People putting people in little boats on a sinking ship?

Question

You know how the crew lowers little boats full of people off of a ship when it's about to sink... there's like ropes and pullies..? Well, when there's no more boats or people to lower down, what happens to the crew? Do they just go down with the ship?

Answer 1

These days the typical arrangement on cruise ships is for passengers to be assigned to the lifeboats, which will also have a crew of about 6 and for the rest of the crew to go in the (inflatable) liferafts.

Short of some huge disaster such as an explosion wiping out one side of the ship there will always (by law) be FAR more space in the lifeboats/liferafts than the ship can carry - thanks to the titanic, which as everyone knows didnt have enough space.

The crews that lower the lifeboats and liferafts train on a very regular basis (i know as im the chap training them) so they will know there are a number of ways to get off the ship

1) some liferafts can be lowered with the last of the crew in the liferaft

2) when they are preparing to lower the lifeboats/liferafts they will also lower a ladder next to that station - they lower the last raft, then climb down the ladder to it

3) some ships have 'descent devices'. think mission impossible with mr cruise lowering himself into the room on that thin wire. well, we have those at the liferaft and lifeboat stations. the last crew simply put the harness under their arms and steop ofver the ships side and it will slowly lower them to the water.

Oh, and yes youll be glad to know that passengers are evacuated first before the crew - not i hasten to add because you are more important to the company ;) but simply the crew are in liferafts, which have no motors and are easily blown by the wind - so if they were launched first there would be a possibility they would blow under the lifeboats and so stopping their launch

by law we are supposed to get everyone off in 30 mins from the moment the captain gives the order to abandon ship....

how likley is that really to happen? well, the cruise ship that sank of santorini a little while ago took over 3 hours to fully debark 2000 or so passengers - in flat calm, in daylight and right next to the coast.... ill leave it to you how long it might take to fully abandon a ship that has over 5000 people in adverse weather conditions......

Answer 2

Cruise ships these days have enough enclosed lifeboats to accommodate all of the passengers.  In addition every passenger and crew person has a life vest.  Then in addition to all of the boats hanging down that you see from shore, there are inflatable life rafts which are stored in canisters on deck beside and under the life boats.  Crew persons who don't get into the enclosed boats can get into the life rafts.  If crew members have to go over the side they can jump and then get into the life boats.

Answer 3

there are crew onboard trained in lowering the boats. they will board the boat and can release the winches from within the boat or raft.

Answer 4

The crew take the final boat. The winches (the ropes and pulleys) can be worked from within the boat.