It is sometimes necessary to stow the lifeboats at such a height as will enable them to swing clear of a fixed bulwark, in which case a simple chock and standard made up from plates and angles, as illustrated in Fig. 242, is a useful and serviceable fitting. The photograph incidentally shows Turnbull's Patent Davit Turning-out Gear fitted to a socket-davit. The same measure of safety should be given to the crews of cargo vessels as in passenger ships. Insufficient care and attention are often displayed in treating all the considerations connected with the life-saving appliances of an ordinary cargo vessel. The davits and boats are installed at a very late period during the construction of the ship, the davits rigged and the details of equipment supplied at the last moment-often when the vessel is loading her cargo-giving inadequate opportunity for the surveyor to have all the boats swung out in the davits and lowered into the water. The question of suitably providing stowage for the lifeboat of some of the small Home Trade vessels which cannot be equipped with davits, is often overlooked and inadequately dealt with. Vessels which proceed outside the smooth water limits occasionally run into heavy weather, e.g. the passage between the Clyde ports and Belfast is very difficult at times for a large vessel to safely negotiate. Effective arrangements should, therefore, be made for the launching of the lifeboat. A typical arrangement is shown in Fig. 237, where portable stowing chocks are fitted to a cross-piece and attached to stanchions. The cross-piece takes the weight of the boat off the hatches. The derrick is stowed at a height that will enable the boat to be launched without the necessity to top the former. Suitable guy ropes and cleats are fitted to control the operation of launching. A wire bridle with shackles and hook are kept in the boat and attached to the lifting-gear on the derrick. A modification of this arrangement can be made to suit the requirements of most of these small vessels, and where a derrick is not available, the lifting-gear can be operated by the provision of a berthon and tackle from the rigging. The main consideration is to be able to launch the boat on either side of the vessel without much effort to lift it from the stowage chocks and over the bulwark. To simply stow the boat on the hatches, lash it down to ring bolts, and rely on man-power to push it overboard, is considered inadequate and dangerous. An important portion of the life-saving equipment of all ocean-going passenger vessels, is the provision of suitable rope ladders, stowed in convenient positions around the boat stations, securely fixed to the bulwark or ship's side and coiled up in such a FIG. 237.-General arrangement of boat stowage for a small coasting steamer. manner that they can be quickly and easily let down to the waterline. This provision is of particular importance where rafts and buoyant apparatus are carried on board. It has been suggested that it would be an advantage in large passenger steamers to stow the boats on two decks, but it is considered that great difficulty would result in the confusion of orders given to the boats' crews, and there would be great risk of the upper boats being launched before the lower ones were clear of the ship's side. SECTION B.-ROUND BAR RADIAL DAVITS A NUMBER of articles have been written from time to time in marine magazines as to the relative value of ordinary radial davits compared with the mechanical davit, crane, or other patent launching apparatus. In the majority of cases one cannot fail to discover that these descriptions have been more or less inspired by the particular persons financially interested in the special devices designed to operate the launching of ships' boats. Each patentee claims to have solved all the difficulties associated with this much-debated subject. There are sources of weakness and disadvantage associated with almost every design of launching apparatus, but each type possesses some distinctive feature which appeals to the individual and finds favour with the shipbuilder and shipowner. No particular standard gear is recognised by the Board of Trade, and provided the proposed apparatus fulfils all the requirements of the regulations and successfully stands the prescribed tests, the Board of Trade give every assistance for that device to be fitted on a vessel as a part of the statutory equipment. To absolutely condemn the principle of the ordinary round bar radial davit is not justified by general experience. There are certain well known limitations to this type of davit, especially when operating the large number of boats now carried on passenger and emigrant ships. Many patent devices have been designed to minimise the drawbacks associated with the ordinary davit, but owing to the ease with which the latter can be manufactured by the shipbuilder on his own premises, and the relative advantage in cost of production as compared with patent apparatus, together with the seamen's long association with the manipulation of this type of davit, it is suggested that it will take some lengthy period before they will be completely replaced on ocean-going cargo steamships. One of the difficulties which is always associated with the operation of launching the boats overboard, is that during the process of lowering, the boat is free to swing transversely with the risk of coming violently into contact with the ship's side. Many devices have been suggested on various occasions to lessen the danger to the occupants of the boat. The fitting of ropes or jackstays to the ship's side for guiding the boats to the waterlevel, is considered objectionable and dangerous, especially when the vessel is rolling heavily, as there would be the serious possibility of swamping the boat. In any case, there must be adequate provision made for keeping the boats close to the ship's side from the time the lowering operation is commenced until the boat reaches the deck or position from which the passengers are embarked. It is advisable to arrange for the passengers to be embarked on the lowest open deck. The boat deck should only be available for the crew who are operating the launching apparatus. The rush of passengers into the boats and interfering with the gear, has been responsible for accidents which have often been attributed to the inefficiency of the crew and the bad condition of boats and launching gear. Freedom for operation is an absolute necessity in case of panic and disaster. General Rule 13 of the Rules for Life-saving Appliances of 1914 stipulates requirements which must be carried out in equipping vessels with apparatus for launching ships' boats. They are as follows: Appliances for lowering Boats. "(1) The davits shall be of approved form and fitted on one or more of the decks in such positions that the boats can be "efficiently lowered from them, and shall be so spaced and placed "that the boats can be swung out with facility. Davits shall not be fitted in the bows of a ship, but they may be fitted in any other position in the ship, provided that the boats are not brought into dangerous proximity to a propeller at the time of "launching. 66 66 "(2) The davits, falls, blocks, and all other gear required "for lowering the boats, shall be of sufficient strength to the "satisfaction of the Board of Trade, and in the case of foreign"going passenger steamers launched on or after the 1st March. "1913, they shall be such that the boats can be lowered safely "with the full complement of persons and equipment, the ship 'being assumed to have a list of 15 degrees. (3) In the case of foreign-going passenger steamers launched' on or after the 1st July, 1914, the davits shall be fitted with a |