SECTION 4 - Marine Accident Investigation Branch

2.4 DESIGN ISSUES – LIFEBOATS AND BOwSING AND TRICING PENNANT
ARRANGEMENTS
Continual development of the rules and regulations relating to lifeboat launching
systems are predominantly aimed at improving both safety and reliability. However,
there are many existing systems which, although they satisfy the regulations, are
not equipped for remote operation and still require personnel to access areas of
potential risk.
2.4.1 Lifeboats – access to bowsing tackles and tricing pennants
The design of No 5 tender, which was built in 1981, provided for two hatches on
the coach roof immediately adjacent to the forward and aft “on load” release hook
positions. There was a perception that the bowsing and tricing arrangements could
be accessed and released through these hatches, which would have obviated the
need to access the coach roof. This is not correct. The hatches are designed for
ventilation purposes.
During the accident re-enactment, the option to use the ventilation hatches to
access the bowsing tackle and tricing pennants was examined as an alternative
to standing on the coach roof. An officer who was about 1.9m tall was unable
to operate the tricing release lever, and access to the bowsing tackle was very
restrictive (Figure 23). Given that most of the lifeboat crew were Filipino nationals
who averaged about 1.7m in height, the option of operating the release equipment
from the hatches was not viable.
The same issue was also observed when the lifeboat crew attempted to operate the
tricing pennant hook release lever from within the open lifeboat, while standing on
the forward bench seat. Again, because of crew height limitations, in most cases it
was not possible to do so safely.
In the case of both the tenders and open lifeboats, the only satisfactory way of
accessing the bowsing tackle and tricing pennant arrangements was by standing
on the coach roofs of the tenders and on the stem and stern compartment roofs of
the open lifeboats. Despite The LSA Code and Section 3.10 of MSN 1676(M) (see
Section 1.9.3) requiring these surfaces to be applied with a non-skid finish, none
was. The surfaces were smooth, making it easy for the lifeboat crew/preparation
party to slip off them if there was sudden movement of the lifeboat, especially in wet
weather conditions.
Review of the Malta administration’s FSI Report checklists dated 13 and 17 March
and 30 March to 1 April 2012, and GL’s Survey Statement dated 19 March 2012,
showed that the inspections did not identify the omission of non-skid surfaces.
2.4.2 Bowsing tackle and tricing pennant arrangements
The bowsing tackle and tricing pennant arrangements in use at the time of the
accident were those originally provided to the vessel. The system of securing the
bowsing tackle tail rope onto the set of bitts welded to the block fitted to the lifeboat
lifting plate, although dated, was still in use.
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