Attention has been called by the mark lane surveyors to the form and proportions of the boats used in the Royal navy. The proportion of depth to breadth is greater than is apparent from the particulars given, as all boats, larger than a 30­foot gig have 6 1/2­inch washboards above the gunwale, and even the gigs and many of the smaller boats have portable washboards. It must also be remembered that all the navy boats are square­sterned, except the whaleboat, and are designed with easy lines so as to make good sailers; no air cases are fitted, and the seats are kept very low. The boats are not provided simply as life­saving appliances; as a matter of fact, the life­saving equipment of a warship is extremely small. It is true that each type of boat is given a certain "life­saving capacity," which is ascertained by crowding in as many men as practicable with boat in still water and all equipment on board. This number agrees closely with that obtained by the board's rule LXBXDX.6/8. These boats, moreover, have a much smaller freeboard than is considered desirable in the merchant navy; but the occupants are all under discipline and in charge of experienced seamen. In the mercantile marine it may, and often does, happen, that the boats are crowded with panic­stricken men, women, and children, and instances have occurred, I believe, wherein there has not been a single man in the boat who has ever handled an oar before. Having these points of view, I do not agree that the navy type of boat is the most suitable for our purpose.
The chief desiderata in a ship's boat as a life­saving appliance are, (1) to carry the maximum number of people without overcrowding; and with (2) a reasonable amount of stability and freeboard; (3) and without undue interference with the use of oars.
(1) Is almost wholly dependent on the length and breadth of the boat; provided (2) is satisfied; depth has very little influence on it. For example, take a boat 30 x 9 x 3.5, 567 cubic feet by our rule, as a section (D) or (E) boat it should carry 567/8 = 72 people; such a boat should allow 30x9x 8/72 = 3 square feet of area per person at the gunwale, which should be ample if all sit in the bottom who cannot find seating room on the side benches or thwarts.
(2) Stability and freeboard are dependent upon the boat's breadth, depth, and form. The element of length does not enter into it, and it would be most unreasonable to limit the ratio of length to breadth, as suggested from Liverpool, or to limit the depth to the cube root of the length, as proposed by one of the London surveyors. Mr. Gemmell gives particulars, M. 26,298, of four boats tested, which proved to have ample accommodation and stability for the complements allowed by the regulations; the ratio of depth to breadth varied from 0.41 to 0.45.
Capt. O'Sullivan also reported five boats which he tested with ratios of D to B varying from 0.4 to 0.44, all except one being satisfactory, the exception being rather tender and overcrowded, due to poor lines. The freeboards of all these boats when loaded were, I think, sufficient. The depth in no case exceeded 3.6, and only in one case did the ratio exceed 0.44.
The surveyors, Liverpool, tested a boat 3.75 deep and having a ratio of D/b = 0.41, which proved satisfactory.
Capt. Griffiths tested a boat 4.1 deep, having a ration D/b = 0.455, which he considered to be unsafe with the full complement on board.
The consensus of opinion is that the depth should not exceed 3 feet 5 inches or 3 feet 6 inches, and the ration of D/b should not exceed 0.44. This, however, is not sufficient to guarantee sufficient seating and stability. Capt. Clark tested a boat 24.4x6.55x2.45, which was very unsafe with the rule complement on board. The ratio D/b is only 0.38 in this case. It will be seen, however, that this craft has exceptionally fine lines and is evidently quite unsuited to carry the rule complement. It is quite evident that the form of the boat must be taken into account.
The dimensions of boats vary so greatly that generally the boat builder builds his boats "to the eye," usually only a midship mold; it follows that the forms of boats of the same dimensions will vary considerably and with different workmen. Something more is required than a limitation in the ratio of depth to breath. It is desirable that the sheer should be ample, and the form not unduly fined away within the midship half length. From consideration of the particulars and lines of the boats mentioned in the surveyor's reports, I think a simple rule to regulate the form may be devised such as I will indicate later.
It is, I think, necessary to limit the depth as a factor for ascertaining the number to be accommodated. The increase of depth beyond a certain point, while unduly increasing the number of people that may be carried, increases proportionately the required air case capacity, to meet which the seats have to be raised with a corresponding increase in the height of the center of gravity and a decrease in the stability and difficulty in rowing. A boat 3.6 deep would have the thwarts about 3 feet above the bottom, and any increase in this height makes it very difficult for any ordinary man to row when sitting down. In rough sea, the men would have very little control over the oars if standing up. A further objection to the very deep boat is its small stability in the light condition. It is not, I believe, an unusual occurrence for such boats to capsize in rough weather, before the passengers or crew can be got into them, and I have myself seen such a boat capsize in dock with only two men in it; due to lumpy water and a stiff breeze catching it on the beam when coming out of the shelter afforded by the dock wall.
I do not think, however, any limit of depth should be imposed, except as a measure of capacity. Any rules that may be devised should be such as are of easy and ready application, and which will not bear harshly on the boats that have already been accepted. I therefore suggest that the present rules will sufficiently meet the case, with the following modification.
In no case should the depth to be used in general rule (2) exceed 3.6 feet and 45 per cent of the breadth. In all cases where the actual depth is 45 per cent of the breath or less, the maximum number of persons, as ascertained by rule (3) should not be allowed unless the boat has been found capable of carrying that number by actual test in the water, or unless the boat has at least 1/2 inch of sheer per foot of length, and the half­girth amidships, measured outside the plank, from the side of the keel to the top of the gunwale, is at least 90 per cent of the sum of the depth and the half breadth, and the mean of the half girths as similarly measured at one quarter the boat's length from the stem and stern post are at least 80 per cent of the sum of the midship depth and half breadth.
The thwarts and side benches should be kept as low as practicable, and the bottom boards should be so fitted that the height of the thwarts above them will not exceed 2 feet 9 inches. A.J.D.
