View all text of Subpart B [§ 199.60 - § 199.190]
§ 199.150 - Survival craft launching and recovery arrangements; general.
(a)(1) Each launching appliance must be approved under 46 CFR part 160, subpart 160.132 for use with the intended craft, with a winch approved under 46 CFR part 160, subpart 160.115 for use with the intended craft.
(2) Each launching appliance for a davit-launched liferaft must include an automatic disengaging apparatus approved under 46 CFR part 160, subpart 160.170 and be either—
(i) A launching appliance described in paragraph (a)(1) of this section; or
(ii) A launching appliance approved on or before November 10, 2011 under approval series 160.163.
(b) Unless expressly provided otherwise in this part, each survival craft must be provided with a launching appliance or marine evacuation system, except those survival craft that—
(1) Can be boarded from a position on deck less than 4.5 meters (14.75 feet) above the waterline with the vessel in its lightest seagoing condition and that are stowed for launching directly from the stowed position under unfavorable conditions of trim of 10 degrees and list of 20 degrees either way;
(2) [Reserved]
(3) Are carried in excess of the survival craft for 200 percent of the total number of persons on board the vessel, and that have a mass of not more than 185 kilograms (407 pounds);
(4) Are carried in excess of the survival craft for 200 percent of the total number of persons on board the vessel and that are stowed for launching directly from the stowed position under unfavorable conditions or trim of 10 degrees and list of 20 degrees either way; or
(5) Are provided for use in conjunction with a marine evacuation system and that are stowed for launching directly from the stowed position under unfavorable conditions of trim of 10 degrees and list of 20 degrees either way.
(c) With the exception of the secondary means of launching for free-fall lifeboats, each launching appliance must be arranged so that the fully equipped survival craft it serves can be safely launched against unfavorable conditions of trim of up to 10 degrees either way and of list of up to 20 degrees either way—
(1) When the survival craft is loaded with its full complement of persons; and
(2) When not more than the required operating crew is on board.
(d) A launching appliance must not depend on any means other than gravity or stored mechanical power, independent of the vessel's power supplies, to launch the survival craft it serves in both the fully loaded and equipped condition and in the light condition.
(e) Each launching appliance's structural attachment to the vessel must be designed, based on the ultimate strength of the construction material, to be at least 4.5 times the load imparted on the attachment by the launching appliance and its fully loaded survival craft under the most adverse combination of list and trim under paragraph (c) of this section.
(f) Each launching appliance must be arranged so that—
(1) All parts requiring regular maintenance by the vessel's crew are readily accessible and easily maintained;
(2) The launching appliance remains effective under conditions of icing;
(3) The same type of release mechanism is used for each similar survival craft carried on board the vessel;
(4) The preparation and handling of each survival craft at any one launching station does not interfere with the prompt preparation and handling of any other survival craft at any other station;
(5) The persons on board the vessel can safely and rapidly board the survival craft; and
(6) During preparation and launching, the survival craft, its launching appliance, and the area of water into which it is to be launched are illuminated by lighting supplied from the vessel's emergency source of electrical power.
(g) Each launching and recovery arrangement must allow the operator on the deck to observe the survival craft at all times during launching.
(h) Means must be provided outside the machinery space to prevent any discharge of water onto survival craft during launching.
(i) If there is a danger of the survival craft being damaged by the vessel's stabilizer wings, the stabilizer wings must be able to be brought inboard using power from the emergency source of electrical power. Indicators operated by the vessel's emergency power system must be provided on the navigating bridge to show the position of the stabilizer wings.