The Merchant Shipping (Life-Saving Appliances for Passenger Ships of Classes III to VI (A)) Regulations 1992

PART I SEA ANCHORS

1.  A sea anchor shall be conical in shape and have the following dimensions:

CRAFT	SEA ANCHOR
	Minimum Mouth Diameter (mm)	Minimum Sloping Length (mm)	Minimum Sloping Length of Shroud Lines (mm)
Liferafts up to 10 person capacity	400	600	600
Liferafts 11 person capacity up to 25 person capacity and inflated boats	500	670	670
Liferafts over 25 person capacity, lifeboats and rescue boats up to 6 m in length	600	780	780
Lifeboats and rescue boats over 6 m in length and up to 9 m in length	700	920	920
Lifeboats over 9 m in length	800	1050	1050

2.  The sea anchor material shall be porous, slightly stiff and shall allow a water penetration of between 10 and 12 cubic centimetres per second per square centimetre at a pressure of 550Pa (roughly equivalent to a speed through water of 2 knots).

3.  The painter line used to secure the sea anchor to a liferaft or boat shall:

3.1  be inherently rot proof and of braided construction.

3.2  be 30 metres long, not less than 8 mm in diameter and have a breaking load including attachments and knots of not less than:

3.2.1 7.5 kN for liferafts up to 10 person capacity;

3.2.2 10.0 kN for liferafts of 11 person to 25 person capacity; and

3.2.3 10.0 kN for all other sea anchors or have a factor of safety of 3:1 based on a tow test at 6 knots whichever is the greater.

4.  The shroud lines shall be designed to restrict the sea anchor from tumbling through itself.

5.  The sea anchor shall be stable when towed through the water at speeds up to 6 knots.

6.  The sea anchor mouth shall open immediately on deployment.