Start hereRules checked 20 October 2026
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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In this lesson
- 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
- Quiz: 6 questions
Try it
Where the annual examination sits in the lifeboat cycle
In plain words
The annual thorough examination has three parts.
First, look at the records. The technician reads the crew’s weekly and monthly checklists and the maintenance log, and the certificates for the equipment. The weekly and monthly checks are, in effect, the first part of the annual examination.
Second, examine the hardware. The boat (hull, equipment, engine, steering, bailing, fenders, and the water spray, air supply and ventilation systems where fitted), the davit and winch (structure, wires, sheaves, lubrication, limit switches, brake, foundations) and the release gear (handle, free play, interlock, cables, hook fastening).
Third, test it. The winch brake is tested by lowering the empty boat and stopping it sharply at full speed. The on-load release is tested with the boat partly in the water, so that most of its weight still hangs on the falls. The off-load release is tested with the boat fully afloat. Free-fall boats and davit-launched liferafts have their own release tests.
At the end, the technician gives the ship a signed statement that the arrangements remain fit for purpose, with copies of their certificate and their company’s authorisation.
In detail
Who, when and where
- Who: certified personnel of the manufacturer or of a service provider authorised by the flag, for that make and type (MSC.402(96) 4.2 and 8.1). The company may be the provider only if it is authorised.
- When: SOLAS III/20.11 ties the examination to “the annual surveys required by regulations I/7 or I/8”, so plan it inside the ship’s annual survey window. The surveyor will check for it.
- Where: ideally alongside in sheltered water, with enough water depth under the davits for the release tests and the brake test, and a rescue boat or tender ready.
Step 1: records review (MSC.402(96) 6.2.1 and 6.2.2)
The checklist items for the weekly and monthly inspections form the first part of the examination. The technician reviews the crew’s inspection and maintenance records and the equipment certificates. Gaps in the crew’s records are a finding in themselves.
Step 2: the boat (6.2.3, as amended by MSC.559(108))
Examined for satisfactory condition and operation:
- boat structure, fixed and loose equipment, including a visual examination of the external boundaries of void spaces as far as practicable
- engine and propulsion system
- sprinkler system, where fitted
- air supply system, where fitted
- manoeuvring system
- power supply system
- bailing system
- fender and skate arrangements
- rescue boat righting system, where fitted
- ventilation system, where fitted (added from 1 January 2026)
Step 3: the launching appliance (6.2.9)
- davit or other launching structure, especially corrosion, misalignment, deformation and excessive free play
- wires and sheaves, for kinks and corrosion
- lubrication of wires, sheaves and moving parts
- limit switches, stored power systems and hydraulic systems, where fitted
- for winches: the braking system to the winch manual, brake pads replaced when necessary, the winch foundation, and the remote control and power supply systems where fitted
Step 4: the winch brake dynamic test (6.2.10)
Lower the empty boat, or an equivalent load. When it has reached maximum lowering speed, and before it enters the water, apply the brake abruptly. Afterwards, reinspect the stressed structural parts where the structure allows. SOLAS III/20.11.1.2 requires this test after the thorough examination of the launching appliance, at maximum lowering speed, with the mass of the boat without persons on board.
Step 5: the release gear (6.2.4 to 6.2.8)
The release gear is examined after the winch brake test, for:
- operation of the devices that activate it
- excessive free play (tolerances)
- the hydrostatic interlock, where fitted
- control and release cables
- hook fastening
Then the operational tests:
| Equipment | Test |
|---|---|
| On-load release, davit-launched lifeboats and rescue boats (6.2.5) | Position the boat partly in the water so its mass is substantially supported by the falls and the hydrostatic interlock is not triggered; operate the on-load release; reset it; examine the gear and hook fastening to make sure the hook is completely reset and undamaged |
| Off-load release (6.2.6) | Boat fully waterborne; operate the off-load release; reset; recover to the stowed position. Before hoisting, check the gear is completely and properly reset. The final turning-in is done without anyone on board |
| Free-fall release (6.2.7) | With the manufacturer’s test arrangement engaged so the boat is not launched, operator seated and secured, operate the release, reset, repeat with the back-up release if fitted, remove the test arrangement and confirm the boat is ready to launch |
| Davit-launched liferaft automatic hook (6.2.8) | Release manually with 150 kg on the hook; release automatically with a 200 kg dummy weight lowered to the ground; examine the hook and its fastening |
The two notes to 6.2.4 are worth reading aloud at the toolbox talk: setting and maintaining release gear are critical operations, and no maintenance or adjustment of release gear may be done while the hooks are under load.
Step 6: the paperwork (section 5)
- every report and checklist signed by the technician and countersigned by the master or company representative
- the records filed on board for the service life of the equipment
- a statement, issued promptly, confirming that the lifeboat arrangements remain fit for purpose, with copies of the technician’s certification and the provider’s authorisation
If something fails, the statement cannot be issued for that item. Record the defect, tell the class society and the flag as your safety management system requires, and do not use the equipment until it is repaired and retested.
