In-water survey instead of dry-docking

ARIE VAN WINGERDEN

Now that Lagersmit announced Subsea Global Solutions (SGS) as our exclusive U.S.-based
service agent, we are also able to facilitate in-water. In-water survey (referred to by various
classification societies as IWS, BIS, etc.) is a method of surveying the underwater parts of a
ship while it is still afloat instead of having to dry-dock it for examination of these areas as
was conventionally done.

PRE-EXAMINATION IN-WATER SURVEY

PROGRAM
The first step to make an in-water survey possible is to send an initial application to the
classification societies’ Ship Safety division indicating the intention to have any ship(s)
participate in an in-water survey program.
 
The ship then must be examined to get an approval of Class Societies Ship Safety
Headquarters to get into the In-Water Survey Program. This examination of the underwater
portion and fittings of the hull as required by the appropriate regulations can be made by a
team of competent divers and technicians in the presence of a Marine Surveyor. The diving
company must be approved by the appropriate Classification Society in order to execute this
survey.
 
The in-water survey should provide, for as far as possible, the information on the condition of
the vessel’s underwater hull and fittings usually obtained from a (previous) dry docking
survey.
 
One of the other requirements that needs to be checked are the stern tube seals. The report
needs to provide information ascertaining that the seal assembly on oil lubricated bearings
remains intact and that the clearance or wear down measure of the stern bearing has been
verified to be in accordance with OEM specifications. For wood or rubber bearings, an
opening in the top of the rope guard and a suitable gauge or wedge should be provided for
checking the clearance by the diver.
 
Please note that in case the Marine Surveyor is not satisfied with the outcome of this first in-
water survey or if the condition of the vessel warrants a survey in dry dock this must be
arranged by the ship owner. Read our blog to find out which preparations need to be made for
in water seal repair.

IN-WATER SURVEY REQUIREMENTS

When you get the IWS notation and you want to conduct an in-water survey, you must send a
request to a Ship Safety office indicating information such as date and location of the survey,
general information on the diving company and a schedule for undertaking the in-water
survey. This survey can be completed UP TO 3 months in advance of the due date. This gives
ship ownersflexibility in scheduling this survey.
Did you know an in-water survey should be conducted according to the following
requirements?
 
1. Master’s Statement
At the time of an in-water survey the Master or Owner’s representative should provide a
declaration of all suspected or actual damage that has occurred since the previous dry-
docking.
 
2. Survey Site
The proposed survey site should be in a protected location with calm clear water providing
good underwater visibility. Visibility is typically greater than 2 meters length. Sufficient
visibility shall be available to enable the Marine Surveyor to ascertain if the hull has
undergone any permanent setup or set down. Special attention should also be given to the
effects of current.
 
3. Hull Condition
The hull should be clean for external survey and the Marine Surveyor should be satisfied that
the method and quality of pictorial presentation is satisfactory and that the information
obtained enables a reliable assessment to be made of the condition of the hull. The survey
should be discontinued if the conditions or equipment deteriorate to the extent that the
transmitted pictures and/or communications are no longer acceptable.
 
4. Underwater Areas
An examination of the entire vessel below the waterline should be carried out by a competent
diver using closed circuit television with two-way communication capable of being
monitored by the Marine Surveyor as required.Where practicable the in-water survey should
be carried out while the vessel is in Light Operating Condition to facilitate the survey.
 
5. Above Waterline Areas
An examination of the outside of the shell plating above the waterline and exposed portions
of appendages should be carried out by the Marine Surveyor. Means should be provided to
enable the Surveyor to accomplish this visual examination.
 
6. Internal Inspection
Where a defect or damage is detected or suspected as a result of the in-water survey or the
Master’s statement, the internal structure should be examined as considered necessary to
clarify or confirm the findings. Vessels operating in ice should have the internal structure
examined in way of areas which are susceptible to ice damage. In this respect, attention
should be given to the hazards associated with entering ship’s tanks.
 
7. Report
Copies of the diver’s report, pertinent colour photographs and/or video tapes should be
submitted to the attending Marine Surveyor and Ship Safety Headquarters for record
purposes.

