Lifeboat Manufacturer News

Lifeboat manufacturer Norsafe has developed a new partially enclosed lifeboat (PELB) for passenger vessels: the SOLAS compliant Minima 88, a compact 8.8m long boat with a width of 4.25m for 150 persons. Norsafe said it has received an order from Chinese shipbuilder Xiamen Shipyard to provide six of its new Minima-88 lifeboats with compatible LHD-200 davits for Finland based operator Viking Line. The ferry newbuild is due to enter service in 2021 on routes across the Baltic Sea between Turku, Finland and Stockholm, Sweden.

JFD, part of James Fisher and Sons plc, announced that it has won a contract with Singaporean company Flash Tekk Engineering for the design and manufacture of up to eight Self-Propelled Hyperbaric Lifeboats (SPHL). A development to improve operational safety standards, SPHLs are to be installed as part of the saturation diving systems on the new Red-Class fleet of Diving Support Vessels (DSV). The SPHLs are currently under construction for Flash Tekk’s parent company Ultra Deep Solutions, the builder and operator of ultra-deep diving heavy construction vessels.

Norsafe has become the first lifeboat manufacturer to provide STCW and Norwegian Oil and Gas (NOROG) compliant training courses for seafarers. This means that the company is the only lifeboat manufacturer that offers production, servicing and certified training in the operation and maintenance of lifeboats and lifeboat crew. Gaining STCW approval is very timely for Norsafe as the Manila 2010 Amendments to the STCW-78 Convention stipulates that seafarers, who are qualified in the following areas, need to provide documentary proof they have recently undergone training or have been on a refresher course within the last five years by 1st January 2017.

International Transport Intermediaries Club (ITIC) says recent claims experience demonstrates that naval architects need to be aware of the need to protect against their exposure to liability for damages resulting from errors in design work. ITIC cites by way of example a case involving the operator of a passenger and ro-ro ferry service which appointed a naval architect to design a landing craft ferry. The design was to be based on that of an existing vessel operated by the company. Prior to beginning the design work, the parties entered into a design agreement under which the naval architect’s liability was limited to approximately $750,000.

Lifeboat manufacturer and service provider Schat-Harding has widened the range of its global service network to cover multi-brand servicing and the re-hooking of lifeboats. For the first time, shipowners and offshore operators will be able to get most of their lifeboats, hooks, winches and davits serviced by a trained engineer working to the highest global standards, backed by a global service network. They will also be able to use Schat-Harding’s range of modern hooks to replace older models which may no longer meet IMO standards in most boats.

Leading lifeboat manufacturer and service provider Schat-Harding has completed all tests required by IMO to ensure that its SeaCure lifeboat release and retrieval systems (the new name for hooks) meet the new IMO guidelines for existing and new lifeboats. Reacting to industry requests Schat-Harding has also developed a Secondary Safety System (SSS) for the SeaCure hook. Although not required by IMO guidelines or SOLAS regulations, the SSS is recommended by many shipping industry groups…

Leading lifeboat manufacturer and service provider Schat-Harding says more shipowners are opting to enter into long-term service agreements in order to ensure priority service for the lifeboats, davits and hooks on their vessels. David Torres, vice-president sales, Schat-Harding Service, says, “We see a welcome trend away from ad hoc servicing of key lifesaving equipment and a move towards long-term Fleet Service Agreements. With world trade growing, shipowners cannot afford delays or detentions related to Life Saving Appliances.

Lifeboat manufacturer and service provider Schat-Harding says IMO and some parts of the shipping industry need to move more quickly to a consensus on vital lifeboat safety issues which have important consequences for the safety of seafarers. David Bradley, vice president operations, Schat-Harding Service says, “Good things are worth waiting for. But there is such a thing as waiting too long. The IMO debate over lifeboat hooks has gone on for too long. Seafarers deserve better.

The U.S. Coast Guard issued a Safety Alert reporting problems that have been experienced with lifeboat gripes on certain totally enclosed lifeboats. On some lifeboats, the ring on the released end of the gripe is larger than the gripe bollard or sternpost on the lifeboat. This may allow the ring to snag on the gripe bollard, causing the lifeboat to fall in an uncontrolled manner. Owners, operators, and masters should check their lifeboat arrangements and contact their lifeboat manufacturer and classification society immediately if the condition exists. (HK Law)

Lifeboat manufacturer Schat-Harding has reported the successful testing of the first of six of its FF1000S skid-launched freefall lifeboats, which have been strengthened beyond SOLAS requirements. The tests include a freefall drop from skids from a height of 36 m and a vertical drop from a height of 47 m. The boats, for Statoil's Veslefrikk B and Kristin platforms in the North Sea, are being tested at Schat-Harding's Rosendal factory in western Norway. The FF1000S (skid-launched) free fall boat is certified for a free fall height of 36 m. It is built for 63 persons and designed and tested according to IMO SOLAS LSA - Code MSC.48 (66) and MSC.81 (70) and certified under the European Marine Equipment Directive by Lloyd's Register.