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Flag, Class and Port State ControlLesson 6 of 6

Buying lifeboat service well

What a good quote, scope and service report contain, how to check a provider's papers, and the red flags to watch for.

13 minutes · For signed-up learners, free · Rules checked 20 October 2026 · Reviewed by the Lifeboat Inspections technical team

Drawing of two service reports compared side by side under a magnifying glass

In plain words

When you book a lifeboat service, you are buying more than a technician’s day. You are buying proof that the boats, hooks and davits will work on the day they are needed. That proof is a signed report and a short statement that the equipment is “fit for purpose”.

The rules say who may do the work, what they must check, and what papers they must leave behind. A buyer who knows those rules can compare quotes fairly, spot a gap before the job starts, and check the report before the technician walks off the ship.

This lesson is neutral. Manufacturers and independent firms can both be authorized. What matters is that the firm is authorized for your make and type, the technician is certified for it, the scope matches the rules, and the report shows what was done.

Key points

  • Annual work needs certified personnel of the manufacturer or an authorized service provider; five-yearly work, overhaul, overload tests and repairs need the same (MSC.402(96) §4.2–4.3).
  • A provider’s authorization states its scope, such as makes and types, and its expiry date (MSC.402(96) §7.4.1).
  • A technician’s certificate names makes, types and activities, and expires three years from issue (MSC.402(96) §8.3.1).
  • Reports are signed by the person who did the work and countersigned by the master or the company (MSC.402(96) §5.1).
  • A fit-for-purpose statement is issued promptly, with copies of the valid authorization and certificates (MSC.402(96) §5.3; IACS UR Z17 Annex 1 §13.6).
  • For work on on-load release mechanisms, a class-approved supplier must have genuine replacement parts specified or supplied by the manufacturer (IACS UR Z17 Annex 1 §13.5).

Continue this lesson free

The full lesson, the interactive tool “Compare two service reports” and the check are open to signed-up learners. It's free, takes a minute, and opens every lesson in all three courses.

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Sources

  1. Requirements for maintenance, thorough examination, operational testing, overhaul and repair of lifeboats and rescue boats, launching appliances and release gearIMO resolution MSC.402(96), 19 May 2016
  2. Amendments to MSC.402(96) (ventilation system)IMO resolution MSC.559(108), 23 May 2024
  3. Amendments to SOLAS (III/3.25, III/20.11)IMO resolution MSC.404(96), 19 May 2016, in force 1 January 2020
  4. Amendments to the LSA Code (approval plate)IMO resolution MSC.218(82), 8 December 2006
  5. IACS UR Z17 Procedural requirements for service suppliersIACS, Rev.23, July 2026
  6. Life-saving Appliances and SystemsRepublic of the Marshall Islands Marine Notice 2-011-37, Rev. Dec/2025
  7. Survival Craft, Rescue Boat and Launching Appliances – Testing, Servicing and MaintenanceLiberia Marine Notice SAF-005, Rev. 07/26

Free awareness training. Lifeboat Inspections is not authorised to issue training certificates, so none is given, and this course is not a qualification. It doesn't replace STCW survival craft training, manufacturer training or MSC.402(96) technician certification. The manufacturer's manual and your flag's rules always come first.