Amendment 10
Clasification Society 2024 - Version 9.40
Statutory Documents - IMO Publications and Documents - Circulars - Maritime Safety Committee - MSC/Circular.809 – Recommendation for Canopied Reversible Liferafts, Automatically Self-Righting Liferafts and Fast Rescue Boats, Including Testing, on Ro-Ro Passenger Ships – (Adopted on 30 June 1997) - Annex - Recommendation for Canopied Reversible Liferafts, Automatically Self-Righting Liferafts and Fast Rescue Boats, Including Testing, on Ro-Ro Passenger Ships - Appendix - Recommendation on Testing of Canopied Reversible Liferafts, Automatically Self-Righting Liferafts and Fast Rescue Boats on Ro-Ro Passenger Ships - Amendment 10

Amendment 10

  10 Add new sections 5.18, 5.19, 5.20 and 5.21 as follows:

Parent topic: Appendix - Recommendation on Testing of Canopied Reversible Liferafts, Automatically Self-Righting Liferafts and Fast Rescue Boats on Ro-Ro Passenger Ships

"5.18 Additional tests applicable to automatic self-righting liferafts only

  5.18.1 Rigid automatic self-righting liferafts should be tested to the righting test in 5.17.2.1 and 5.17.2.2.

  5.18.2 A suitable means should be provided to rotate the liferaft about a longitudinal axis to any angle of heel in calm water and then release it. The liferaft should be fully equipped, with no one on board, with entrances and openings in the as-packed condition and, in the case of an inflatable liferaft, fully inflated. The liferaft should be incrementally rotated to angles of heel up to and including 180° and should be released After release, the liferaft should always return to the upright position without any assistance.

5.19 Submergence test for automatic self-righting and canopied reversible liferafts

 The liferaft and, if inflatable in its packed condition, should be submerged to a depth of at least 4 m A rigid liferaft should be released at this depth, and, if an inflatable liferaft, initiate inflation at this depth The liferaft should float to the surface and come to its designed operational condition ready to be boarded from the sea in a sea state of at least 2 m significant wave height in association with a wind force of Beaufort force 6.

5.20 Wind velocity tests

  5.20.1 The Administration should from a range of liferafts require at least:

  • .1 one liferaft from a range 6 to 25 persons capacity, provided the material and construction arrangements are similar; and

  • .2 each liferaft greater than 25 persons capacity, except in the case where it can be shown that the material and construction arrangements deem this unnecessary.

  5.20.2 The liferaft or liferafts in the packed condition with the entrance so arranged that it will be open on inflation, but without the container, should be inflated in a wind velocity of 30 m/s and should be left in this condition for 10 min.

  5.20.3 During the above-mentioned conditions, whenever practicable, the liferaft or liferafts should be swung over approximately 30° to starboard, from that position to approximately 30° to port and return to the starting position.

  5.20.4 On completion of these first stage tests, there should be no detachment of the arch support or canopy from the upper buoyancy tube or other damage which affects the efficient function of the liferaft.

  5.20.5 Then the liferaft or liferafts should be exposed to the above-mentioned wind velocity for 5 min in each of the following conditions:

  • .1 with the entrance to the wind open and the other entrances closed, if there is more than one entrance;

  • .2 with the entrance to the wind closed and the other entrances open, if there is more than one entrance; and

  • .3 with all entrances closed

    The liferaft or liferafts should show no sign of damage affecting its/their efficient function as a result of this test.

5.21 Test for self-draining of floors of canopied reversible liferafts and automatically self-righting liferafts

  5.21.1 Water should be pumped into the interior of the liferaft, while it is afloat, at a rate of 2300 litres per minute for 1 min.

  5.21.2 After the water has been shut off and has drained, there should be no appreciable accumulation of water in the liferaft

  5.21.3 If a liferaft is divided into seperate areas, by thwarts or other means, each such area should be subjected to the test."

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