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RightShip Guide

THE DEEPDRAFT · RIGHTSHIP PREPARATION

Survival craft and launching arrangements

RISQ 4.18Section 4 · ISM SystemSource marking: V & M

Applicability: All vessel types; apply the equipment and operational conditions stated in this entry.

What is being checked

Survival craft and their release/launching systems are ready and understood.

Ready on board

0 / 8 checked

Check the vessel’s actual procedures, equipment and records against these points from RISQ 3.2.

Check lifeboats, rescue boats, davit-launched rafts and equipment for readiness; two crew should be able to prepare embarkation/launching in less than five minutes.Have crew explain normal and emergency rescue-boat davit operation; verify operation under both power arrangements and davit-raft familiarity where fitted.Keep maker maintenance, annual thorough examination/operational test and at-least-five-year overhaul/load-test evidence for release gear; the source specifies 1.1 times full-load mass for the overhaul test.Inspect falls particularly through sheaves; renew for deterioration or at no more than five years. Include regular inspection/renewal of plastic-sheathed slings and pendants with means to examine concealed corrosion.Do not use wire-rope grips as primary load-bearing terminations for craft/raft falls, hanging-off pendants or recovery strops; use manufacturer/standard-compliant terminations.For free-fall craft, check the arrangement for testing release without launching. Verify applicable on-load release compliance records; the PDF’s replacement provision excludes free-fall release mechanisms.Check craft capacity/name/port markings and identification visible from above; post clear operating controls/instructions/warnings visible under emergency lighting.Where a davit serves both rescue boat and raft, clearly identify the respective hooks and have crew explain their correct use and release functions.

Practice questions

Preparation prompts derived from this entry, not an official inspector interview script.

1Can three correctly fitted bulldog grips form a lifeboat fall’s primary termination?

No. The PDF expressly prohibits wire-rope grips for primary load-bearing terminations of these lifesaving arrangements.

2What emergency knowledge is required for the rescue-boat davit?

Crew should understand the fitted alternative power/launching method and the davit should be operational under normal and emergency sources.

Where a finding may arise

Missing evidence, ineffective implementation or defects in the arrangements listed above may prevent a satisfactory answer to this question.

Past observations for practice

Anonymised reports, manually reviewed before publication. These are reported experiences, not additional inspection requirements.

No reviewed observations have been added for this entry.

Share an observation for private review

Remove vessel, company and inspector names, report numbers, exact dates and confidential information. Do not paste a complete inspection report.

Source clarification

Page 57 includes generic wire-rope-grip fitting advice. It does not override page 56’s explicit prohibition on their use for primary load-bearing lifesaving-appliance terminations. Operational checks and servicing must follow the equipment’s safe procedures; this entry is not a launch or load-test instruction.

References and source status

RightShip Inspection Ship Questionnaire, November 2025, version 3.2. Section 4, page 56–57, reference 4.18.

The explanation, checklist and practice answer derive from the supplied questionnaire. Reported observations are separately contributed and manually reviewed; they are not official RISQ guidance.

Independent DeepDraft preparation guide, based on the supplied RISQ 3.2 questionnaire. Not an official RightShip product or inspection report.