STERN TUBE SEALS & SHIPS WITH IWS

NOTATION
All our oil lubricated Supreme stern tube seals, capable of doing bearing wear down
measurements, are acceptable for ships having an IWS notation. The procedure for doing
wear down measurements is basically the same as doing these measurements in dry dock.
You must have access through the rope guard if fitted!
 
Tools for doing these measurements, to know: measuring plug and sliding gage/poker gage,
are supplied as standard with new Supreme oil lubricated stern tube seal orders. The
maximum allowed bearing clearance will depend upon shaft diameter, lubrication type
(oil/water), bearing material and loading. The actual distance measured is less important than
the change in distance.
 
Please be aware that some oil spillage may occur when removing the stainless steel plug and
check with relevant national authorities if this is allowed. Our partner Subsea Global
Solutions meets these requirements in their locations and in many of their partner locations
globally.  We are happy to work with you to support your IWS needs at any time.

MORE INFORMATION
As a client of Lagersmit we can offer you in-water surveys via our US-based service agent
Subsea Global Solutions. SGS has a dedicated staff situated globally and over the years
revolutionized the methods of repair for ships and advanced the methodology used in
underwater Marine Construction. With class approved techniques and a highly trained staff in
both underwater ship repair and propulsion equipment maintenance, SGS is the clear choice
for vessels operating in sensitive environments and on critical trade routes.
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What you need to know to realize an

Extended Dry Docking (EDD)

STEFAN MOLENAAR

Every ship owner has to deal with it: a dry dock. The SOLAS requirements dictate
that all merchant vessels must complete an inspection of the hull in a dry dock
twice within a five year period and the intermediate survey must not be more
than 36 months. This includes maintenance of the hull, propeller, rudder and
other parts which are immersed in water and are normally inaccessible by ship
staff at regular sailing period. Ship owners start planning their dry docking
activities several months before the schedule date, because these activities take
a lot of preparation and are relatively expensive. You often see that ships have
to take a totally different route for a suitable dry dock place, as most of the time
the desired facility is not available when needed. This is most common with
larger vessels.
EXTENDED DRY DOCKING (EDD)
There is a possibility to extend your docking period with a special program that
all major classifications societies have, called the “Extended Dry Docking” or EDD
scheme. Under this extended dry docking program, ships have a privilege to
extend their dry docking period from 5 to 7.5 years. This means that ships under
this special program get the maximum dry dock interval of 7.5 years by replacing
certain dry dockings by In-Water Surveys (IWS) which are carried out by
approved diving companies. Did you know we also have the possibility to run
under water service on our seals during In-Water Surveys?
 
For more information you can read our blog: ‘In-water surveys instead of Dry-
Docking’

WHY EDD?
By extending the docking period your ship will stay in water for a longer time.
One of the major advantages is that the availability of the vessel for business will
be increased. EDD also brings ships an extensive flexibility and savings in
docking costs.
 

Requirements
 
If you want your vessel to be considered for EDD, you have to undergo In-Water
Surveys. Nonetheless only ships with solid results are allowed to continue the
extended dry docking Program. To ensure safety and quality during the
extended dry docking period, each classification society has its own
requirements for a ship. Several conditions for a vessel to be allowed under this
program are:
 

 EDD is only available for general cargo ships, container ships and multi-
purpose dry cargo vessels. Ships such as passenger and tanker vessels and
 those subjected to Extended Hull Survey Program (EHSR) and Enhanced
Survey Program (ESP) cannot apply for extended dry docking.
 Corrosion protection is a strict requirement if you want to be considered
for EDD. Only ships with high quality underwater coating are allowed to this
program.
 The age of the ship is a very important factor during acceptance for
extended dry docking. Desirable is a ship younger than ten years and
particularly a ship that is between the age of zero and five years. Older ships
can be considered for EDD depending on the ship type, flag stage,
classification society and other design and operational factors.

More information

TIPS BEFORE YOU DRY DOCK!

