Okuzeka
Maritime & Shipping vocabulary · Safety & Emergencies

Lifeboat

Meaning in maritime & shipping, with examples

/ˈlaɪfboʊt/nounCore term

In maritime & shipping, lifeboat means: A rigid boat carried on a ship, usually fully enclosed, that is lowered into the water so that people can leave the ship in an emergency.

In Turkish: filika, can filikası

How it is used

Crews lower, launch and recover lifeboats during drills, and inspectors check lifeboat engines and davits. Many bulk carriers and tankers have a free-fall lifeboat at the stern.

Example sentences

  1. The lifeboat was lowered to the water and the engine was run for three minutes.

  2. Each crew member has a seat number in the lifeboat.

Common collocations

  • lower the lifeboat
  • free-fall lifeboat
  • lifeboat drill
  • lifeboat davit
  • lifeboat engine
  • liferaftAn inflatable raft, packed in a hard container on deck, that opens and fills with gas when it is thrown into the water or floats free from a sinking ship.
  • abandon shipTo leave a ship in an emergency because staying on board has become more dangerous than going into the survival craft. The order to abandon ship is given only by the master.
  • muster stationA fixed place on a ship where crew and passengers gather when the alarm sounds, so that everyone can be counted and given instructions.
  • SOLASThe International Convention for the Safety of Life at Sea: the main IMO treaty that sets minimum safety standards for the construction, equipment and operation of merchant ships.

More terms: Safety & Emergencies

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