A connection between the ship and the liferaft. The liferaft painter system shall be so arranged as to ensure that the liferaft when released is not dragged under by the sinking ship.

The equipment level within a liferaft is usually referred to as a “SOLAS A pack” or SOLAS B pack”. Passenger vessels engaged on short international voyages or domestic voyages, should have liferafts equipped to the level of SOLAS B pack.

A rigid or inflatable raft designed to hold people abandoning ship. Liferafts are required as a back-up to lifeboats and in some small ships are allowed in lieu of lifeboats. Davit-launched liferafts or throwover inflatable liferafts are in use.

Lifejackets are designed to provide full support for a person in water, even if that person is unable to help himself or herself and is heavily clothed.

A ring-shaped floating life preserver. Lifebuoys are required, primarily to assist in „man-overboard” situations.

A place assigned to crew and passengers where they have to meet before they will be ordered to enter the lifeboats.

Lifeboat davits are to be capable of turning out against an adverse heel of 20° and a trim of 10°, with the boat having been fully boarded in the stowed position...

A motor-propelled survival craft carried by a ship for use in emergency. A ship should be its own best lifeboat but there are sometimes situations where abandonment of the ship is unavoidable.

The life-saving system on a ship is an extension of emergency escape routes. To develop a planned, rational life-saving system the basic phases of the problem must be examined, i.e., pre-abandonment, abandonment, survival, detection and retrieval.

Lifeboats, liferafts, personal life-saving appliances (lifebuoys, lifejackets, immersion suits, etc).

The deadweight is the difference between the displacement and the mass of empty vessel (lightweight) at any given draught. It is a measure of ship’s ability to carry various items: cargo, stores, ballast water, provisions and crew, etc.

The rise or upward slant of the bottom of a ship from the keel to the bilge.

1. A portlight that does not open. 2. A hinged, bronze or steel plate serving to protect the glass portlight in heavy weather.

The lowest speed at which a ship can still be manoeuvred.

The condition under which the main propulsion plant, boilers and auxiliaries are not in operation due to the absence of power.

1. A portion of a ship side or bottom where the plating has no curvature. 2. The midship portion of constant cross section, (the parallel middle body).

A hinged, bronze or steel plate serving to protect the glass portlight in heavy weather.

Lifting devices for handling lifeboats, rescue boats, liferafts, stores, hoses, etc. - Gravity davits – Davits which slide down and position a lifeboat for lowering as soon as they are released.

A fast support boat designed to be carried aboard a larger vessel. Standard boats are equipped with a special lifting arrangement with a steel frame for safe launch and recovery, and a release hook to fit a davit system.

A modern fire laboratory equipped to carry out fire tests according to all European and international standards. More than 1000 fire tests are carried out in the laboratory every year.