Thorough examinationLesson 6 of 8
Falls and wire rope
How lifeboat falls are inspected, when they must be renewed, why end-for-ending stopped in 2008, and which terminations flags no longer accept.
12 minutes · For signed-up learners, free · Rules checked 20 October 2026
In plain words
The falls are the steel wire ropes that hold the lifeboat. They run from the winch drum, over the sheaves at the top of the davit, down to the hooks on the boat. When the boat is lowered, its whole weight hangs on them.
Wire rope wears out from inside and outside. Salt water rusts it. Bending over the sheaves again and again breaks the small wires one by one. The worst damage is often where the wire sits on a sheave or enters a fitting, which is hard to see.
So the rule is simple. Look at the falls regularly, with extra care where they pass over the sheaves. Replace them when they are worn, and in any case at least every five years. The ends of the falls must be fixed with proper fittings, never with simple clamps.
Key points
- Falls are inspected periodically, with special regard to the areas passing through sheaves (SOLAS III/20.4, MSC.216(82)).
- Falls are renewed when they have deteriorated, or at intervals of not more than 5 years, whichever is earlier (SOLAS III/20.4).
- Turning falls end for end every 30 months stopped being a SOLAS requirement on 1 July 2008 (MSC.216(82)).
- Falls must be rotation-resistant and corrosion-resistant steel wire rope (LSA Code 6.1.2.3).
- The annual examination checks wires and sheaves for kinks and corrosion, and the lubrication of wires, sheaves and moving parts (MSC.402(96) §6.2.9).
- Bulldog grips are not acceptable as primary load-bearing terminations (Marshall Islands MN 2-011-37; Liberia SAF-005).
Continue this lesson free
The rest of this lesson, the interactive Check when your falls are due and the quiz are open to signed-up learners. It's free, takes a minute, and opens every lesson in all 14 courses.
Sources
- Amendments to SOLAS (regulation III/20.4, falls)IMO resolution MSC.216(82), 8 December 2006, in force 1 July 2008
- Adoption of amendments to SOLAS 1974 (new chapter III)IMO resolution MSC.47(66), 4 June 1996
- Adoption of the International Life-Saving Appliance (LSA) CodeIMO resolution MSC.48(66), 4 June 1996
- Amendments to the LSA Code (launching appliance proof loads and safety factors)IMO resolution MSC.425(98), 15 June 2017
- Requirements for maintenance, thorough examination, operational testing, overhaul and repair of lifeboats and rescue boats, launching appliances and release gearIMO resolution MSC.402(96), 19 May 2016
- Life-saving Appliances and SystemsRepublic of the Marshall Islands Marine Notice 2-011-37, Rev. Dec/2025
- Survival Craft, Rescue Boat and Launching Appliances – Testing, Servicing and MaintenanceLiberia Marine Notice SAF-005, Rev. 07/26
- Lifeboat SafetyBahamas Maritime Authority Marine Notice 82, v1.1, 30 October 2023
- Review of Lifeboat and Launching Systems' AccidentsUK MAIB Safety Study 1/2001, 1 February 2001
- Cruise ship tragic lifeboat accident: investigation reportMarineLink, 12 May 2014, on the Malta MSIU investigation of Thomson Majesty
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.
Sign in to save your progress.
This lesson is also published by our sister site lifeboatinspections.com.
