4.4 General requirements for lifeboats 

4.4.1 Construction of lifeboats 

4.4.1.1 All lifeboats shall be properly constructed and shall be of such
form and proportions that they have ample stability in a seaway and
sufficient freeboard when loaded with their full complement of persons and
equipment. All lifeboats shall have rigid hulls and shall be capable of
maintaining positive stability when in an upright position in calm water and
loaded with their full complement of persons and equipment and holed in any
one location below the waterline, assuming no loss of buoyancy material and
no other damage. 

4.4.1.2 Each lifeboat shall be fitted with a certificate of approval,
endorsed by the Administration, containing at least the following items: 

- manufacturer's name and address; 

- lifeboat model and serial number; 

- month and year of manufacture; 

- number of persons the lifeboat is approved to carry; and 

- the approval information required under paragraph 1.2.2.9. 

The certifying organization shall provide the lifeboat with a certificate of
approval which, in addition to the above items, specifies: 

- number of the certificate of approval; 

- material of hull construction, in such detail as to ensure that
compatibility problems in repair should not occur; 

- total mass fully equipped and fully manned; and 

- statement of approval as to sections 4.5, 4.6, 4.7, 4.8 or 4.9. 

4.4.1.3 All lifeboats shall be of sufficient strength to: 

.1 enable them to be safely launched into the water when loaded with their
full complement of persons and equipment; and 

.2 be capable of being launched and towed when the ship is making headway at
a speed of 5 knots in calm water. 

4.4.1.4 Hulls and rigid covers shall be fire-retardant or non-combustible. 

4.4.1.5 Seating shall be provided on thwarts, benches or fixed chairs which
are constructed so as to be capable of supporting: 

.1 a static load equivalent to the number of persons each weighing 100 kg
for which spaces are provided in compliance with the requirements of
paragraph 4.4.2.2.2; 

.2 a load of 100 kg in any single seat location when a lifeboat to be
launched by falls is dropped into the water from a height of at least 3 m;
and 

.3 a load of 100 kg in any single seat location when a free-fall lifeboat is
launched from a height of at least 1.3 times its free-fall certification
height. 

4.4.1.6 Except for free-fall lifeboats, each lifeboat to be launched by
falls shall be of sufficient strength to withstand a load, without residual
deflection on removal of that load: 

.1 in the case of boats with metal hulls, 1.25 times the total mass of the
lifeboat when loaded with its full complement of persons and equipment; or 

.2 in the case of other boats, twice the total mass of the lifeboat when
loaded with its full complement of persons and equipment. 

4.4.1.7 Except for free-fall lifeboats, each lifeboat to be launched by
falls shall be of sufficient strength to withstand, when loaded with its
full complement of persons and equipment and with, where applicable, skates
or fenders in position, a lateral impact against the ship's side at an
impact velocity of at least 3.5 m/s and also a drop into the water from a
height of at least 3 m. 

4.4.1.8 The vertical distance between the floor surface and the interior of
the enclosure or canopy over 50% of the floor area shall be: 

.1 not less than 1.3 m for a lifeboat permitted to accommodate nine persons
or less; 

.2 not less than 1.7 m for a lifeboat permitted to accommodate 24 persons or
more; and 

.3 not less than the distance as determined by linear interpolation between
1.3 m and 1.7 m for a lifeboat permitted to accommodate between nine and 24
persons. 

4.4.2 Carrying capacity of lifeboats 

4.4.2.1 No lifeboat shall be approved to accommodate more than 150 persons. 

4.4.2.2 The number of persons which a lifeboat to be launched by falls shall
be permitted to accommodate shall be equal to the lesser of: 

.1 the number of persons having an average mass of 75 kg, all wearing
lifejackets, that can be seated in a normal position without interfering
with the means of propulsion or the operation of any of the lifeboat's
equipment; or 

.2 the number of spaces that can be provided on the seating arrangements in
accordance with figure 1. The shapes may be overlapped as shown, provided
footrests are fitted and there is sufficient room for legs and the vertical
separation between the upper and lower seat is not less than 350 mm.