Start hereRules checked 20 October 2026
The MAIB review that opened this course found that every lifeboat death in its ten years of data happened in a drill or a test, not in a real emergency. That is the paradox of lifeboat drills: the crew must practise, because a boat nobody has launched will not be launched well on the night it is needed, yet the practice itself is where people get hurt.
Since 2006 the rules have shifted to separate the two. The boat must still go into the water and be handled by its assigned crew, but nobody has to be inside it while it is lowered from the stowed position, and IMO guidance now asks for drills that are planned, unhurried and treated as learning. This lesson is about getting both right.
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In this lesson
- Planning this month's abandon ship drill
- In plain words
- In detail
- What the rules say
- Flag and class notes
- Key numbers
- What inspectors find
- Quiz: 6 questions
Try it
Planning this month's abandon ship drill
In plain words
SOLAS sets the minimum: every crew member takes part in at least one abandon ship drill and one fire drill every month. In the abandon ship drill, at least one lifeboat is lowered, and its engine started. Different boats are used at different drills. Each lifeboat must go into the water and be handled by its assigned crew at least once every three months. Rescue boats should be launched and run every month if practicable, and at least every three months. Free-fall lifeboats have their own schedule (lesson 7).
You do not have to have people in the lifeboat when it is lowered from its stowed position. The safest common method is to lower the boat empty to near the water, bring it back up to the embarkation level, let only the operating crew board, and then lower it into the water. The crew then releases the boat, runs the engine ahead and astern, manoeuvres, comes back, and the boat is hoisted with as few people inside as possible, or none.
Treat each drill as a lesson, not a ritual: brief before, go slowly where things are hard, pause to explain, and debrief after. Write down what went wrong and fix it before the next one.
In detail
SOLAS III/19 drill requirements (current numbering)
| Paragraph | Requirement |
|---|---|
| 19.3.1 | Drills conducted, as far as practicable, as if there were an actual emergency |
| 19.3.2 | Every crew member: at least one abandon ship drill and one fire drill every month; within 24 hours of leaving port if more than 25% of the crew have not taken part in drills on that ship in the previous month |
| 19.3.4.1 | Abandon ship drill includes summoning to muster stations, reporting, dress and lifejackets, lowering at least one lifeboat after preparation, starting and operating its engine, operating liferaft davits, and instruction in radio life-saving appliances |
| 19.3.4.2 | Different lifeboats lowered at successive drills, as far as practicable |
| 19.3.4.3 | Each lifeboat launched and manoeuvred in the water by its assigned operating crew at least once every three months |
| 19.3.4.4 | Free-fall lifeboats: crew boards and runs the launch procedure every three months; free-fall launch or simulated launching at least every six months |
| 19.3.4.6 | Rescue boats other than lifeboats launched with their crew and manoeuvred each month as far as practicable, and at least every three months |
| 19.3.4.7 | Launching drills with the ship making headway only in sheltered waters, supervised by an officer experienced in such drills |
| 19.4.3 | Onboard training with davit-launched liferafts at intervals of not more than four months |
| 19.5 | Dates and details of drills recorded in the log book, including reasons when a drill is not held in full |
Paragraph numbers changed on 1 January 2015, when an enclosed space drill paragraph was inserted as 19.3.3 and the old 19.3.3 (abandon ship) became 19.3.4. Older documents and circulars still use the old numbers.
Crew in the boat during launching: MSC.1/Circ.1326
In 2009 the IMO clarified that SOLAS requires each lifeboat to be manoeuvred in the water by its assigned operating crew, but does not require that crew to be on board when it is launched. The crew should not be required to be on board during launching unless the master, using the overriding authority given by the ISM Code, decides it is right taking all safety aspects into account.
The safety principles: MSC.1/Circ.1578/Rev.1
The revised guidelines of 6 July 2026 keep the principles that matter on deck:
- Plan the drill. Procedures for safe drills belong in the safety management system, with workplace risk assessments for elements that carry special risk. Before the drill, check that the boat and its equipment have been maintained to the manuals, and review the manufacturer’s instructions.
- Learning over speed. The SOLAS time limits for abandonment are a secondary objective in drills. Go at a safe speed, pause to explain difficult elements, and match the pace to the crew’s experience.
- Lower empty first. When persons will be on board, lower and recover the boat with nobody inside first, then lower it with only the persons needed to operate it.
- Do not lower with a full complement unless special precautions are taken; this is the guidelines’ example of an element that may involve unnecessary risk.
- Check the gripes and lashings release before swinging out the davit.
