Start hereRules checked 20 October 2026
A free-fall lifeboat leaves the ship in one movement: the crew straps in, the release is operated from inside, and the boat slides down its ramp and drops into the sea. There are no falls to foul and no hooks to open under load. But the release must hold several tonnes on a sloping ramp in any weather, and open instantly when asked, and the people inside take a real impact on every launch. Testing that release without actually dropping the boat is the problem the IMO was still solving in May 2026.
Rescue boats are the opposite: small, fast and launched often, to recover a person overboard or marshal liferafts. Fast rescue boats go further, at 20 knots or more in a seaway, with launching gear designed to cope with waves slamming the boat as it comes back up the ship’s side. Each type has its own rules, and its own ways to hurt crews.
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In this lesson
- Which craft does this rule belong to?
- In plain words
- In detail
- What the rules say
- Flag and class notes
- Key numbers
- What inspectors find
- Quiz: 6 questions
Try it
Which craft does this rule belong to?
In plain words
Free-fall lifeboats sit on a sloping ramp at the stern. Everyone boards, sits in a shaped seat and fastens a harness. The coxswain operates the release, which needs at least two separate actions, and the boat slides off and falls into the sea, then motors away. The boat is designed to survive a drop from 1.3 times its certified height, and to protect its occupants from harmful accelerations. Because a real launch is a hard, risky event, SOLAS lets crews practise most of it without letting go: every three months the crew boards, straps in and goes through the launch procedure up to the point of release, then the boat goes into the water, either by free-fall with only the operating crew or lowered by its secondary means, and is manoeuvred. At least every six months the boat is either actually launched with only the operating crew on board, or “simulated launching” is done following IMO guidelines.
Every free-fall boat also has a secondary means of launching, a davit or crane with falls, for recovering the boat and for lowering it when free-fall is not wanted.
Rescue boats are small rigid or inflated boats for recovering people from the water and marshalling liferafts. Fast rescue boats are faster, self-righting versions with davits that absorb wave shocks and keep the wire tight, because recovering a boat in waves is when the worst accidents happen.
In detail
Free-fall lifeboat design (LSA Code section 4.7 and 6.1.4)
| Rule | Requirement |
|---|---|
| 4.7.3.1 | Positive headway immediately after water entry; no contact with the ship after launching against 10 degrees trim and 20 degrees list from the certification height, in all loading cases |
| 4.7.4 | Strong enough fully loaded for a free-fall launch from at least 1.3 times the free-fall certification height |
| 4.7.5 | Protection against harmful accelerations in all loading cases |
| 4.7.6 | Release system: two independent activation systems operable only from inside; release from no load up to at least 200% of the normal load; protected against accidental use; designed to test the release without launching; factor of safety 6 |
| 4.7.7 | Certificate states free-fall certification height, ramp length and ramp angle |
| 6.1.4.4 | In the ready-to-launch position, the drop from the boat’s lowest point to the water at the lightest sea-going condition must not exceed the certification height |
| 6.1.4.6 | At least two independent actions from inside to launch |
| 6.1.4.7 | Secondary means of launching by falls, for trim up to 2 degrees and list up to 5 degrees |
Seats for free-fall lifeboats are sized for persons of 82.5 kg (LSA Code 4.7.2, as amended by MSC.272(85)), with harnesses that release quickly under tension.
Free-fall release tests
SOLAS III/20.11.2.3 gives two ways to test a free-fall release system each year: a real free-fall launch with only the operating crew on board, or a test without launching under MSC.402(96). The test without launching (MSC.402(96) 6.2.7):
- engage the manufacturer’s arrangement for testing without launching (LSA Code 4.7.6.4)
- if required, the operator sits and secures in the seat from which the release is operated
- operate the release
- reset the boat in the stowed configuration
- repeat with the back-up release, if fitted
- remove the test arrangement
- confirm the boat is ready to launch
The five-yearly overhaul of the release gear follows MSC.402(96) 6.3.3, with tests at 1.1 times the fully loaded mass. The secondary launching appliance (davit, winch, falls) is examined and tested like any other launching appliance.
What changed at MSC 111 (May 2026)
The IMO adopted amendments to the LSA Code (resolution MSC.589(111)) and consequential amendments to MSC.402(96), entering into force on 1 January 2028. They apply to free-fall lifeboats installed on or after 1 January 2031 and require an arrangement to test the release system under load without launching the lifeboat, with a safety factor of at least 6 on the calculated maximum working load with full complement and equipment, and of corrosion-resistant material. A companion resolution, MSC.594(111), adds a factory test of that arrangement at 2.2 times its calculated maximum working load.18 The amended MSC.402(96) adds that arrangement to the annual examination and revises the operational test procedure. MSC.1/Circ.1578/Rev.1 (6 July 2026) updates the simulated launching sequence to match. Existing boats continue to use the arrangement and procedure in their manufacturer’s manual.
