Covered lifeboat under radial Davits - where does the lower block for the falls attach?

[Stephen Allen]

I am building a 1920s/30s era British Coastal Steamer, and wanted to depict the lifeboats with tarpaulin covers rigged. With the covers over the boats, I am a bit perplexed as to where or whether the lower block on the falls attach to the boat. They would normally attach to eyes or hooks located within the boat, easy enough to depict with the covers off. But I haven’t been able to find a photo showing what happens to the falls when the covers are rigged. Are they slacked off and allowed to drape under the covers at each end, or are they tied off to the davit itself? I have seen one or two models which show the falls somehow being attached to the covers, or perhaps going through them - neither seems a sensible proposition at sea as it would put the cover in the way if the boat had to be launched. If anyone could assist, or point me towards a photo/illustration, it would be most helpful. None of my internet browsing, books, plans etc cover this point.

 

cheers

 

Steve

[Keith Black]

 Steve

 

 Covered ship's boats are hung from the davits with straps. You'll have to enlarge the photo below.

 

     Keith

 

[Jim Lad]

Steve,

 

The two details from photos of ships show a more common method of securing boat covers with tabs sewn into the covers and attached to lanyards which lash around the bottom of the boat. Both of these lifeboats are on gravity davits, but I think you can see the idea of how the fall goes straight to the hook in the boat and the cover is lashed around it. The lashing of the cover around the fall might best be described as being tied like a shoelace!

 

John

 

MV 'Meringa

 

RCS 'Ninikoria'

[wefalck]

In the 1920s/1930s they probably still used chain pendants with two legs, one leg goes straight down to a ring-bold in the keel and the other leg to somewhere at the stem- and sternpost respectively. This arrangement has the purpose that the boat is suspended above its (loaded) centre of gravity, otherwise it would fall over when lifted (from the chocks). A slip-hook is hooked to a ring that joins the two legs. This ring remains outside the boat-cover. In order to allow the cover to be removed, there would be two slots in it, from the bulwark of the ring, that are closed with a lacing.

 

This is the principle, but there are variants, particularly for life-boats. Since the mid-1800s many patents have been filed for quickrelease systems for the boat-tackles. It is of absolute importance that both tackles are released at the same time when lowering a boat into anything but calm water. If one and in particular the stern-tackle is released too late, the lifting of the ship in the sea will overturn the boat and sink it.

 

The strap that @Keith Black was referring to are not used to supend the boats, but rather to tie them to the davits when they are only suspended from them and not sitting in chocks.

 

[Stephen Allen]

Thanks for the answers and especially the photos. I think I have the sense now of how you can have a cover, and still have the falls attached to the hooks or eyebolts, and have the cover rapidly removed when so needed. Given that I am using covers, then a representation of the laced openings is pretty much all I will need, as any disengaging gear - like the RN’s Robinson version, would be under the covers, so to speak. Incidentally there are plans of lifeboats with raised hooks or eyebolts, which would place them above the boats centre of gravity, naturally avoiding the tumbling issue described.

 

many thanks

 

Steve

[Jim Lad]

Steve, don't fret about disengaging gear - that was a naval thing. Merchant ships simply slacked the falls far enough for someone to be able to manually disengage the lower fall block - at the risk of finger amputation if there was a bit of a swell!

 

John

[Stephen Allen]

Thanks Jim

 

Thought that might have been the case. It was a good tip about centre of gravity placement for the eyebolts/hooks though; not something I had put my mind to but obvious once pointed out and explains why lifeboat plans show them mounted above the C of G . At the moment my bible for merchant ship details is John Bowen’s A Ship Modelmaker’s Manual along with the usual suspects from P N Thomas and C V Waine, and Lloyd’s rules and regs for the period. 

 

cheers

 

Steve

[Jim Lad]

That book of Bowen's is a great reference for ships of the period.

 

John