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Lifeboats and davitsLesson 4 of 9

The annual thorough examination of lifeboats, davits and release gear

You will know what an authorised technician must examine and test each year, in which order, and what the ship must receive afterwards.

15 minutes · For signed-up learners, free · Rules checked 20 October 2026

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Once a year a certified technician comes on board and does what the crew may not: a thorough examination of the boats, the release gear and the launching appliances, and operational tests that prove they work. On most ships this is the only time anyone looks closely at the hook cams, the brake linings and the davit structure with the authority to declare them fit, or not.

It is also where a lot can go wrong. The annual test of the on-load release is done with the boat hanging partly in the water, and the winch brake test is an abrupt stop of a boat at full lowering speed. Done in the wrong order, or by someone not certified for that make, the examination itself becomes the hazard. This lesson walks through MSC.402(96) section 6.2 as a technician or a supervising officer would.

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The rest of this lesson, the interactive Where the annual examination sits in the lifeboat cycle and the quiz are open to signed-up learners. It's free, takes a minute, and opens every lesson in all 14 courses.

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In this lesson

  • Try it: Where the annual examination sits in the lifeboat cycle
  • In plain words
  • In detail
  • What the rules say
  • Flag and class notes
  • Key numbers
  • What inspectors find
  • Questions people ask
  • Quiz: 6 questions

Sources

  1. 1 IMO Resolution MSC.152(78), Amendments to SOLAS 1974 (adopted 20 May 2004, in force 1 July 2006), regulation III/20.6 and III/20.7. https://wwwcdn.imo.org/localresources/en/KnowledgeCentre/IndexofIMOResolutions/MSCResolutions/MSC.152(78).pdf
  2. 2 IMO Resolution MSC.402(96), Requirements for maintenance, thorough examination, operational testing, overhaul and repair of lifeboats and rescue boats, launching appliances and release gear (in force 1 January 2020), Annex, sections 4, 5, 6.2 and 8.3. https://wwwcdn.imo.org/localresources/en/KnowledgeCentre/IndexofIMOResolutions/MSCResolutions/MSC.402(96).pdf
  3. 3 IMO Resolution MSC.216(82), Amendments to SOLAS 1974 (in force 1 July 2008), regulation III/20.4. https://wwwcdn.imo.org/localresources/en/KnowledgeCentre/IndexofIMOResolutions/MSCResolutions/MSC.216(82).pdf
  4. 4 IMO Resolution MSC.404(96), Amendments to SOLAS 1974 (adopted 19 May 2016, in force 1 January 2020), regulation III/20.11.1 to 20.11.5. https://wwwcdn.imo.org/localresources/en/KnowledgeCentre/IndexofIMOResolutions/MSCResolutions/MSC.404(96).pdf
  5. 5 IMO Resolution A.1207(34), Survey Guidelines under the HSSC, 2025, Annex, paragraphs (EA) 1.2.2.20 and 1.2.2.24. https://wwwcdn.imo.org/localresources/en/OurWork/IIIS/Documents/A%2034-Res.1207%20-%20SURVEY%20GUIDELINES%20UNDER%20THE%20HARMONIZED%20SYSTEMOF%20SURVEY%20AND%20CERTIFICATION%20(HSSC),%202025%20(Secretariat).pdf
  6. 6 IMO Resolution MSC.559(108), Amendments to the Requirements (resolution MSC.402(96)) (adopted 23 May 2024, in force 1 January 2026), Annex, paragraph 6.2.3. https://wwwcdn.imo.org/localresources/en/MediaCentre/Documents/Resolution%20MSC.559(108).pdf
  7. 7 UK Maritime and Coastguard Agency, MGN 560 (M+F) Amendment 2, Requirements for life-saving appliances (10 December 2021), Part 1 paragraph 2.5 and Part 3 paragraph 1.2.3. https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/mgn-560-m-amendment-2-life-saving-appliances/mgn-560-m-amendment-2-requirements-for-life-saving-appliances
  8. 8 Danish Maritime Authority, DMA RO Circular no. 28 (19 January 2022, revision 02), annual thorough examinations and operational test. https://www.dma.dk/Media/638587867299226754/DMA%20RO%20Circular%20no.%2028.pdf
  9. 9 Liberia Maritime Authority, Marine Notice SAF-005 (Rev. 07/26), paragraphs 4.1 and 4.6 to 4.9. https://www.liscr.com/sites/default/files/online_library/SAF-005.pdf

Free awareness training. Al Safwan Marine is not an approved training provider, so no certificate is given, and these courses are not a qualification. They don't replace STCW training, manufacturer training or the certification technicians need for this work. The manufacturer's manual and your flag's rules always come first.

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