Even though your vessel may be qualified for the EDD program, ship owners will
always have to deal with dry docking to keep their ship safe. As said before,
every day in dry dock and every delay costs a great deal of money. It is our
observation that proper preparation for the work to be performed, can
significantly shorten the elapsed repair time. Proper preparation enables our
technicians to get down to work quickly and safely. Here are eight tips to
prepare for the arrival of a service engineer.
 
Supreme® aft seal
1. Install a scaffold on which our technician can work safely
2. Have the shipyard remove the rope guard and carefully spray the outside
of the seal box clean
3. In case of regular maintenance, the shipyard can drain the sleeve in
advance
4. To be able to mount the seals in situ, the technician requires 230V on the
scaffold

Finally, naturally you will want to keep the new seals clean. For this reason make
sure that no other work that causes dust is being performed in the vicinity. For
example spraying, sandblasting, grinding and welding work. Preferably schedule
these activities prior to the installation of the new seals.
Supreme® forward seal
5. Make sure that the seal can easily be reached by our technician. Ample
space is required for the technician, as well as the tools. This is the only way
to achieve an optimal result.
 6. Remove any floor plates and sections. At the same time, make it possible
to disassemble them for future maintenance
7. Give due consideration to draining the small tanks and the sleeve. Make
sure that everything is clean
8. Provide for a 230V cable near the seal

 
What is the best way to prepare for a service job? Find out more in our blog!

COST SAVINGS DUE TO PROPER

PLANNING
With proper preparation your work here is half done. Proper planning combined with proper preparation
saves you money. Experience shows that in some cases proper planning can result in cost savings of up to
30%!
 
Going into dry dock? Our Supreme Ventus® and Supreme Athmos® can play an
important role in making your vessel environmental friendly. If you would like to
engage our service engineers to support and assist you during your upcoming
maintenance, we are there for you! Lagersmit provides 24/7 support with its
global network.

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You are here: Home › Guidelines › What is Extended Dry-Docking of Ships?

What is Extended Dry-Docking of

Ships?
By Raunek | In: Guidelines | Last Updated on June 28, 2021

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According to SOLAS regulation, every sea-going vessel has to undergo two dry
docks within a period of 5 years. A ship in dry dock is a ship out of service. Dry
dock is a complex process which is both expensive and time consuming. It is a
necessary evil which ship owners, operators, and crew members have to go through
when the time requires. With two compulsory dry docks within a period of 5 years, it
is a stressful task for ship owners and personnel who have to go through a lot of
planning and preparation for the drydocking activity.

Planning of dry docking starts several months before the scheduled date. A number

of things needs to be arranged starting from the convenient place for dry-docking to
arranging spares and on-shore maintenance staff. Moreover, it is often seen that
ships have to take a totally different route for a suitable dry dock place as most of the
time the desired facility is not available when needed. This is very common with
larger vessels.

In order to deal with this situation, all major classifications societies have a special
program called the “Extended Dry-Docking” or EDD scheme.

Dry-Docking

What is Extended Dry-Docking Program?

Under extended dry-docking program, ships have a privilege to extend their dry
docking period from 5  to 7.5 years. This means that ships under this special
program gets maximum dry dock interval of 7.5 years by replacing certain dry-
dockings by in-water surveys (IWS) which are carried out by approved diving
companies. A variety of factors are taken into consideration before approving a ship
for extended dry-docking.

 
Volume 0%
 
However, not every ship is allowed for the extended dry-docking program.
 Extended Dry-Docking Scheme of DNV
Image Credits: DNV

One of the major benefits of Extended Dry-docking program is that the ship is
allowed to stay in water for a longer time increasing the availability of vessel for
business. It also helps operators with increased flexibility in choosing the dry-docking
window with properly planned maintenance programs and schedules.

Guidelines and Requirements for Extended Dry-docking

Program
The maximum dry docking period is extended by allowing the qualified ships to
undergo In-Water Surveys (IWS) which help to increase the period between two dry-
docks. However, it is to note that only those ships which produce satisfactory results
in these surveys are allowed to continue with the EDD program.

