Every totally enclosed lifeboat shall be provided with a
rigid watertight enclosure which completely encloses the lifeboat.
The enclosure shall be so arranged that:
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.1 it provides shelter for the occupants;
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.2 access to the lifeboat is provided by hatches
which can be closed to make the lifeboat watertight;
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.3 except for free-fall lifeboats. hatches are
positioned so as to allow launching and recovery operations to be
performed without any occupant having to leave the enclosure;
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.4 access hatches are capable of being opened
and closed from both inside and outside and are equipped with means
to hold them securely in open positions;
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.5 except for a free-fall lifeboat, in it is possible
to row the lifeboat;
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.6 it is capable, when the lifeboat is in the
capsized position with the hatches closed and without significant
leakage, of supporting the entire mass of the lifeboat, including
all equipment, machinery and its full complement of persons;
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.7 it includes windows or translucent panels which
admit sufficient daylight to the inside of the lifeboat with the hatches
closed to make artificial light unnecessary;
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.8 its exterior is of a highly visible colour
and its interior of a light colour which does not cause discomfort
to the occupants;
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.9 handrails provide a secure handhold for persons
moving about the exterior of the lifeboat, and aid embarkation and
disembarkation;
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.10 persons have access to their seats from an
entrance without having to climb over thwarts or other obstructions;
and
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.11 during operation of the engine with the enclosure
closed, the atmospheric pressure inside the lifeboat shall never be
above or below the outside atmospheric pressure by more than 20 hPa.