Extreme lifeboat launch
- Thread starter SCORPIO
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From that height? Not good. That's bone-breaking, tooth cracking kinda stuff. 55 meters? No thanks. That would be like meeting a 150 foot wave with too much power and launching off the backside. Launching off a 12-15' break will crack teeth and wreck backs, knees, necks, shoulders, I'd bet 150' could easily end you.
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Yup. Most lifeboats and Motor Lifeboats can take far more than their crews can. Speaking of which, today is Feb 12th. Will start another thread so as not to derail this one.
If the boat hits the water as intended my guess is the injuries would be minimal (it's my understanding everyone is strapped in and facing aft, so the seats protect them)
Consider the alternative: You are launching a boat by conventional means of lowering it into the water. You start out about 100' above the water. The dead ship is beam-on to maybe 20' seas and rolling 30-40 degrees. Every roll the (fiberglass) lifeboat swings away from the ship maybe 40-50 feet and then slams back against the steel hull (which is harder, steel or fiberglass?). Wash, Rinse, repeat all the way down. Then finally you're in the water with those same seas slamming you against the steel side of the ship as you try to get away. Ever try to get away from the dock with say a 30 knot wind blowing you back onto it????
No I think those free-fall boats are a good idea. It may be a "ride" that Disney would envy, but when you finally surface you're well away from the sinking ship and headed in the right direction!!
If it were me I'd have the boat motor running and in gear before I ever hit the "drop" button, and I'd firewall it as soon as we hit the water. Lifeboat motors only have to get you away from the sinking/burning ship... after that who cares if you burn them up?
Consider the alternative: You are launching a boat by conventional means of lowering it into the water. You start out about 100' above the water. The dead ship is beam-on to maybe 20' seas and rolling 30-40 degrees. Every roll the (fiberglass) lifeboat swings away from the ship maybe 40-50 feet and then slams back against the steel hull (which is harder, steel or fiberglass?). Wash, Rinse, repeat all the way down. Then finally you're in the water with those same seas slamming you against the steel side of the ship as you try to get away. Ever try to get away from the dock with say a 30 knot wind blowing you back onto it????
No I think those free-fall boats are a good idea. It may be a "ride" that Disney would envy, but when you finally surface you're well away from the sinking ship and headed in the right direction!!
If it were me I'd have the boat motor running and in gear before I ever hit the "drop" button, and I'd firewall it as soon as we hit the water. Lifeboat motors only have to get you away from the sinking/burning ship... after that who cares if you burn them up?
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Of course - but I can't imagine 'as intended' is the 150 meters in that video. I would think that was a testing kind of things.
150 meters is probably a good test. Next with "dummies" (merchant seamen). Ships are getting bigger all the time, On a big containership 20 years ago the lifeboats were over 100' above the water. Today, who knows???
I can fasten the seatbelt in my car in 2-3 seconds; if I were scared I bet it would be a whole lot faster!!!
I can fasten the seatbelt in my car in 2-3 seconds; if I were scared I bet it would be a whole lot faster!!!
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Free fall! Hell if the oil rig is blowing up behind me strap a few ASROC engines to the back and launch me that way. Whatever I break will probably be less deadly than being caught in the explosion.
There has to be extreme deceleration when the boat hits the water.
Here is a launch that went terribly wrong.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Q2yrMztOi-k&feature=related
Here is a launch that went terribly wrong.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Q2yrMztOi-k&feature=related
Once upon a time, you could disconnect from the cables with an emergency release.
Now days, there is an offload hook. You can pull the pin and pull the release lever,
but the hooks on the boat will not release until the weight of the boat has been
removed from the hook. The only way to do that is when the boat lands in the water
and the boats weight is taken off the release hook.
Those free fall types are safe and fast. It is not as bad as it looks, as long as
you are in your seat and fastened into it as per the manufacturers directions.
We drill every week so everyone should know how to do it correctly, but each week,
we still have some dumbass who forgets what to do, or what lifeboat to go to.
These boats can take a beating. Very tough. They have 2 big air tanks mounted inside,
enought to get us out of any smoke/fire before we have to open a door for more air.
They also have a sprinkler system that covers the entire outside to prevent any fire
on the water from damaging the boats. They are well thought out.
In the past, there have been many dangerous lessons learned. The main disconnect we
have now is how to load the boat and to make everyone buckle up. They are self righting
only if you are seatbelted into the seats.
Now days, there is an offload hook. You can pull the pin and pull the release lever,
but the hooks on the boat will not release until the weight of the boat has been
removed from the hook. The only way to do that is when the boat lands in the water
and the boats weight is taken off the release hook.
Those free fall types are safe and fast. It is not as bad as it looks, as long as
you are in your seat and fastened into it as per the manufacturers directions.
We drill every week so everyone should know how to do it correctly, but each week,
we still have some dumbass who forgets what to do, or what lifeboat to go to.
These boats can take a beating. Very tough. They have 2 big air tanks mounted inside,
enought to get us out of any smoke/fire before we have to open a door for more air.
They also have a sprinkler system that covers the entire outside to prevent any fire
on the water from damaging the boats. They are well thought out.
In the past, there have been many dangerous lessons learned. The main disconnect we
have now is how to load the boat and to make everyone buckle up. They are self righting
only if you are seatbelted into the seats.
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Well that sounds like there's an interesting story behind it. Pray tell how you know that too much human ballast on the roof will prevent it from self righting!
I'd have thought that would have been addressed by now. There was an accident back in the '70's with an old saucer-type capsule, which successfully launched from the sinking rig and rode out 20' seas, till someone opened a door and it filled with water and capsized. Several "survivors" were trapped inside and drowned.
The USCG investigation committee report on the Deepwater Horizon gives direct testimony of a real world evacuation of a MODU while explosions are on going.
The capsized saucer life boat incident occurred when a survivor on board opened the hatch and caught a line from a supply boat that stopping to help but was still making way. The forward movement of the supply boat caused the saucer to trip and flood.
The capsized saucer life boat incident occurred when a survivor on board opened the hatch and caught a line from a supply boat that stopping to help but was still making way. The forward movement of the supply boat caused the saucer to trip and flood.
In the 80's, they started installing permanent self righting air bags on top of the saucer type for righting.
Some were big orange box type things, the other was a bag in a box. Had to be popped open from inside.
They were actually self righting, IF, the guys and girls inside were buckled up.
There is also only 1 place to tow a lifeboat from. Otherwise you can capsize it.
Those things can take a lot of fire/heat before burning all the way thru. I have worked on and in them
for 26 years. Drill, drill, drill. Most of the time, mistakes is what causes problems and accidents with
lifeboats and capsules.
There were 2 of the round capsule type that came loose during Rita and floated 30 something miles into
Cameron, La. 30 miles in 35 to 40 ft. seas and 150 mph winds. Insides were dry. I'd hate to have to ride
in any of them in more than 6 ft. seas.
Some were big orange box type things, the other was a bag in a box. Had to be popped open from inside.
They were actually self righting, IF, the guys and girls inside were buckled up.
There is also only 1 place to tow a lifeboat from. Otherwise you can capsize it.
Those things can take a lot of fire/heat before burning all the way thru. I have worked on and in them
for 26 years. Drill, drill, drill. Most of the time, mistakes is what causes problems and accidents with
lifeboats and capsules.
There were 2 of the round capsule type that came loose during Rita and floated 30 something miles into
Cameron, La. 30 miles in 35 to 40 ft. seas and 150 mph winds. Insides were dry. I'd hate to have to ride
in any of them in more than 6 ft. seas.