The SOLAS regulation on Life Saving Equipment (LSA) code 4.4.3.1 Mega Lifeboat states: “No lifeboat
shall be approved to accommodate more than 150 persons.” However, the regulations do actually
provide procedures for using lifeboats of greater capacity providing it can be demonstrated
that they have an equivalent level of safety. Schat-Harding has developed a 370-person lifeboat
and davit system. The Oasis of the Seas cruise ship was the first vessel to be fitted with
these new mega lifeboats.
As the size and capacity of modern cruise ship has increased there Oasis of the seas mega
lifeboats becomes a potential problem of having sufficient space to fit the required number of
lifeboats. The cruise ship Oasis of the Sea is fitted with 18 of the new mega lifeboats. A
total of over 44 of the traditional 150 persons lifeboats would have to be fitted to
accommodate the same number of passengers. The overall length of the Oasis of the Seas has an
overall length of 360m. The typical length of a 150 person lifeboat would be approximately
9.6m. So if fitted at a single level they would take up a length of over 210m (noise-to-tail)
on each side of the vessel.
Side Note: 18 X 370 = 6,660 able to use life boats. Total souls on board exceeds 8,000. Some
2,000 are going down with the ship.
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