Rescue boats (LSA Code section 5.1)
- length 3.8 m to 8.5 m; at least five seated persons and one on a stretcher (5.1.1.3)
- at least 6 knots for at least 4 hours (5.1.1.6), and able to tow the largest liferaft on the ship, fully loaded, at 2 knots (5.1.1.7)
- inboard engine or outboard motor; petrol outboards allowed with a specially protected fuel system (5.1.1.8)
- inflated rescue boats: buoyancy tubes of at least 0.17 m³ per person (5.1.3.6), divided into compartments; and, under SOLAS III/14.1, stowed fully inflated at all times
- launching appliance able to hoist the boat with its full complement at not less than 0.3 m/s (6.1.1.9); foul weather recovery strops where heavy fall blocks are a danger (6.1.1.11)
Fast rescue boats (LSA Code 5.1.4 and 6.1.7)
| Item | Requirement |
|---|---|
| Hull length | 6 m to 8.5 m including inflated structures or fixed fenders |
| Speed | At least 20 knots in calm water with 3 crew, and at least 8 knots fully loaded, for at least 4 hours |
| Stability | Self-righting, or readily righted by not more than two crew |
| Water | Self-bailing or rapidly cleared |
| Steering | Wheel at the helm position plus an emergency steering system |
| Engine | Stops automatically or by the helmsman’s emergency switch on capsize; restartable; no more than 250 ml fuel or oil lost |
| Rigid FRB strength | Withstand 4 times the mass of its full complement and equipment when suspended by its lifting point |
| Radio | Hands-free watertight VHF |
| Launching appliance | Wave damping device with a flexible and a damping element; automatic high-speed tensioning winch; gradual brake, with extra dynamic force from braking at full speed no more than 0.5 times the working load; lowering with full complement no more than 1 m/s; hoisting with 6 persons at least 0.8 m/s |
Servicing rescue boats and fast rescue boats
MSC.402(96) covers rescue boats and fast rescue boats and their launching appliances and release gear: the annual examination (including the righting system, where fitted), the five-yearly work, and repair. Inflated rescue boats are repaired under the manufacturer’s instructions, with only emergency repairs on board and permanent repairs at an approved servicing station (SOLAS III/20.8).
What the rules say
- LSA Code paragraph 4.7.6 requires a free-fall release system with two independent activation systems operable only from inside, able to release from no load up to at least 200% of the normal load, protected, testable without launching, with a factor of safety of 6.1
- LSA Code paragraph 4.7.4 requires a free-fall lifeboat strong enough to be free-fall launched fully loaded from at least 1.3 times its free-fall certification height.1
- SOLAS regulation III/19.3.4.4 (numbered 3.3.4 before 2015) requires that at least every three months the crew boards the free-fall lifeboat, secures themselves and commences launch procedures up to but not including actual release, and that at intervals of not more than six months the boat is either free-fall launched with only the operating crew or simulated launching is carried out.78
- SOLAS regulation III/20.11.2.3 allows the operational testing of free-fall release systems either by free-fall launch with only the operating crew on board or by a test without launching under MSC.402(96).3
- MSC.402(96) paragraph 6.2.7 sets the steps of the free-fall release test without launching, including repeating it with the back-up release mechanism if applicable.4
- LSA Code paragraph 5.1.4.4 requires a fast rescue boat to manoeuvre for at least 4 hours at 20 knots or more in calm water with a crew of 3, and at least 8 knots fully loaded.2
- LSA Code paragraph 6.1.7.4 requires the fast rescue boat winch brake to act gradually, so that braking at full speed adds no more than 0.5 times the working load in the wire.2
- LSA Code paragraph 6.1.1.9 requires a rescue boat launching appliance able to raise the boat with its full complement at not less than 0.3 m/s.1