- Free-fall boats: monthly familiarisation per the manual (boarding, seating, belts); free-fall launches with the minimum personnel; special care in recovery; simulated launching only for boats designed for it, under an experienced officer, using the manufacturer’s restraint or test arrangement, and never combined with release testing.
- Record lessons learned and use them in the next drill.
A drill plan that works
- Pick the boat due (rotate them), the time (crew rested, no cargo or bunkering pressure) and the place (sheltered water, no headway unless supervised and in sheltered waters).
- Briefing: roles from the muster list, communication (radio check between the deck operator and the coxswain), hazards, stop signal.
- Pre-checks: gripes, painter, falls, brake, hooks reset, plug in, engine ready, rescue boat or tender available.
- Lower empty to near the water, recover to embarkation level, board the operating crew, lower to the water.
- Release, painter, engine ahead and astern, manoeuvre, rescue boat run if it is also being exercised.
- Recovery: hooks reset and checked by two people before any weight comes on; as few persons on board as possible during hoisting, none if your procedure allows the crew to disembark first; final stowage.
- Debrief and log entry.
What the rules say
- SOLAS regulation III/19.3.2 requires every crew member to take part in at least one abandon ship drill and one fire drill every month, and drills within 24 hours of leaving port if more than 25% of the crew have not taken part on that ship in the previous month.1
- SOLAS regulation III/19.3.4.1.5 requires each abandon ship drill to include “lowering of at least one lifeboat after any necessary preparation for launching”.14
- SOLAS regulation III/19.3.4.3 requires each lifeboat to be launched and manoeuvred in the water by its assigned operating crew at least once every three months during an abandon ship drill.24
- MSC.1/Circ.1326 clarifies that the assigned operating crew should not be required to be on board lifeboats during launching, unless the master decides otherwise under the ISM Code, taking all safety aspects into account.3
- SOLAS regulation III/19.3.4.7 requires launching drills with the ship making headway to be practised in sheltered waters only and supervised by an officer experienced in such drills.14
- SOLAS regulation III/19.4.3 requires onboard training in the use of davit-launched liferafts at intervals of not more than four months.1
- SOLAS regulation III/19.5 requires the dates and details of drills to be recorded in the log book, with an entry explaining when a drill is not held in full at the appointed time.1
- MSC.1/Circ.1578/Rev.1 paragraph 2.3.2 recommends lowering and recovering the boat without persons first, then lowering it with only the persons needed to operate it.5
- MSC.1/Circ.1578/Rev.1 paragraph 1.5.4 names lowering a boat with its full complement as an element that may involve unnecessary risk, to be done only with special precautions.5
- MSC.1/Circ.1206/Rev.1 asks Administrations to ensure the principles of safety and health at work apply to drills, and that hanging-off pennants are used only for maintenance, not training.6
Flag and class notes
- Liberia (Marine Notice SAF-004, Rev. 10/26) says crew should not be on board when the boat is first lowered from the stowed position; enclosed boats are lowered to about 2 to 3 m above the water empty, then raised for the operating crew to board; the operating crew is three to four persons; and the responsible person must be an officer experienced in such procedures.7
- Bahamas (Marine Notice 82) will not normally exempt ships from the launching requirements, but accepts that the master may modify or postpone a drill for weather, location or operations, with full details and reasons in the official log book; it also recommends lowering and recovering boats empty first.8
- United Kingdom (MGN 560 (M+F) Amendment 2) says simulated free-fall launching should be done only with equipment designed for it, under an experienced officer.9
- Class and PSC: at the annual survey the surveyor checks the log book for the last full muster and drill and when each lifeboat was last lowered into the water.10 PSC officers may ask for an abandon ship drill after consulting the master (lesson 9).
Key numbers
| What | Value |
|---|---|
| Abandon ship drill per crew member | At least monthly1 |
| Drill within 24 hours of departure if more than | 25% of crew have not drilled on board in the previous month1 |
| Each lifeboat launched and manoeuvred by its crew | At least every 3 months2 |
| Rescue boats launched and manoeuvred | Monthly as far as practicable, at least every 3 months14 |
| Free-fall launch or simulated launch | At least every 6 months11 |
| Davit-launched liferaft training | At least every 4 months1 |
| Operating crew for a lifeboat (Liberia) | 3 to 4 persons7 |
| Empty lowering height before crew boards (Liberia) | About 2 to 3 m above the water for enclosed boats7 |
| Witnessed drills found unsatisfactory, Tokyo MOU CIC 2019 | 74 of 2,098 (3.53%)12 |
What inspectors find
- Drills recorded but not done, or a lifeboat that the log shows has not been in the water for more than three months.10
- Crews unfamiliar with their boat. In the 2019 Tokyo MOU campaign on emergency systems, 3.53% of the fire or abandon ship drills witnessed by PSC officers were unsatisfactory.12
- Unsafe drill practice, such as full complements lowered from the stowed position, or hanging-off pennants used during drills.56
- No lessons learned. Drill records with no findings and no follow-up suggest the drill is not being used to train.5
FAQ
Do we have to launch every lifeboat every month?
