What to check on a Rescue Boat (Fast).
Ordinary lifeboats and rescue boats both exist to get people off the ship, but a fast rescue boat has one specific job: get to a person in the water quickly, before hypothermia or drowning becomes the deciding factor. SOLAS distinguishes it from a standard rescue boat by requiring a minimum speed, faster launch, and dedicated davit arrangement built for repeated man-overboard drills rather than a single abandon-ship launch. Passenger ships and many offshore support vessels carry a fast rescue boat in addition to, not instead of, the ship's lifeboats.
What Sets the Fast Rescue Boat Apart
Ordinary lifeboats and rescue boats both exist to get people off the ship, but a fast rescue boat has one specific job: get to a person in the water quickly, before hypothermia or drowning becomes the deciding factor. SOLAS distinguishes it from a standard rescue boat by requiring a minimum speed, faster launch, and dedicated davit arrangement built for repeated man-overboard drills rather than a single abandon-ship launch. Passenger ships and many offshore support vessels carry a fast rescue boat in addition to, not instead of, the ship's lifeboats.
Main Components
Hull
Most fast rescue boats are rigid-hulled inflatable boats (RHIB), combining a solid fibreglass or aluminium hull for structural strength with inflatable collar tubes for buoyancy and a forgiving fender against the ship's side during recovery.
Propulsion
A diesel or petrol outboard, or an inboard diesel with waterjet on larger craft, is sized to reach the minimum required speed fully loaded and to hold that speed in a moderate sea state, since the boat is launched in conditions the ship itself may still be moving through.
Davit and Launching Appliance
A single-arm or radial davit purpose-built for rapid deployment, fitted with a quick-release hook system that lets the boat crew slip the falls the instant the boat is waterborne, without waiting for the davit wire to be manually unhooked.
Recovery Strop and Sling
A dedicated recovery arrangement, often a hydraulically operated painter or single-point lifting sling, allows the boat to be hooked on and hoisted back aboard quickly, including in a seaway with the ship rolling.
Selection and Sizing
Capacity is set by the crew needed to carry out a rescue, typically a coxswain plus one or two crew, not by passenger numbers. Speed requirement and davit swing radius against the ship's freeboard and hull form are the two figures that most often force a design choice between a smaller, quicker RHIB and a larger, more stable but slower craft.
Regulations and Class
- SOLAS Chapter III, Regulation 17.1 requires passenger ships to carry at least one fast rescue boat, launchable and manoeuvrable within five minutes of the order to abandon or rescue.
- The LSA Code sets construction and performance standards, including a minimum speed requirement in calm water and stability criteria specific to fast rescue boats rather than ordinary rescue boats.
- Class and flag state surveys require a launch drill at defined intervals, and the boat's engine, davit and release gear all fall under planned maintenance and periodic load testing.
Typical Faults
| Fault | Consequence |
|---|---|
| Outboard or inboard engine not run regularly between drills | Fails to start on demand, delaying launch past the five-minute requirement |
| Inflatable collar tube punctured or slow leak undetected | Reduced buoyancy and stability, especially dangerous fully loaded in a seaway |
| Quick-release hook mechanism corroded or misadjusted | Hook fails to release cleanly, or worse, releases prematurely during lowering |
| Davit wire or fall not inspected for wear | Wire failure during launch or recovery, a leading cause of fatal davit accidents |
What to Look for in a Supplier
- Type approval documentation confirming the hull and engine combination meets the LSA Code speed requirement fully loaded, not just with a light crew.
- Spare parts and service network reach for the specific outboard or inboard engine model, since a rescue boat left unserviceable is a non-conformity.
- Davit compatibility confirmed against the ship's existing deck fittings and freeboard, particularly on a retrofit rather than a newbuild.
Run the launch drill with the boat actually loaded to its rated crew number at least occasionally, not always light; a davit and release gear that behaves perfectly empty can bind or overload differently under full weight.