Title 46

SECTION 199.145

199.145 Marine evacuation system launching arrangements.

§ 199.145 Marine evacuation system launching arrangements.

(a) Arrangements. Each marine evacuation system must -

(1) Be capable of being deployed by one person;

(2) Enable the total number of persons for which it is designed, to be transferred from the vessel into the inflated liferafts within a period of 30 minutes in the case of a passenger vessel and 10 minutes in the case of a cargo vessel from the time an abandon-ship signal is given;

(3) Be arranged so that liferafts may be securely attached to and released from the marine evacuation system platform by a person either in the liferaft or on the platform;

(4) Be capable of being deployed from the vessel under unfavorable conditions of trim of up to 10 degrees either way and of list of up to 20 degrees either way;

(5) If the marine evacuation system has an inclined slide, it must -

(i) Be arranged so the angle of the slide from horizontal is within a range of 30 to 35 degrees when the vessel is upright and in its lightest seagoing condition; and

(ii) If the vessel is a passenger vessel, be arranged so the angle of the slide from horizontal is no more than 55 degrees in the final stage of flooding as described in subchapter S of this chapter; and

(6) Be capable of being restrained by a bowsing line or other positioning system that is designed to deploy automatically and if necessary, is capable of being adjusted to the position required for evacuation.

(b) Stowage. Each marine evacuation system must be stowed as follows:

(1) There must not be any openings between the marine evacuation system's embarkation station and the vessel's side at the waterline with the vessel in its lightest seagoing condition.

(2) The marine evacuation system's launching positions must be arranged, as far as practicable, to be straight down the vessel's side and to safely clear the propeller and any steeply overhanging positions of the hull.

(3) The marine evacuation system must be protected from any projections of the vessel's structure or equipment.

(4) The marine evacuation system's passage and platform, when deployed; its stowage container; and its operational arrangement must not interfere with the operation of any other lifesaving appliance at any other launching station.

(5) The marine evacuation system's stowage area must be protected from damage by heavy seas.

(c) Stowage of associated liferafts. Inflatable liferafts used in conjunction with the marine evacuation system must be stowed -

(1) Close to the system container, but capable of dropping clear of the deployed chute and boarding platform;

(2) So it is capable of individual release from its stowage rack;

(3) In accordance with the requirements of § 199.130; and

(4) With pre-connected or easily connected retrieving lines to the platform.

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