No. At least one lifeboat is lowered at each monthly abandon ship drill, rotating between boats, and each lifeboat must be launched and manoeuvred by its assigned crew at least once every three months.
Can the PSC officer insist that the crew sits in the boat while it is lowered?
The IMO port State control procedures say the number of persons inside lifeboats during launching for a drill is at the master’s discretion, noting that SOLAS does not require persons in the lifeboat during lowering and recovery.
Are fall preventer devices required during drills?
Not by SOLAS. Many companies and flags use them as an extra safeguard when people are in the boat. Follow your company procedure and MSC.1/Circ.1327.
What if the ship never stops in sheltered water?
Talk to your flag. Most flags allow the master to adapt or postpone a drill with reasons logged, but a lifeboat that is never launched cannot be shown to work. Some flags give specific alternatives on application.
Quiz6 questions
Sources
- 1
IMO Resolution MSC.47(66), Amendments to SOLAS 1974 (adopted 4 June 1996), regulation III/19.3, III/19.4.3 and III/19.5 (original numbering 19.3.3.x). https://wwwcdn.imo.org/localresources/en/KnowledgeCentre/IndexofIMOResolutions/MSCResolutions/MSC.47(66).pdf
- 2
IMO Resolution MSC.152(78), Amendments to SOLAS 1974 (adopted 20 May 2004, in force 1 July 2006), regulation III/19.3.3.3 (now 19.3.4.3). https://wwwcdn.imo.org/localresources/en/KnowledgeCentre/IndexofIMOResolutions/MSCResolutions/MSC.152(78).pdf
- 3
IMO MSC.1/Circ.1326, Clarification of SOLAS regulation III/19 (11 June 2009), paragraphs 2 and 3 (copy published by Traficom, Finland). https://www.traficom.fi/files/media/regulation/22597-MSC_1-Circ_1326_-_Tulkinta_Selvennys_SOLAS_III_19.pdf
- 4
IMO Resolution MSC.350(92), Amendments to SOLAS 1974 (adopted 21 June 2013, in force 1 January 2015), Annex, items 2 and 3 (new regulation III/19.3.3 and renumbering of 19.3.3 as 19.3.4). https://wwwcdn.imo.org/localresources/en/KnowledgeCentre/IndexofIMOResolutions/MSCResolutions/MSC.350(92).pdf
- 5
IMO MSC.1/Circ.1578/Rev.1, Revised guidelines on safety during abandon ship drills using lifeboats (6 July 2026), Annex sections 1 and 2 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
- 6
IMO MSC.1/Circ.1206/Rev.1, Measures to prevent accidents with lifeboats (11 June 2009), paragraph 2.3.6 and 2.3.8. https://transportstyrelsen.se/globalassets/global/sjofart/dokument/imo_dokument/msc/msc.circ.1206-rev1.pdf
- 7
Liberia Maritime Authority, Marine Notice SAF-004 (Rev. 10/26), Lifeboat and emergency drills, sections 2 and 3. https://www.liscr.com/sites/default/files/online_library/SAF-004.pdf
- 8
The Bahamas Maritime Authority, Marine Notice 82, Lifeboat Safety, version 1.1, paragraphs 4.2 and 6.1 to 6.6. https://www.bahamasmaritime.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/10/MN082-Lifeboat-Safety.pdf
- 9
UK Maritime and Coastguard Agency, MGN 560 (M+F) Amendment 2 (10 December 2021), Part 4. https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/mgn-560-m-amendment-2-life-saving-appliances/mgn-560-m-amendment-2-requirements-for-life-saving-appliances
- 10
IMO Resolution A.1207(34), Survey Guidelines under the HSSC, 2025, Annex, paragraph (EA) 1.2.1.17. 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
- 11
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). https://wwwcdn.imo.org/localresources/en/KnowledgeCentre/IndexofIMOResolutions/MSCResolutions/MSC.216(82).pdf
- 12
Tokyo MOU, Report on the Concentrated Inspection Campaign on Emergency Systems and Procedures (1 September to 30 November 2019), questionnaire results, question 9. https://www.tokyo-mou.org/wp/wp-content/uploads/CIC-Emergency-Systems-and-Procedures-Report-p.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.
