8.7 Survival craft and rescue boat embarkation and recovery arrangements
Clasification Society 2024 - Version 9.40
Statutory Documents - IMO Publications and Documents - International Codes - HSC 2000 Code - International Code of Safety for High-Speed Craft, 2000 – Resolution MSC.97(73) - Chapter 8 - Life-saving appliances and arrangements - 8.7 Survival craft and rescue boat embarkation and recovery arrangements

8.7 Survival craft and rescue boat embarkation and recovery arrangements

  8.7.1 Embarkation stations shall be readily accessible from accommodation and work areas. If the designated assembly stations are other than the passenger spaces, the assembly stations shall be readily accessible from the passenger spaces, and the embarkation stations shall be readily accessible from the assembly stations.

  8.7.2 Evacuation routes, exits and embarkation points shall comply with the requirements of 4.7.

  8.7.3 Alleyways, stairways and exits giving access to the assembly and embarkation stations shall be adequately illuminated by lighting supplied from the main and emergency source of electrical power required by chapter 12.

  8.7.4 Where davit-launched survival craft are not fitted, MES or equivalent means of evacuation shall be provided in order to avoid persons entering the water to board survival craft. Such MES or equivalent means of evacuation shall be so designed as to enable persons to board survival craft in all operational conditions and also in all conditions of flooding after receiving damage to the extent prescribed in chapter 2.

  8.7.5 Subject to survival craft and rescue boat embarkation arrangements being effective within the environmental conditions in which the craft is permitted to operate and in all undamaged and prescribed damage conditions of trim and heel, where the freeboard between the intended embarkation position and the waterline is not more than 1.5 m, the Administration may accept a system where persons board liferafts directly.

  8.7.6 Where an MES is provided for embarkation into survival craft on a category B craft, an alternative means of evacuating passengers and crew into survival craft on the same side of the craft in conditions up to and including the worst intended conditions is to be provided for use if the MES is lost or rendered unserviceable in the event of damage of longitudinal extent specified in 2.6.7.1.

  8.7.7 Rescue boat embarkation arrangements shall be such that the rescue boat can be boarded and launched directly from the stowed position and recovered rapidly when loaded with its full complement of persons and equipment.

  8.7.8 Launching systems for rescue boats on category B craft may be based on power supply from the craft's power supply under the following conditions:

  • .1 the davit or crane shall be supplied with power from two sources in each independent engine room;

  • .2 the davit or crane shall comply with the required launching, lowering and hoisting speeds when using only one power source; and

  • .3 the davit or crane is not required to be activated from a position within the rescue boat.

  8.7.9 On multihull craft with a small HL 1 angle of heel and trim, the design angles in paragraph 6.1 of the LSA Code may be changed from 20° /10° to the maximum angles calculated in accordance with annex 7, including heeling lever HL 2, HTL, HL 3 or HL 4.

  8.7.10 Rescue boat davits or cranes may be designed for launching and recovering the boat with three persons only on the condition that an additional boarding arrangement is available on each side complying with 8.7.5.

  8.7.11 A safety knife shall be provided at each MES embarkation station.


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