- SOLAS regulation III/19.3.4.6 (numbered 3.3.6 before 2015) requires rescue boats other than lifeboats to be launched with their assigned crew and manoeuvred in the water each month as far as reasonable and practicable, and at least once every three months.78
- SOLAS regulation III/14.1, as amended by MSC.216(82), requires inflated rescue boats to be kept in a fully inflated condition at all times.5
- The LSA Code amendments adopted at MSC 111 (resolution MSC.589(111)) and the consequential MSC.402(96) amendments enter into force on 1 January 2028 and apply to free-fall lifeboats installed on or after 1 January 2031.910
Flag and class notes
- Liberia (Marine Notice SAF-004, Rev. 10/26) requires a clear area astern of at least one and a half times the distance the free-fall lifeboat is expected to travel, the rescue boat launched and standing by before a free-fall launch, and the boat first lowered by its secondary means and tested before being restowed and free-fall launched.11
- Liberia also allows the six-monthly free-fall launch interval to be extended to 12 months only with a dispensation from the Administration.11
- United Kingdom (MGN 560 (M+F) Amendment 2) says simulated launching should only be done with lifeboats and launching appliances designed for it, under the supervision of an experienced officer, and free-fall launches in drills with the minimum personnel.12
- Class: the class surveyor checks at the annual survey that free-fall release systems were tested either by a free-fall launch with the operating crew or by a test without launching under MSC.402(96).13
Key numbers
| What | Value |
|---|---|
| Free-fall structural strength | Launch from 1.3 times the certification height1 |
| Free-fall release capacity | No load to at least 200% of normal load1 |
| Free-fall seat person mass | 82.5 kg16 |
| Free-fall crew boards and runs launch procedure | At least every 3 months7 |
| Free-fall launch or simulated launch | At least every 6 months7 |
| Rescue boat length | 3.8 m to 8.5 m1 |
| Rescue boat speed and endurance | 6 knots for 4 hours; tow largest liferaft at 2 knots1 |
| Inflated rescue boat buoyancy | At least 0.17 m³ per person1 |
| Fast rescue boat length | 6 m to 8.5 m2 |
| Fast rescue boat speed | 20 knots with 3 crew, 8 knots fully loaded, 4 hours2 |
| FRB lowering / hoisting speed | No more than 1 m/s / at least 0.8 m/s with 6 persons2 |
| Rescue boat hoisting speed | At least 0.3 m/s with full complement1 |
| New free-fall release test arrangement | In force 1 January 2028 for boats installed from 1 January 20319 |
What inspectors find
- Simulated launching restraints left fitted, or not removed after the test, so the boat cannot launch. MSC.1/Circ.1578/Rev.1 lists their removal as the last step of the simulated launch sequence.14
- Free-fall release tests not recorded with the method used (launch or test without launching), checked by the surveyor at the annual survey.13
- Inflated rescue boats soft or poorly stowed. SOLAS requires them fully inflated at all times.5
- Free-fall accidents during recovery. The MAIB review recorded two free-fall incidents in its ten-year data; IMO’s drill guidance stresses that free-fall recovery is a high-risk operation.1514
FAQ
Can the free-fall release test be done during the simulated launching drill?
No. MSC.1/Circ.1578/Rev.1 says testing of release systems should be separate from, and not carried out during, simulated launching drills. The drill trains the crew; the test checks the equipment.
Does a free-fall lifeboat need its secondary launching appliance examined?
Yes. MSC.402(96) covers primary and secondary means of launching for free-fall lifeboats, so the secondary davit or crane, its winch and its falls get the annual and five-yearly treatment.
Do the 2028 free-fall changes affect my existing boat?
Not directly. They apply to free-fall lifeboats installed on or after 1 January 2031. Your existing boat is tested with the arrangement and procedure in its manual, under the current MSC.402(96) 6.2.7.