January 27, 1912.
(Mr. A. J. Daniel, acting principal Ship Surveyor to the Board of Trade.)
It should be stated that the new committee on bulkheads mentioned in the paragraphs of this letter which deals with rule 12 has now been formed.
Subsequently Sir Walter Howell wrote and sent three letters to the Advisory Committee which were as follows:
Board of Trade, Marine Department, 7 Whitehall Gardens
London, S.W., April 20, 1912
SIR: With reference to previous correspondence between the department and your committee respecting the revision of the statutory rules for life­saving appliances on British ships and particularly to the letter from this department of April 16, I am directed by the board of trade to state that as an entirely new situation has been created by the recent disaster to the steamship Titanic they assume that the committee, in reconsidering the matter in connection with the suggestions already put before them by the board will have full regard to this new situation, and the facts of the disaster so far as ascertained.
As you are doubtless aware, suggestions have been made in the House of Commons and elsewhere to the effect that, in view of the loss of the Titanic, action should be taken by the board of trade in regard to certain questions other than those expressly dealt with in the life­saving appliances rules, e.g., in regard to (1) steamship routes in the North Atlantic; (2) the speed of steamers where there may be dangers to navigation; and (3) the provision and use of searchlights on large passenger steamers; and the board would be glad to know the committee's views in regard to these, and any other suggestions which may have come to their knowledge, intended to diminish the risk, or to mitigate the effects of accidents to passenger vessels at sea.
I am, etc., Walter J. Howell
The Secretary,
Merchant Shipping Advisory Committee
___________
Board of Trade, Marine Department, 7 Whitehall Gardens
London, S.W., April 24, 1912.
SIR: With reference to previous correspondence between this department and your committee respecting the revision of the statutory rules for life­saving appliances on British ships, and particularly to the letter from this department of April 16, in which you were informed that the question of the proposed amendment of the rules so as to admit of decked lifeboats being stowed one above another or one under an open lifeboat, was under consideration, I am directed by the board of trade to state, for the information of your committee, that the board of trade will be glad if the committee will consider whether any, and if so what, amendments of the rules, and in particular of the rule of April 19, 1910, and the rule of June 14, 1911, are, in their opinion, desirable with the object of supplementing the boats immediately under davits by as much additional boat accommodation as is practicable, having regard to the new situation which has been created by the recent disaster to the steamship Titanic.
A plan illustrating the principle is being prepared so as to be in readiness for your committee by Friday.
I am, etc., Walter J. Howell
The Secretary,
Merchant Shipping Advisory Committee
___________
Board of Trade, Marine Department, 7 Whitehall Gardens
London, S.W., April 25, 1912
SIR: With reference to previous correspondence respecting the proposed revision of the statutory regulations as to boats and life­saving applications on ships, I am directed by the board of trade to state, for the information of the merchant shipping advisory committee, that, apart from the questions which have been raised regarding the boat accommodation on vessels over 10,000 tons, it seems desirable to consider whether the provision of boats and other life­saving appliances required by the rules in the case of vessels under 10,000 ton is satisfactory, or whether the rules or the boat scale should be altered in respect of their application to such vessels; and the board would be glad to be favored with the observations of the committee on this point in addition to those that have already been referred to them. I am, etc., Walter J. Howell
The Secretary
Merchant Shipping Advisory Committee
To these letters the advisory committee sent the following answer:
SIR: We are desired by the merchant shipping advisory committee to inform you that your letters of the 16th, 20th, 24th, and 25th instant were brought before the committee at a meeting held yesterday.
The committee fully recognize that the proved impossibility of keeping such a vessel as the Titanic afloat after a collision with ice until the arrival of outside succor has created an entirely new situation which was neither in the contemplation of the board of trade nor of the committee in the consideration of the extension of the existing boat scale in regard to vessels of 10,000 tons and upward.
In advising on such extension in July last, the committee aimed at providing ample boat accommodation on large passenger vessels in accordance with the principles that were adopted by the original life­saving appliances committee, and which principles had apparently been fully justified by many years of experience. It is with satisfaction that the committee note that the board of trade, apart from the new possibilities demonstrated by the loss of the Titanic, agreed in the essentials with the recommendation of the committee.
In face of the new facts, the committee at their meeting yesterday reopened entirely the question of the revision of the boat scale for large passenger vessels with a view of providing the maximum of protection for the passengers and crew in the event of an overwhelming disaster, whilst at the same time maintaining the principles in regard to the stability and sea­going qualities of the ship itself, and to the prompt and efficient handling of the boats carried under the existing scale, which hitherto have proved not only essential to safety, but also adequate for all ordinary emergencies. The questions involved are not free from difficulty, but they will receive the immediate attention of the committee. Pending their consideration, the committee note that assurances have been received by the board of trade from representatives of most of the large passenger lines to the effect that every effort will be made to equip their vessels, at the earliest possible moment, with boats and rafts sufficient to accommodate all persons on board.
In regard to the recommendation forwarded with the committee's letter of July 4 last, that the board of trade should, having regard to the developments in ship building since the report of the committee of 1891 on spacing and construction of water­tight bulkheads, review the requirements designed to attain the standards at present enforced under rule 12, the advisory committee note that the board of trade have under consideration the appointment of a committee of equal standing to that of the committee of 1891. In view of the great importance of this question the advisory committee desire us respectfully to urge that such a committee be appointed at as early a date as possible.
The subject of the general revision of the statutory regulations as to boats and life­saving appliances on all ships, which, apart from the questions regarding the boat accommodation on vessels over 10,000 tons, is for the first time referred to the advisory committee by the letter of the 25th instant, together with the particular questions raised in the letters of the 16th, 20th, and 24th instant, are also receiving the immediate attention of the committee.
