Lifeboat

A lifeboat is a small craft located onboard a ship designed to allow for emergency deboarding by passengers in the event of a catastrophe aboard the ship. Lifeboats and may be rigid or inflatable vessels, and the inflatable type are sometimes referred to as liferafts. In the military, a lifeboat may be referred to as a whaleboat, dinghy, or gig. The ship's tenders of modern cruise ships are often designed to double as lifeboats.

In the united States, the US Coast Guard is responsible for making sure that the proper type and number of lifeboats are available and kept in good repair on any large ship. "Lifeboat drills" are a part of a cruise experience.

Inflatable lifeboats, may be equipped with auto-inflation (carbon dioxide or Nitrogen) canisters or mechanical pumps. A quick release and pressure release mechanism is fitted on board ships so that the canister or pump automatically inflates the lifeboat, and the lifeboat breaks free of the sinking vessel. Commercial aircraft are also required to carry auto-inflating life rafts in case of an emergency water landing, and are also kept on offshore platforms.

Ship-launched lifeboats are designed to be lowered from davits on a ship's deck, and are unsinkable, with buoyancy that cannot be damaged. The cover serves as protection from sun, wind and rain, can be used to collect rainwater, and is normally made of a reflective or fluorescent material that is highly-visible. Lifeboats are usually equipped with flares and/ or mirrors for signaling, several days' worth of food and water, basic first aid supplies and oars. Some lifeboats are even more capably equipped to permit self-rescue; containing such supplies as a radio, an engine and/ or sail, heater, basic navigational equipment, solar water stills, rainwater catchments and fishing equipment.

The International Convention for the Safety of Life at Sea (SOLAS) and the International Life-Saving Appliance Code (LSA) require a specific list of emergency equipment to be carried on each lifeboat and liferaft used on international voyages. Modern lifeboats should also carry an Emergency Position-Indicating Radio Beacon (EPIRB) and either a radar reflector or Search and Rescue Transponder (SART).

Liferafts in general are collapsible, and stored in a heavy-duty fiberglass canister, and also contain some high-pressure gas to allow automatic inflation to the operations size. SOLAS and military regulations require these to be sealed, never opened by the ship's crew, they are removed at a set periodicity and sent to a certified facility to open and inspect the liferaft and contents. In contrast, a lifeboat is open, regulations require a crewmember to inspect it periodically and ensure all required equipment is present. Modern Lifeboats have some form of a motor; liferafts usually do not have a motor. Lifeboats require some form of a davit or launching system (there might be multiple lifeboats on one), and that does require human intervention to commence or be involved in the launch process. Thus, launch of lifeboat is longer and has higher risk of failure due to human factor, however, lifeboats don't suffer from inflation systems failures like liferafts.

Some ships have freefall lifeboats, stored on a significantly downward sloping slipway, dropping into the water as holdback is released. If launched, return to the launching system is only possible at a pier using a large crane, and such lifeboats are considerably heavier to survive the impact with water. Freefall lifeboats are used for their capability to launch nearly instantly and high reliability, and since 2006 are required on bulk carriers that are in danger of sinking too rapidly for conventional lifeboats to be released.

Tankers are required to carry fireproof lifeboats, tested to survive a flaming oil or petroleum product spill from the tanker. Fire protection of such boats is provided by insulation and sprinkler system, which has pipe system on top, through which water is pumped and sprayed to cool the surface. This system, while prone to engine failure, allows fireproof lifeboats to be built of fiberglass and not only metal.

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