Radical new approaches to lifesaving

摘要

How many naval architects can claim to have taken part in a lifeboat evacuation? We know that there is at least one out there who emerged ashen-faced from the experience of banging and crashing against the hull - and it was only a practice drop with a conventional boat. To his credit, that person was influenced enough to re-design the launch and descent mechanism on that particular ship, which he duly did. This is, of course, another reason why all naval architects should spend some time at sea: a policy which The Royal Institution of Naval Architects and The Naval Architect have advocated on several occasions, but which is still largely ignored by the industry. This journal knows from our own experience in Norway of a training station launch in a free-fall lifeboat (certificate obtained to prove that we did it) what a difficult and slow operation it is - and those which back or neck problems were advised not to take part!