Escape shutes on cruise ships.

[oopspff7]

Is this a common thing ? Never heard of it before.
https://felixstowedocker.********.co...n-fantasy.html

[Phoenix1969]

Link doesn't work

[rog747]

condor has them on the CI cat

[DaveReidUK]

Originally Posted by Phoenix1969

Link doesn't work

https://felixstowedocker.%62logspot....n-fantasy.html

[Akrotiri bad boy]

These chutes are standard fittings for large pax vessels. They usually deploy into liferafts that could accommodate up to 90 persons. Chutes designed for upper deck evacuation are fitted with baffles to slow the escapees descent. A recent fatality occurred when an evacuee became wedged inverted within the chute. The installations form part of the vessel's Life Saving Apparatus with British registered vessels undergoing an annual inspection by the MCA. Practice deployments might occur every two or three years as these would take the vessel out of commision whilst the kit was replaced/repacked/rearmed.
Akro

[fa2fi]

CalMac has had them on some ships for over 20 years. Certainly the MV Isle of Lewis has them and had them since launch on 1995.

A very good idea as I believe they work up to a higher angle of list compared to conventional boats and there's no bashing against the hull during the winch down like a conventional boat.

[oopspff7]

Thanks for the info.My daughter worked out of Florida on the cruise ships as a photographer.She never mentioned them.I will ask.

[easyflyer83]

Some ferries and cruise ships do indeed have escape slides in various shapes and guises. These were evident just the other day during the fire and subsequent evacuation of a ferry off the coast of San Juan, Puerto Rico.

[Tech Guy]

Known as MES, Marine Evacuation System. Had them on the Channel ferries when I worked on them (many years ago). We had to do an annual refresher course to remain certified to use them.

Big 2 lane slide into an inflatable pontoon about 40 foot in diameter. Crew go down first. Inflatable rafts are then launched from the ship and "docked" around the pontoon. IIRC about 4 at a time.

Passengers then descend the slide and crew then supervise loading the individual rafts before releasing them when full. You can easily disembark several hundred people in a few minutes. mainly designed for short sea routes where rescue is likely to be quick and boats are not required.



On some systems, (particularly oil platforms), the slides are being replaced with vertical "tumble tubes".

[Tech Guy]

Originally Posted by Akrotiri bad boy

Practice deployments might occur every two or three years as these would take the vessel out of commision whilst the kit was replaced/repacked/rearmed.
Akro

Indeed. They were often fired prior to the vessels annual refit, when the vessel would be out of service for 2-3 weeks anyway. it was a requirement for the system to have an annual check by the manufacturer anyway, and live firing was good practice for all involved. Certainly better than the classroom drills with rafts on wheels.