Cruise Talk: Lifeboats

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Author

Topic: Lifeboats

Beezo
First Class Passenger
Member # 1505

posted 08-17-2001 12:29 AM

Hey,
Are cruise lines now starting to have their newbuilds lifeboat colors orange to yellow? Is it like a new standard? Because I have been seeing it a lot lately. The new Costa Ships (destiny class ships) will be yellow. Also Disney Cruise Line's are yellow too. LOL I know its a weird question...but i have been thinking about it lately.

Brian

Posts: 865 | From: Massachusetts, USA | Registered: Aug 2000 | IP: Logged

Frank X. Prudent
First Class Passenger
Member # 1723

posted 08-17-2001 08:46 AM

I do not know if the brighter colors are now mandated by law or not, but having the life boats a bright color just makes sense. Out on a storm tossed sea a bright orange or yellow lifeboat would be much more visible than white ,night and day.

Posts: 577 | From: Covington, Kentucky, U.S.A. | Registered: Dec 2000 | IP: Logged

Malcolm @ cruisepage
Cruise Director
Member # 301

posted 08-17-2001 10:34 AM

I know that Disney was the first Cruise line to ask for Special permission to have yellow, purely for aesthetics, I think?

I suppose once they had said yes to Disney, other lines followed suit?

I also recall that as the ships were getting bigger the lifeboats were getting further away from the sea. Regulations were introduce to state a maximum height from sea level.

I'm sure that our cruisetalk experts will know the finer details?

Posts: 19210 | From: Essex (Just Outside London) | Registered: A Long Time Ago! | IP: Logged

Fairsky
First Class Passenger
Member # 781

posted 08-17-2001 12:56 PM

Its true that many new ships have yellow or orange colored lifeboats, but I do not believed this is a new safety regulation- not all new ship have them. Here is a pic of the Explorer of the Seas with yellow boats:

Here is a pic of the Radiance of the Seas- the same cruise line but it has more traditional lifeboats- white hulls with orange tops:

Posts: 1685 | From: Chicago, Illinois | Registered: Jul 99 | IP: Logged

gohaze
First Class Passenger
Member # 586

posted 08-17-2001 04:28 PM

I know all upper surfaces of boats, rafts etc have to be a high visibility colour such as red/orange but I'm not up to date on the latest...Ryndam certainly will be.
...peter

Posts: 1909 | From: Vancouver.BC | Registered: Sep 99 | IP: Logged

titanicsteve
First Class Passenger
Member # 2142

posted 08-18-2001 09:08 AM

I am no ship expert as you all know but I think that maybe the lifeboats are bright colours to attract attention if they are in the sea!? It seems to stand to sense to do this!?? Blue would be no good, black no bood at night, green blend in with the land and well white the sky. Oh well just something I thought of!

Posts: 510 | From: Ireland (near Titanic birthplace!!) | Registered: Jun 2001 | IP: Logged

Beezo
First Class Passenger
Member # 1505

posted 08-18-2001 12:35 PM

Hey,
Yes, I know that they had to be a bright color, but I thought they had to be orange.

I heard they did a test to see what color was most visible from far away, and that color was orange. Thats why cones and construction things are orange.

So they decided to have all lifeboats be orange, but i guess they have expanded it yellow now. Personally, I like the yellow better, but the orange looks better on some ships.

Brian

Posts: 865 | From: Massachusetts, USA | Registered: Aug 2000 | IP: Logged

Ryndam
First Class Passenger
Member # 1315

posted 08-30-2001 03:40 PM

Sorry for the late answer.
Chapter I paragraph 1.2.2.6 of the "Internationl Life-saving Appliances Code" says that "all fife-saving appliances (lifeboats, liferaft, lifebuoys, lifejackets, etc.) shall be of a highly visible colour on all parts where this will assist detection".
Before being installed on board ships, life-saving appliances must be approved by the Authority (a classification society, a government, a coast guard agency, etc.) which ensures that the requirements of the above mentioned code (there are about 18 pages of rules concerning lifeboats) are met.
Chapter III, regulation 24 of the SOLAS says that "a davit-launched survival craft shall be installed so that the davit head with the survival craft in the embarkation positionshall not exceed 15 meters (45 feet) from the waterline, when the ship is in its lightest seagoing condition".
Hopefully this will clarify the matter.

Ryndam

Posts: 260 | From: Genoa (Italy) | Registered: May 2000 | IP: Logged

WJCdiver
First Class Passenger
Member # 946

posted 08-30-2001 08:58 PM

An interesting fact is that Cunard got special permission from SOLAS to position the
lifeboats higher up on the QM2. Their point was that the ship is dedigned for North Atlantic winter crossings. As such higher waves are expected than a normal cruise ship that stays in more temperate seas.

SOLAS agreed and gave Cunard permission to have them higher up.

Posts: 159 | From: New York, NY | Registered: Dec 1999 | IP: Logged

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