Annual and Five-Yearly Thorough ExaminationLesson 3 of 8
Examining the boat: hull, engine, systems and equipment
The ten boat items of the annual thorough examination, what the LSA Code requires of each, and what a careful examiner looks at.
16 minutes · For signed-up learners, free · Rules checked 20 October 2026 · Reviewed by the Lifeboat Inspections technical team
In plain words
Since 2020 the annual examination covers the lifeboat itself, not just its davit and hooks. The technician goes over the boat from keel to roof: the hull and its hidden buoyancy spaces, the engine and fuel, the steering, the batteries, the bilge pump, the skates that let it slide down the ship’s side, and any special systems such as the water spray of a fire-protected boat or its air supply.
Then comes the equipment inside: water, food rations, flares, first aid, torch, searchlight and the rest. Items with an expiry date are checked one by one.
The standard for every item is the same: is it in good condition, and does it work? The manufacturer’s manual says how to check each part. The LSA Code says what each part must be able to do when the boat is needed for real.
Key points
- The annual examination of the boat covers ten items, from structure to ventilation (MSC.402(96) §6.2.3.1–.10).
- The structure check includes a visual examination of the external boundaries of the void spaces, as far as practicable (MSC.402(96) §6.2.3.1).
- A lifeboat must carry fuel for 24 hours at 6 knots, fully loaded (LSA Code 4.4.6.8).
- Radio batteries must not be used to start the engine (LSA Code 4.4.6.11).
- The ventilation system, where fitted, has been part of the annual examination since 1 January 2026 (MSC.402(96) §6.2.3.10, added by MSC.559(108)).
- Lifeboat equipment is listed in LSA Code 4.4.8, and the crew check it monthly against the SOLAS III/36 checklist (SOLAS III/20.7.2).
Continue this lesson free
The full lesson, the interactive tool “Find the defects on the boat” and the check are open to signed-up learners. It's free, takes a minute, and opens every lesson in all three courses.
Sources
- 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
- Amendments to MSC.402(96) (ventilation system)IMO resolution MSC.559(108), 23 May 2024, in force 1 January 2026
- Adoption of the International Life-Saving Appliance (LSA) CodeIMO resolution MSC.48(66), 4 June 1996
- Amendments to the LSA CodeIMO resolution MSC.218(82), 8 December 2006
- Amendments to the LSA Code (ventilation of totally enclosed lifeboats)IMO resolution MSC.535(107), 8 June 2023, in force 1 January 2026
- Amendments to the LSA Code (oars)IMO resolution MSC.459(101), 13 June 2019, in force 1 January 2024
- Amendments to SOLAS (regulations III/19 and III/20)IMO resolution MSC.152(78), 20 May 2004
- Adoption of amendments to SOLAS 1974 (new chapter III)IMO resolution MSC.47(66), 4 June 1996
- 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.