27 replies to this topic

[centurion]

Contrary to oft expressed beliefs there was not an official requirement to carry 100% life boat capacity. Even after the Titanic it was 75%. So ten boats gives this at about 40 per boat

[bill24chev]

Assuming the lifeboats were the same capacity as Ttitanic she would have been hard pushed to get all safley off her in an emergency especially when in the role of troop ship. I cant see any on the photos but presume she also carried "carley" type rafts.

[Simon Mills]

In normal civilian service after the loss of the Titanic there would have been a requirement of lifeboats for all.

Obviously this was not practicable when vessels were converted for military service, due to the large numbers of troops on board, particularly on troop ships. In the case of the HMHS Britannic (Titanic's sister-ship), the forty-six planned lifeboats (eventually forty one rigid boats when in military service) were supplemented by another fourteen collapsible lifeboats, and numerous Carley floats stacked at strategic points on the boat deck. As such there would have been more than enough capacity for the approximately four thousand (invalids and crew) on board.