By FRNash/PHX, AZ (Frnash) on Thursday, December 4, 2008 - 10:52 pm:
Bob Jewell, Farmington Hills (Rjewell) & Truman G Hagbloom (Truman):
Thanks, Bob & Truman!
That site wouldn't render any pictures for me in my Firefox browser, so I had to view it in IE, only to find a further link to an extremely interesting discussion of the free-fall lifeboat, from (PBS) Nova Online: Pioneers of Survival.
It sure looks like a brilliant design, certainly a quantum leap from the lifeboats of the Titanic, although that must be one heck of an "E-ticket" ride for the occupants!
Truman: "Most sailors do not look forward to dropping in this things when the are tested during boat drills." I can just imagine!
Two points from the article that I found particularly interesting, even clever [emphasis is mine]:
Quote:"These aluminum free-fall lifeboats are designed to get 45 people safely away from any hazards, like a platform or a ship. So they simply go to the far end of the boat, take their seat, and when they all do it simultaneously the aisle is completely free for the new range of people. Using this procedure, it only takes three minutes to board the lifeboat completely.
The boat is released hydraulically. One person could easily do it, but we have chosen to have it be done by two people in order to avoid the possibility this lifeboat is launched by someone who simply wants to get away from the platform[/ship]."
If that was ever on PBS(TV), I sure am sorry I missed it!
No limit to what you can learn from Pastyland, eh?