What the rules say
- SOLAS regulation III/20.11.1 requires launching appliances to have a thorough examination at the annual surveys required by regulations I/7 or I/8, followed by a dynamic test of the winch brake at maximum lowering speed with the mass of the boat without persons on board.4
- SOLAS regulation III/20.11.2.1 requires lifeboat and rescue boat release gear, including fast rescue boat and free-fall release systems, to have a thorough examination and operational test at the annual surveys.4
- SOLAS regulation III/20.11.4 requires lifeboats and rescue boats, including fast rescue boats, to have a thorough examination and operational test at the annual surveys.4
- MSC.402(96) paragraph 4.2 requires the annual thorough examination and operational tests to be done by certified personnel of the manufacturer or of an authorised service provider.2
- MSC.402(96) paragraph 6.2.4 requires the release gear to be examined after the annual operational test of the winch brake with the empty boat or equivalent load.2
- MSC.402(96) paragraph 6.2.5 requires the on-load release test with the boat partly in the water, its mass “substantially supported by the falls” and the hydrostatic interlock not triggered.2
- MSC.402(96) paragraph 6.2.6 requires the off-load release test with the boat fully waterborne, a check that the gear is completely reset before hoisting, and the final turning-in without any persons on board.2
- MSC.402(96) paragraph 6.2.10 requires the annual winch test to lower the empty boat or an equivalent load and apply the brake abruptly at maximum lowering speed before the boat enters the water, then reinspect stressed parts.2
- MSC.402(96) paragraph 6.2.8 requires the davit-launched liferaft automatic hook to release manually with 150 kg and automatically with a 200 kg dummy weight lowered to the ground.2
- MSC.402(96) paragraph 6.2.3, as amended by MSC.559(108) from 1 January 2026, includes the ventilation system, where fitted, among the boat items examined.6
- MSC.402(96) paragraph 5.3 requires a statement that the lifeboat arrangements remain fit for purpose, with copies of the certification and authorisation, after every thorough examination.2
Flag and class notes
- United Kingdom (MGN 560 (M+F) Amendment 2, December 2021) requires the on-load release test to be done with the boat only partly in the water, and states that the boat must never be dropped from above the water surface; the MCA prefers OEM-approved mechanical or hydraulic load simulation for the on-load function.7
- Denmark (DMA RO Circular no. 28) tells its recognised organisations to verify the annual examination by a documentation check at the annual survey, under the HSSC survey guidelines.8
- Liberia (Marine Notice SAF-005) repeats the SOLAS annual items and requires the annual work to be done by certified personnel of the manufacturer or a Liberia-authorised provider.9
- Class: the HSSC survey guidelines, 2025 edition, tell the surveyor at each annual survey to check that the thorough examination, winch brake test and release gear servicing were done to MSC.402(96), and to examine each survival craft including its on-load release mechanism and hydrostatic lock.5
Key numbers
| What | Value |
|---|---|
| Annual examination interval | At each annual survey under SOLAS I/7 or I/84 |
| Annual winch brake test load | Empty boat (no persons) or equivalent load, at maximum lowering speed42 |
| Liferaft automatic hook, manual release test | 150 kg on the hook2 |
| Liferaft automatic hook, automatic release test | 200 kg dummy weight lowered to the ground2 |
| Items examined on the boat | 10, including ventilation since 1 January 20266 |
| Technician certificate validity | 3 years2 |
What inspectors find
- Statement without the attachments. A statement of fitness with no copy of the technician’s certificate or the provider’s authorisation does not meet paragraph 5.3.2
- Out of window. SOLAS ties the examination to the annual survey, and the surveyor is told to check at each annual survey that it was done to MSC.402(96). An examination that is missing or done long before the survey will be questioned.45
- Test damage not followed up. After the brake test the stressed structural parts must be reinspected where the structure allows. If the report does not say this was done, the examination is incomplete.2
- Dangerous on-load tests. The MCA has asked crews to report any surveyor or engineer who demands that a boat be dropped from above the water surface.7
FAQ
Does the annual winch brake test need the full load?
No. The annual test uses the empty boat, without persons on board, or an equivalent load. The 1.1 times fully loaded test is the five-yearly one.
Can the crew be in the boat during the on-load release test?
Only the minimum needed to operate the release, following the manufacturer’s procedure, the company’s risk assessment and, where available, fall preventer devices. The final turning-in after the off-load test must be done with nobody on board.
What if the ship cannot reach water at the annual survey date, for example in dry dock?
Discuss it early with the service provider, the class society and the flag. The SOLAS interval is tied to the annual survey; any departure from it needs the flag’s agreement in writing.
Does the annual examination cover the ventilation fans on older lifeboats?
Since 1 January 2026, if a ventilation system is fitted it is examined. The design requirement for ventilation in newly installed totally enclosed lifeboats only applies from 1 January 2029.
Quiz6 questions
Sources
- 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
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
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
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
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
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
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
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
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
Rules checked 20 October 2026. VSL Safety is not an approved training provider and doesn't issue certificates. These lessons don't replace STCW training, or the manufacturer's training and certification that service technicians need.
