An inflatable or rigid survival craft stowed on deck and launched by hand or hydrostatic release if the vessel sinks.
In practice
Seafarers must know the location of every liferaft station, how to manually release and deploy the raft, and how to board from the water. The LSA Code prescribes the emergency equipment that must be packed in each canister, including rations, flares, a first-aid kit, and a bailer. Service intervals are typically twelve months and must be carried out at an approved service station.
Regulatory detail & full definition
An inflatable or rigid survival craft carried in accordance with SOLAS Chapter III, the liferaft is designed to support life after abandoning ship when launching a lifeboat is impracticable. Inflatable liferafts are stowed in canisters on deck and are hydrostatic release units (HRUs) can release them automatically if the ship sinks, allowing the CO2 inflation mechanism to deploy the raft as the vessel descends.
Seafarers must know the location of every liferaft station, how to manually release and deploy the raft, and how to board from the water. The LSA Code prescribes the emergency equipment that must be packed in each canister, including rations, flares, a first-aid kit, and a bailer. Service intervals are typically twelve months and must be carried out at an approved service station.
In cold water the liferaft provides limited thermal protection; immersion suits are the primary defence. Overcrowding liferafts beyond their approved capacity can capsize them. Port state control inspectors check service dates and hydrostatic release unit certification, so expired servicing is a common deficiency that can lead to vessel detention.
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