Lifeboat Efficiency Certificate

[Des Taff Jenkins]

I was on the old USS Waipori, had to run from Port Kembla to Sydney owing to a Southerly gale.
While in Sydney the skipper mindful of the strong winds decide to have a lifeboat drill, we had the davits where one lifted a lever and the davits moved out over the side, only these didn't, one of the davits collapsed sending the lifeboat hanging down by the other, tipping one of the blokes into the water, the davit was rusty, god knows how long since they had been inspected. The skipper had the lifeboat strapped down on no four hatch and expected us to sail, no way Hosay, we had a week in Sydney.
Des

[happy daze john in oz]

On most cruise ships now there will be at least one crew life boat drill per cruise.

But no longer the bloods having to attend one, now in your cabin TV are two videos which you must watch.
Fail to do so and you get a very nasty phone call, the system shows who did or did not watch.

But I till take it up with deck officers given the chance, as in one it tells bloods to put on a life jacket and jump into the water.
Fine if you are at sea level, but some clows will take it as read and jump from a high deck.

Broken necks can do so much damage to you.

The videos ae made in USA I was told.

[James Curry]

Free fall life boat course in Dundee, Used to do two launches a day. One at high tide and one at low water. Think the drop was 30& 40 feet.
It was the build up waiting for the launch that sticks in my mind diffo remeber it was butt clinching time. Once you did it the next was easier. Did a few practice drills at sea , think the boats had to be dropped every 3 months.
When I was contracting I was usually picked, never let on I had done a few drops. It was a bit of fun for the crew thinking I would be bricking it.

[Phil Hughes]

Hi, I took my Lifeboatman Certificate exam in Cape Town as I was on the Union Castle ship "Warwick Castle" at the time, we had instruction from the 2nd; Mate during the trip before taking the exam and my certificate is in English and Afrikaans. I still have my Lifeboat booklet issued at the Vindi.
Phil. R698842.Vindicatrix Lifeboat Manual (2).jpgVindicatrix Lifeboat Manual (2).jpg

[Des Taff Jenkins]

Hi Phil.
I still have my lifeboat book from the Vindi, but it is by Sr James Bisset, and Captain D W Sorrell.
Des

[Rob Cumbes]

On leave, I and a another apprentice went to Liverpool for a week to do the LEC. Stayed at the Mish and went to sleep to the sounds of the Liverpool serenade - police sirens, car alarms and breaking glass. The majority of the class were from the catering department. Apparently it made it easier for them to get a job on a passenger ship. They hadn't a clue. How any of them passed I think was due to the BoT examiner getting bored, wet and cold stood on the quayside near the Guinness Dock watching stewards trying to manoever an old style lifeboat off and back to the quay. But, having been told we two were deck cadets, he found time to grill me and my mate like we were up for a mate's ticket.
Many years later I had to complete the offshore courses in Aberdeen. A very different kettle of fish.
The lifeboat was enclosed, the davit launch was into the sea and everyone had to demonstrate competence.
The liferaft drill was in a pool where they could create waves, turn the lights off and it was bloody cold. Never thought I'd see someone seasick in a swimming pool.
The firemen running the fire course reckoned if no-one got burned then we just were not trying and the helicopter escape drill was a scary unless you were a very confident swimmer. If you didn't get it right the first time you had to do it until did or failed. Happy days indeed.

[happy daze john in oz]

At the Vindi catering crew had to do some life boat course, not as strict as for deck but still a bit tough.

After a couple of weeks of doing it we had an exam .
Written answers please.

I completed mine and later was called up, accused of cheating as I had got all the question correct.

Took some time to convince the officer I had not cheated, not easy when one was walking around the room when we had the exam.
After some time by asking him to ask me questions about the life boat he agreed that maybe I was just lucky.
It was just one of those times when all I learned just stuck and came back easily.

Thankfully never had to use any of the skills.

[j.sabourn]

I don’t think in all these posts about lifeboats that anyone has mentioned the standing lug and jib sail on a ships life boat , I maybe wrong but can’t spot it. It was usually coloured Red or slightly off red with the salt in the air , and marked in white lettering with the first and last letters of the ships name and the number of the boat. This must of been a Godsend
During the war on rescue vessels trying to identify the dead occupants of boats sometimes weeks later. JS

[happy daze john in oz]

The life boats of today are nothing like those we knew.
All motorized and used as means to go ashore in ports where the ship cannot dock.
Most looking well wporn from this activity but always the same few used, the pothers must be in good shape.

[James Curry]

Well,maybe on a cruise ship. On actual trading ships they maybe in the water once every 3 months.
I could be wrong but I always thought that ships safety gear was exactly that safety gear. Those Cruise ship tenders are they not classed as part of the ships day to day running equipment?