Each classification society has its own requirements to allow a ship under extended
dry-docking period to ensure highest levels of quality and safety. Some of the main
requirements for a ship to be allowed under this special program are:

– Presently, the extended dry-docking program is available for only container ships,

general cargo ships, and multi-purpose dry cargo vessels. This means that ships
such as tanker and passenger vessels and those subjected to Enhanced Survey
Program (ESP) and Extended Hull Survey Program (EHSR) cannot opt for extended
dry-docking.

In accordance with IMO resolution A744 (18), the scheme cannot be applied to
Enhanced Survey Programme vessels – most bulk carriers and tankers – and under
the SOLAS Convention it cannot be applied to passenger vessels.

– Ships belonging to all flag states cannot apply for the extended dry-docking
program. The flag administration first needs to approve the type of vessel and the
owner for the extended dry-docking scheme. A ship can apply for the EDD only if its
flag state approves of the program.

– Age of the ship plays a major role during acceptance for the EED program. The
ideal age for the commencement of Extended Dry Dock Program is between 0-5
years and less than 10 years. However, older ships can be considered for the
program depending on the flag state, ship type, classification society and other
design and operational factors.
– Inspection of hull and paint coating is one of the most important factors considered
for extended dry-docking. The paint manufacturer provides the criteria for which the
coating will be valid for 7.5 years. Several factors such as vessel speed, area of
operation, vessel utilization, and idle time are taken into consideration while deciding
the validity of the coating. High quality hull coating is an important requirement for
extended dry docking.

Underwater Hull Maintenance

Image credits: hydrex.be

– Anti-Corrosion system (corrosion protection) is an absolute must for EDD. Ships

with high quality underwater coating are only allowed for the extended dry-docking.
Moreover, sacrificial anodes attached to the hull must be capable for renewal in
water and the impressed current corrosion protection system must be monitored for
effectiveness. The ballast tanks must also have good coating condition.

– The quality and thickness of coating requirements are different across EDD
providers. For e.g. GL has the following requirements for ships allowed for EDD
program:

-> As criteria for the implementation of the “Extended Dry-Docking Interval”, at the
time of new building, the corrosion prevention system for the bottom shell has to
fulfill the following requirements:

-Dry film thickness of coating for 7.5 years has to be an average of 300 μm

-Anodes (Alu/Zinc) prepared for 7.5 years

Alternatively,

Impressed current system is to be installed and maintained

– >As criteria for the implementation of the “Extended Dry-Docking Interval”, for
ships in service, the corrosion prevention system for the bottom shell has to fulfill the
following requirements:

-Dry film thickness of coating for 7.5 years has to be an average of 250 μm

-Anodes (Alu/Zinc) prepared for 7.5 years

Alternatively,

If installed, in impressed current system, is to be maintained and documented in the

Planned Maintenance Scheme

– The results of the in-water survey play an important role in deciding the next dry-
docking schedule for the ship, even if the ship is under Extended Dry Docking
Program. If the results of this survey are found unsatisfactory, then the operator is
asked to book a dry-dock within one month of the IWS (In water survey).

Summary of Extended Dry-Docking (EED) Scheme 

– Dry-docking period extends from 5 to 7.5 years

– Dry-docking is replaced by In-Water Surveys (IWS) from authorized underwater

inspection service providers

– Only those ship types and operators approved by Flag administrators are
considered for dry-docking survey

– Not all types of ships can apply for EDD

– Generally ships of age not greater than 10 years are considered for EDD

– Special requirements for hull condition and paint coating thickness are required

– Proper ship corrosion protection system is a must

– Results of IWS decides the next dry-docking schedule

-Requirements for a ship to be approved for EDD will vary across EDD service
providers

– Special surveys can be assigned to ships if required

– The scheme can be discontinued anytime if the ship doesn’t meet the stated
requirements

DNV, one of the providers of Extended Dry-Docking, offer special recommendations

to the ship owners who plan to opt for EDD for avoiding unscheduled dry-docking.

