Merchant Shipping (Safety and Load Line Conventions) Act 1932

REGULATION XXXVII Stowage and Handling of Boats and Life Rafts.

1 Subject to the conditions of Regulation XXXVIII, the lifeboats may be stowed one above the other, or they may, subject to such conditions as the Administration may impose, be fitted one within another, but where boats so fitted require lifting before being launched they shall only be permitted if mechanical power appliances for lifting are provided.

(2) The lifeboats and life rafts additional to boats stowed under boats attached to davits may be stowed across a deck, bridge or poop and so secured that they will have the best chance of floating free of the ship if there is no time to launch them.

(3) As large a number as possible of the additional boats referred to in paragraph 2 shall be capable of being launched on either side of the ship by means of approved appliances for transferring them from one side of the deck to the other.

(4) Boats may only be stowed on more than one deck on condition that proper measures are taken to prevent boats on a lower deck being fouled by those stowed on a deck above.

(5) Boats shall not be placed in the bows of the ship or in any positions in which they would be brought into dangerous proximity to the propellers at the time of launching.

(6) Davits shall be of approved form and so disposed on one or more decks that the boats placed under them can be safely lowered without interference from the operation of any other davits.

(7) The davits, blocks, falls and all other gear shall be of such strength that the boats can be safely lowered with the full complement of persons and equipment, with the ship listed to 15 degrees either way. The falls shall be long enough to reach the water with the vessel at her Ugh test seagoing draught and with a list of 15 degrees.

(8) The davits shall be fitted with gear of sufficient power to ensure that the boats, fully equipped and manned, but not otherwise loaded with passengers, can be turned out against the maximum list at which the lowering of the boats is possible.

(9) The boats attached to the davits shall have the falls ready for service, and means shall be provided for speedily, but not necessarily simultaneously, detaching the boats from the falls.

(10) Where more than one boat is served by the same set of davits, if the falls are of rope, separate falls shall be provided to serve each boat, but where wire falls are used with mechanical appliances for recovering them, separate falls need not be provided. The appliances used must be such as to ensure lowering the boats in turn and rapidly.

Where mechanical appliances are fitted for the recovery of the falls efficient hand gear shall also be provided.

11 On short international voyages where the height of the boat deck above the water line when the vessel is at her lightest sea-going draught does not exceed 4-5 metres (15 feet), the requirements as to strength of davits and turning-out gear in sub-paragraphs 7, 8 and 10 shall not apply.