HL Deb 10 April 2001 vol 624 c172WA
Earl Attlee

asked Her Majesty's Government:

What major changes have taken place in the design of lifeboat launching equipment since the First World War. [HL1618]

Lord Macdonald of Tradeston

A number of improvements have been made to lifeboat launching equipment since the First World War. The original manually operated systems, relying on blocks and tackle of natural fibre ropes, have been replaced by more efficient mechanical systems. Modern davits are fabricated in steel, rely on gravity for operation and are designed to minimise malfunction. Today, falls are constructed of steel multi-core wire ropes and the launching systems are designed with simultaneous release mechanisms to avoid the possibility of a boat hanging from the second set of falls.