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Maritime & Shipping vocabulary · Safety & Emergencies

Liferaft

Meaning in maritime & shipping, with examples

/ˈlaɪfræft/nounCommon term

In maritime & shipping, liferaft means: An 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.

In Turkish: can salı

How it is used

Also written 'life raft'. Liferafts are serviced every year at an approved service station. Crew learn to launch them by throwing them overboard or with a davit, and to board them from the ship's side or from the water.

Example sentences

  1. The liferaft inflated within a minute after it was thrown overboard.

  2. All liferafts were sent ashore for their annual service.

Common collocations

  • launch the liferaft
  • davit-launched liferaft
  • liferaft service
  • hydrostatic release
  • lifeboatA 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.
  • 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.
  • EPIRBEmergency Position-Indicating Radio Beacon: a small floating transmitter that sends a distress signal with the ship's identity and position via satellite when a ship is in trouble.
  • 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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