waterline.

Pam

Posts: 12176 | From: Cambridge, UK | Registered: Jun 2001 | IP: Logged

Ernst
First Class Passenger
Member # 5369

posted 02-04-2005 03:29 PM

Thank you for the interesting link! Nevertheless, this is not the kind of "raft" I meant. This more experimental thing was a big inflatable box (covered), not really with a slide, but a "tunnel" going straight down into this closed box.

I generally find safety standards on ferries quite anoying! No drill or proper instructions, much smaller crew, less boats & more rafts, which sometimes are quite complicated to handle, often combined with a more confusing layout of the vessel , life-vest only at muster stations (O.K., you need enoug life-vests there, but I want my own in my cabin!) etc.

[ 02-04-2005: Message edited by: Malcolm @ cruisepage ]

Posts: 9746 | From: Eindhoven | Registered: Jan 2005 | IP: Logged

PamM
First Class Passenger
Member # 2127

posted 02-04-2005 06:56 PM

Ernst, have you come across this old thread. Maybe what you are looking for?

Pam

Posts: 12176 | From: Cambridge, UK | Registered: Jun 2001 | IP: Logged

Ernst
First Class Passenger
Member # 5369

posted 02-04-2005 07:14 PM

quote:
Originally posted by PamM:
Ernst, have you come across this old thread. Maybe what you are looking for?
Pam

Thank You! That`s what I meant. (Look`s frightning...)

Posts: 9746 | From: Eindhoven | Registered: Jan 2005 | IP: Logged

Norfolk Boy
First Class Passenger
Member # 5387

posted 02-05-2005 07:27 PM

A lot of ferry companies, but increasingly some cruise lines are fitting the slides or tunnels and large rafts described, known as Marine Evacuation Systems (MES).
There of course was a lot of discussion when they were first introduced in the 90's, but are gradually becoming more accepted. They are quicker to deploy and get people into than traditional liferafts (which generally only hold either 25 or 37 persons), and do not have the same dangers as trying to launch a lifeboat in rough weather. However, MES are not without their own risks. Last year a report was published into the death of a woman in the UK who was taking part in an exercise. Seems her lifejacket rode up around her neck and she became stuck in the tube and was sadly strangled. There are also (apparently) frequently cases of broken arms and legs when using MES, due to the speed of descent, although the designs ar ebeing improved all the time.
Not necessarily the best way to get a lot of people in their senior years off a ship.

Posts: 28 | From: Miami | Registered: Jan 2005 | IP: Logged

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