Quiz6 questions
Sources
- 1
IMO Resolution MSC.48(66), International Life-Saving Appliance (LSA) Code (adopted 4 June 1996), paragraphs 4.7.3 to 4.7.7, 5.1.1, 5.1.3, 6.1.1.9 and 6.1.4. https://wwwcdn.imo.org/localresources/en/KnowledgeCentre/IndexofIMOResolutions/MSCResolutions/MSC.48(66).pdf
- 2
IMO Resolution MSC.218(82), Amendments to the LSA Code (adopted 8 December 2006, in force 1 July 2008), Annex: section 5.1.4 (fast rescue boats), paragraph 6.1.1.11 and section 6.1.7. https://wwwcdn.imo.org/localresources/en/KnowledgeCentre/IndexofIMOResolutions/MSCResolutions/MSC.218(82).pdf
- 3
IMO Resolution MSC.404(96), Amendments to SOLAS 1974 (in force 1 January 2020), regulation III/20.11.2.3. https://wwwcdn.imo.org/localresources/en/KnowledgeCentre/IndexofIMOResolutions/MSCResolutions/MSC.404(96).pdf
- 4
IMO Resolution MSC.402(96), Requirements for maintenance, thorough examination, operational testing, overhaul and repair (in force 1 January 2020), Annex, paragraphs 2.1, 6.2.3, 6.2.5, 6.2.7 and 6.3.3. https://wwwcdn.imo.org/localresources/en/KnowledgeCentre/IndexofIMOResolutions/MSCResolutions/MSC.402(96).pdf
- 5
IMO Resolution MSC.216(82), Amendments to SOLAS 1974 (in force 1 July 2008), Annex, items 23 and 27 (regulations III/14.1 and III/20.8). https://wwwcdn.imo.org/localresources/en/KnowledgeCentre/IndexofIMOResolutions/MSCResolutions/MSC.216(82).pdf
- 6
IMO Resolution MSC.320(89), Amendments to the LSA Code (in force 1 January 2013), paragraph 4.4.7.6.7.2. https://wwwcdn.imo.org/localresources/en/KnowledgeCentre/IndexofIMOResolutions/MSCResolutions/MSC.320(89).pdf
- 7
IMO Resolution MSC.216(82), Amendments to SOLAS 1974 (in force 1 July 2008), Annex, item 24 (regulation III/19.3.3.4, now 19.3.4.4); and Resolution MSC.47(66), regulation III/19.3.3.6. https://wwwcdn.imo.org/localresources/en/KnowledgeCentre/IndexofIMOResolutions/MSCResolutions/MSC.216(82).pdf
- 8
IMO Resolution MSC.350(92), Amendments to SOLAS 1974 (adopted 21 June 2013, in force 1 January 2015), Annex, items 2 and 3 (renumbering of regulation III/19.3.3 as 19.3.4). https://wwwcdn.imo.org/localresources/en/KnowledgeCentre/IndexofIMOResolutions/MSCResolutions/MSC.350(92).pdf
- 9
American Bureau of Shipping, Brief: MSC 111 (22 May 2026), amendments to the LSA Code (free-fall lifeboats, release testing) and to resolution MSC.402(96). https://ww2.eagle.org/content/dam/eagle/regulatory-news/2026/abs-msc111-brief.pdf
- 10
Indian Register of Shipping, IMO Maritime Safety Committee 111th session report (May 2026), amendments to the LSA Code and to MSC.402(96). https://www.irclass.org/media/8535/msc-111-report.pdf
- 11
Liberia Maritime Authority, Marine Notice SAF-004 (Rev. 10/26), Lifeboat and emergency drills, section 4. https://www.liscr.com/sites/default/files/online_library/SAF-004.pdf
- 12
UK Maritime and Coastguard Agency, MGN 560 (M+F) Amendment 2 (10 December 2021), Part 4, paragraphs 3.1.2 and 3.2. https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/mgn-560-m-amendment-2-life-saving-appliances/mgn-560-m-amendment-2-requirements-for-life-saving-appliances
- 13
IMO Resolution A.1207(34), Survey Guidelines under the HSSC, 2025, Annex, paragraph (EA) 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
- 14
IMO MSC.1/Circ.1578/Rev.1, Revised guidelines on safety during abandon ship drills using lifeboats (6 July 2026), Annex paragraph 2.4 and appendix (copy published by the Marshall Islands registry). https://wpsso.register-iri.com/wp-content/uploads/MSC.1-Circ.1578-Rev.1-1.pdf
- 15
UK Marine Accident Investigation Branch, Safety Study 1/2001, section 1.4. https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/media/5a7d8042ed915d2d2ac0954a/Lifeboat_Study.pdf
- 16
IMO Resolution MSC.272(85), Amendments to the LSA Code (adopted 4 December 2008, in force 1 July 2010), Annex, item 3 (paragraph 4.7.2.1). https://wwwcdn.imo.org/localresources/en/KnowledgeCentre/IndexofIMOResolutions/MSCResolutions/MSC.272(85).pdf
- 17
IMO Resolution MSC.152(78), Amendments to SOLAS 1974 (adopted 20 May 2004, in force 1 July 2006), regulations III/20.6.3 and III/20.7.1. https://wwwcdn.imo.org/localresources/en/KnowledgeCentre/IndexofIMOResolutions/MSCResolutions/MSC.152(78).pdf
- 18
IMO Resolution MSC.594(111), Amendments to the Revised recommendation on testing of life-saving appliances (resolution MSC.81(70)) (adopted 21 May 2026), operative paragraph 2 and annex paragraph 6.1.1. https://wwwcdn.imo.org/localresources/en/KnowledgeCentre/IndexofIMOResolutions/MSCResolutions/MSC.594(111).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.