Recommendations to Owners for EDD

Image Credits: DNV

Further Reading:

 DNV EDD Notes

 LR EDD Guidance 

Extended Dry Docking is an excellent option for ship owners to

avoid unscheduled and costly dry-docking, provided a well planned and documented
maintenance/survey schedule is implemented.

Disclaimer: The authors’ views expressed in this article do not necessarily reflect

the views of Marine Insight. Data and charts, if used, in the article have been
sourced from available information and have not been authenticated by any statutory
authority. The author and Marine Insight do not claim it to be accurate nor accept
any responsibility for the same. The views constitute only the opinions and do not
constitute any guidelines or recommendation on any course of action to be followed
by the reader.
The article or images cannot be reproduced, copied, shared or used in any
form without the permission of the author and Marine Insight. 

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Free Fall Lifeboats: what

maintenance is required (and
how to do it) ?
Written by Capt Rajeev Jassal on April 23, 2016

They say, A friend in need is a friend indeed. On board ships,

who can be your real friend who will help when you are in
real need.

Did I hear, Life saving equipments ?  You are absolutely

correct.
Life saving equipments are the only equipments on board
which are for us. Do you agree ?

These are not there because of any cargo requirement, or

any commercial need.

And yet, we find so many observations on life saving

equipments during external inspections.

For example, as per USCG, detentions due to “rescue

boat” was one of the top 5 deficiencies in 2015.
Isn’t it a worrying factor ? It surely is.
But why do we have so many observations on life saving
equipments ? There are 3 factors that contribute to
maintenance issues

1. Maintenance not done as per schedule

2. Person responsible for maintenance not sure what

maintenance to do
 3. Spares / required stores not available

So Lets see what maintenance we need to do on free fall

lifeboats to ensure that everything is alright.

Lowering requirement of Free fall lifeboat

As per SOLAS we need to lower the free fall lifeboat as

follows

Every 3 months
Every 3 months we can lower the lifeboat either by free fall
launching or by secondary means of launching. If lowering by
free fall, the required crew need to sit inside the boat and
launch it from inside.

Otherwise, we can lower the free fall lifeboat to water by

davit. Crew can then board the lifeboat by embarkation
ladder.

Irrespective of how we lower the boat, we need to

manoeuver it in water every three months. We need to test
the engine and sprinkler system during manoeuvring.

Every 6 months
If you are lowering the boat every 3 months by free fall
means, there is no other thing you need to do every 6
month. But if you had lowered the boat by secondary means
such as davit, you need to lower the boat by free fall every 6
months. Or you can carry out simulated launching
provided lifeboat has the provisions for that.

Now what does it mean by “simulated launching” of the free

fall boat ?

Simulated launching
Simulated launching replaces the requirement of lowering the
lifeboat by free fall method. When we lower the lifeboat by
free fall method, we are testing the release mechanism of
the lifeboat. Simulated launching does same but without
lowering the lifeboat with free fall.

In simple words, the boats that are fitted with simulated

launching has a securing wire. One end of this wire is
connected to boat and other on the ship structure. When the
boat is secured, this wire will be loose with no weight on it.

One crew will operate the release gear of the boat. Once the
boat releases, after moving slight distance, simulation wire
will hold the boat. This test will make sure that the release
mechanism is working.

After simulation test, the boat then need to be lowered with

davit and manoevered in water.

Maintenance required on free fall lifeboats

Maintenance by Ship staff

Every company has a weekly and monthly checklist for
lifeboat which we have to follow. But as a minimum,  we
should do following maintenance on free fall lifeboat.

Lifeboat hull
It is good practice to check lifeboat hull for any cracks during
drills. We must repair any crack in the hull at once.

Lifeboat Self contained air support system

Lifeboats fitted on tankers has self contained air support
system. This is to maintain positive pressure inside the
lifeboat in case of abandoning the ship in toxic environment.

Positive pressure inside lifeboat ensures that toxic

gases don’t find its way inside lifeboat.

Every month we should check the pressure of the air bottles.

The pressure of each bottle should not be less than 10% of
the working pressure of bottle.

