Rescue Boat Servicing in Yanbu Industrial.

Rescue boat servicing

Rescue boat servicing covers the maintenance, thorough examination, operational testing and repair of a ship’s rescue boats and fast rescue boats, together with their engines, release hooks and launching arrangements. A rescue boat is used to recover a person overboard, marshal liferafts and assist other vessels, so it may be launched in poor weather at short notice and has to be ready at all times.

vslSafety coordinates providers authorised for the make fitted and plans the attendance so the boat can be launched and tested during the port call where local rules allow.

Regulatory requirements and who can do the work

• SOLAS regulation III/20.11.4 requires lifeboats and rescue boats, including fast rescue boats, to be thoroughly examined and operationally tested during each annual survey. Rescue boat release gear is examined annually and, for on-load release gear, overhauled and tested at 1.1 times the loaded mass at least once every five years (III/20.11.2).
• Resolution MSC.402(96), mandatory since 1 January 2020, requires annual and five-year work to be done by certified personnel of the manufacturer or an authorised service provider, and applies to rescue boats, fast rescue boats and their launching appliances and release gear.
• SOLAS regulation III/20.8.4 requires repairs and maintenance of inflated rescue boats to follow the manufacturer’s instructions; emergency repairs may be done on board, but permanent repairs must be made at an approved servicing station.
• SOLAS regulation III/19 requires rescue boats (other than lifeboats that are also rescue boats) to be launched with their assigned crew and manoeuvred in the water each month as far as reasonable and practicable, and in all cases at least once every three months.
• Ro-ro passenger ships must carry fast rescue boats under SOLAS regulation III/26. Rescue boat construction and equipment requirements are set out in chapter V of the LSA Code.
• Persons assigned to crew the rescue boat must be provided with an immersion suit or anti-exposure suit of appropriate size under SOLAS regulation III/7.3, unless the flag exempts ships in warm climates.

Inspection and servicing intervals

Item	Requirement	Interval	Reference
Rescue boat and davit	Visual inspection for readiness; engine run for at least 3 minutes	Weekly	SOLAS III/20.6
Rescue boat equipment	Inspection using the ship’s checklist, logged	Monthly	SOLAS III/20.7
Launch drill	Launched with assigned crew and manoeuvred	Monthly where practicable; at least every 3 months	SOLAS III/19
Boat and release gear	Thorough examination and operational test	Annual survey	SOLAS III/20.11; MSC.402(96)
On-load release gear	Overhaul and 1.1 load operational test	At least every 5 years	SOLAS III/20.11.2
Davit winch brake	Dynamic test with empty boat; 1.1 proof load	Annual; at least every 5 years	SOLAS III/20.11.1
Inflated rescue boat	Permanent repairs at approved station	As required	SOLAS III/20.8.4

What the service includes

• Examination of the hull, tubes, fendering, seating, grab lines and righting system where fitted
• Pressure and leak checks of inflatable tubes, valves and seams, with repairs to the maker’s standard
• Outboard or inboard engine service, starting system, fuel system and kill cord checks, and a running test
• Waterjet or propeller, steering and throttle linkage inspection
• Release hook examination and operational test; five-year dismantling and 1.1 overload test where due
• Examination of the davit, winch, wire and sheaves, including the annual dynamic brake test
• Inventory check of equipment such as the painter, towline, oars or paddles, searchlight, bailer, first-aid kit and radar reflector
• For fast rescue boats, checks of the shock-absorbing seating, painter release, self-righting device and fuel system

Rescue boat types commonly serviced

Providers work on rigid GRP rescue boats with inboard diesels or outboard engines, rigid-inflatable boats, fully inflated rescue boats, waterjet-propelled fast rescue boats on ro-ro passenger and offshore ships, and combined lifeboat and rescue boats. Frequently encountered makes include Viking Norsafe, Palfinger (Harding), Fassmer, Survitec (Zodiac, RFD), Hatecke, Vestdavit and many Asian builders, with outboard engines typically from Yamaha, Mercury or Tohatsu.

Common defects and PSC deficiencies

• Outboard engine that will not start, perished fuel lines or no spare kill cord
• Inflatable tubes losing pressure, chafed fabric or perished valves
• Rescue boat equipment missing, such as searchlight, towline or first-aid kit
• Release hook or painter release seized, or no record of annual testing
• No evidence of launching at the intervals required by SOLAS regulation III/19
• Davit or winch defects, including slipping brakes and faulty limit switches

Rescue boats, their inventory, fast rescue boats and their stowage each have their own Paris MoU deficiency codes, and SOLAS chapter III items made up 9.3% of Paris MoU deficiencies in 2024.

Certificates and documents you receive

You will receive a report of thorough examination and operational test for the boat, release gear and davit, a statement of fitness for purpose from the authorised provider as required by MSC.402(96), copies of the provider’s authorisation and the technician’s certification, and an engine service record. Where an inflated boat is repaired ashore, the approved station issues a repair or service certificate. Records stay on board for the equipment’s service life.

How to prepare the vessel

Confirm that the port will allow the boat to be lowered and run in the water. Have the engine fuelled, batteries charged, the maker’s manuals available and the boat crew on hand for the launch. Where the davit is also due for its annual or five-year examination, book davit and launching appliance servicing in the same attendance, and check the immersion suits assigned to the rescue boat crew at the same time.

Information needed for a quotation

• Vessel name, IMO number, flag and class
• Port, berth or anchorage, ETA and ETD
• Rescue boat maker, model and serial number, and whether it is rigid, RIB, inflated or fast rescue boat
• Engine make, model and hours
• Release hook and davit maker and type
• Scope: annual examination, five-year overhaul, engine service or repairs
• Date and copy of the last service report and any known defects

vslSafety coordinates a suitable authorised provider at the vessel’s port; final acceptance rests with flag, class and the attending surveyor.

Frequently asked questions

How often must a rescue boat be launched?

SOLAS regulation III/19 requires rescue boats, other than lifeboats that are also rescue boats, to be launched each month with their assigned crew aboard and manoeuvred in the water, as far as reasonable and practicable. In all cases this must be done at least once every three months. If drills are carried out with the ship making headway, they should only take place in sheltered waters under an experienced officer.

Does the rescue boat need annual servicing by an approved company?

Yes. Under SOLAS regulation III/20.11 and MSC.402(96), the rescue boat, its release gear and its launching appliance must be thoroughly examined and operationally tested at each annual survey by certified personnel of the manufacturer or an authorised service provider. The crew continue the weekly engine runs and monthly inspections between these visits.

Can an inflatable rescue boat be repaired on board?

Only as an emergency measure. SOLAS regulation III/20.8.4 requires repairs and maintenance of inflated rescue boats to follow the maker’s instructions. Emergency repairs may be carried out on board, but permanent repairs must be made at an approved servicing station, which then documents the work. Carry the maker’s repair kit on board and record any temporary repair so the station can make it permanent at the next opportunity.

What is the difference between a rescue boat and a fast rescue boat?

A fast rescue boat is a higher-performance rescue boat built to additional LSA Code requirements for speed, seating and handling, and is typically waterjet or high-power outboard driven. Ro-ro passenger ships are required to carry them under SOLAS regulation III/26. They fall under the same annual and five-year examination regime as other rescue boats, with extra attention to seating, righting systems and engines.