Usually there are three air bottles in the lifeboat. When

checking the pressures, we should check the pressure in
each bottle. When doing so for the second bottle, make sure
to close the valves from the first bottle. Also you should
release pressure from the line before opening the second
bottle valve.

Sprinkler system
As I mentioned, we need to test the sprinkler system during
maneuvering of the lifeboat. Apart from that every month we
need to check and operate the sprinkler valve. This is to
ensure that the valve is not frozen and we can open/close it
easily.

Every time, sprinkler is tested with sea water, it is good

practice to flush the lines with fresh water.

Lifeboat Engine
We need to test and run the lifeboat engine every week for
at least 3 minutes (SOLAS Chapter III, Reg 20.6.3).

If the ship is trading in cold weather, it is important to check

if the fuel for lifeboat engine is suitable for these conditions.

Every 5 years, we need to either change the fuel oil or send

the fuel for analysis. As lifeboat fuel quantity is not
considerable, renewing the fuel every 5 year is much
economical option.

Lifeboat battery
Lifeboat battery supplies power for lighting as well as for
starting the lifeboat engine.

We have to make sure that battery can start the lifeboat

engine multiple times. Many companies have a policy to
renew the lifeboat battery every 2 or 3 years.
Maintenance done by shore service engineer

There are number of components that shore service engineer

checks during annual inspection. These can be divided in
different sections. Lifeboat Exterior, Lifeboat
internal, Lifeboat Engine, Lifeboat Release gear, Lifeboat
Davit and Lifeboat Winch.

SOLAS requirements divides thorough inspection by shore in

two parts.

1) Thorough inspection of lifeboat

2) Thorough inspection of Launching appliances

1. Annual thorough examination of lifeboat
Every year, lifeboat need to be examined by the shore
service engineer. Class issues SEQ certificate on the basis of
this examination along with the inspection of launching
appliances.

We must make sure that before annual class surveys, the

annual examination of lifeboats is complete.

During annual inspection, the shore engineer will check all

the components we discussed under ship staff maintenance.
These include lifeboat engine, battery, sprinkler and air
support system (if fitted). His checklist also include the
inspection of lifeboat equipment inventory.

We have already identified six areas that form part of

thorough inspection. Each of these six areas further have
many check points that service engineer will check.

For example, external inspection of lifeboat will have many

checkpoints. Checkpoints such as looking for any cracks in
hull and opacity of window glass etc.
Likewise the service engineer goes through the checkpoints
for other areas too. Any shortcomings are brought to the
attention of ship staff. Only after rectification of such
deficiencies service engineer issues the service report.

2. Annual Thorough Inspection of Launching

appliances by shore 
SOLAS chapter III Reg 20.11.1. requires

i) thorough annual examination of launching appliances

ii) Dynamic test of the winch brake every year with weight of
the boat.

iii) Operational testing of free fall lifeboat either by free fall

launching with operating crew on board or by simulated
launching.

Launching appliance include the davits and winch of lifeboat,

liferaft and rescue boat.

i) Thorough inspection of free fall lifeboat davit

So what does shore service engineer do during annual
thorough examination of davit ? It is all in the
name. Thorough examination means detailed inspection and
that’s exactly what he does.

Annual thorough inspection of davit of free fall lifeboat

include at least checking of

1. Winch

2. Electrical components

3. Davit fall wire

4. Davit structure

5. Hydraulic system and

 6. Operational test of the davit.

Again any deficiencies is brought to the attention of ship staff

for rectification either by ship or shore.

Annual Dynamic test of winch brake

The davits of free fall lifeboat has hydraulic brake.

For conventional boats, the brakes are opened up and

checked for condition. But this is not required for free fall
lifeboat davits. This is because, opening of hydraulic brake
decreases rather than increases the reliability of the brake.

The purpose of the dynamic test is to see if the brake can

take the load of the boat. If the davit brake can hold the
lifeboat in its position, we consider the test pass. If the brake
does not hold and boat is moving even slightly, we consider
the test as fail.

As per SOLAS, Every year, this test needs to be done with

the weight of the boat. For this, shore engineer just lowers
the lifeboat with the davit to perform this test.
 

iii) 5 yearly dynamic test of winch brake

SOLAS requires to carry out dynamic test with higher loads
every 5 years. This load is 10% higher than the weight of the
boat with all its compliments and equipments.

So the required weight is

1.1 x (Weight of the lifeboat + all its equipments

+weight of full compliments of lifeboat)
Below picture shows the calculation of the weight for 5 year
dynamic test.

There are two ways in which we can conduct this test.

1) By placing the required weight inside the boat and then

lowering the boat with the davit.

2) By suspending the physical weight on lifeboat davit.

As this test is usually carried out in dry dock with easy

availability of shore crane and weights, the second option
may be the preferred one.
3. Lifeboat on Load release gear test
On load release gear of free fall lifeboat is different than
conventional boats. Some says that this does not come in
the category of on load release gear.

While this test is not required as per SOLAS for free fall
lifeboats, it is still sometimes carried out during dry dock.
Sometimes because of company’s policy or because of class
insists it to be carried out.
To understand the testing of on load release gear of Free fall
lifeboat, we need to understand how free fall lifeboat is
released.

There are different arrangements for different make of free

fall lifeboat and davit. But the fundamental principal is same.
Free fall lifeboat holds onto a hook and this hook is released
by hydraulic pressure generated from the hand pump inside
the lifeboat. As the hook releases, the boat slides on the
channel to drop into the water.

Lets look at one of such arrangement. Have a look at photo

below.
As you can see, the boat is holding onto a rod. There are two
pins protruding from inside the lifeboat. When we increase
the hydraulic pressure through pump, the pins start moving
outwards. As the pin touches the rod, and as we keep
increasing the pressure, pins lifts the boat upwards. At one
point, boat is clear of the rod, and boat moves through the
channel to drop into the water.

See below close up photo for more better view of pin and
bracket holding the boat.
The two pins would not move together. Only one pin would
come out and lift the boat to release into the water. The
second pin is for emergency system for lowering. This is used
when primary system fails.

Now that we know how free fall lifeboat’s release system

work, We are in a better position to ask ourself this question.
What do we mean by on load release gear test of free fall
lifeboat ?

The pin we mentioned, need to push the weight of the boat

including the weight of all the crew sitting in the boat. What
if, there is leakage in the hydraulic system. Or what if
hydraulic pump cannot generate that pressure to lift the boat
enough to release it.

When we talk about free fall lifeboat on load release gear

test, we are talking about testing the capacity of the
hydraulic system. This is to ensure that it has enough power
to lift the boat.

I keep saying lifting the boat on the basis of release gear

example I mentioned earlier. But the design of the release
can be different. Some design require the securing pin to
release by the hydraulic pressure to release the boat.
Nonetheless, it is hydraulic pressure that removes the
lifeboat from secured point to release.

On load release gear test is done with 10% more weight than

the weight of boat + weight of all crew. Though this is the
requirement for conventional boat, same criteria is applied
for free fall lifeboats if it is carried out during dry dock.

How this test is done ?

First calculate, how much hydraulic pressure is equivalent to

the required test weight. This is simple mathematical
calculation which I will not go deep into.  Below is the actual
calculation for one of the ship.
As you can see, Hydraulic system of this ship need to
generate & hold 275 bar pressure to pass the test. During
dry dock, in the yard workshop the hydraulic system is
pressurised to perform this test. Below is the photo of actual
test for the same ship.
Conclusion

More and more ships these days are fitted with free fall
lifeboats. And the main reason for that is ease of use and
ease of maintenance.

There are certain maintenance requirement as per SOLAS.

And we need to make sure we do that. The maintenance
include both that can be done by ship staff and the one done
by shore service engineer.

Ship staff need to do weekly and monthly checks which

usually form a part of on board company checklist.
Shore engineer need to perform annual and 5 Yearly tests.

As long as we carry out maintenance as per schedule, we can

be sure of operation condition of the lifeboat.