LifeboatInspections
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Annual and Five-Yearly Thorough ExaminationLesson 8 of 8

Free-fall, rescue boats and what's coming

How free-fall release systems and rescue boats are tested, and which new rules from 2026 to 2031 apply to which boats.

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

An orange free-fall lifeboat on its launching ramp
Lifeboat Inspections job photo.

In plain words

Not every boat hangs from two wires. A free-fall lifeboat sits on a sloping ramp at the stern. When the crew release it from inside, it slides off and drops into the sea. Testing that release without actually dropping the boat needs a special arrangement that holds it back.

A rescue boat is a smaller, fast boat used to pick people out of the water or to round up liferafts. It must be ready in minutes and be launched while the ship is still moving.

The rules for both keep changing. Some new rules apply only to equipment installed after a certain date, so two sister ships can follow different rules. This lesson explains how these boats are tested and which changes from 2026 to 2031 apply to which boats.

Key points

  • The annual free-fall release test uses the arrangement for testing without launching, and is repeated with the back-up release where fitted (MSC.402(96) §6.2.7).
  • Every three months the crew board a free-fall lifeboat and go through the launch procedure up to, but not including, release; at least every six months the boat is free-fall launched with only the operating crew, or a simulated launch is done (SOLAS III/19.3.4.4).
  • Rescue boats are launched with their crew each month where reasonable and practicable, and at least every three months (SOLAS III/19.3.4.6).
  • A rescue boat must be launchable with the ship making up to 5 knots headway, and recovered in not more than 5 minutes with its full complement (SOLAS III/17).
  • Lifeboats installed on or after 1 January 2026: a hook must not support any load unless completely reset (LSA Code 4.4.7.6.8, MSC.554(108)).
  • Totally enclosed lifeboats installed on or after 1 January 2029 need ventilation of at least 5 m³/h per person for at least 24 hours (LSA Code 4.6.6, MSC.535(107)).
  • Free-fall lifeboats installed on or after 1 January 2031 need an arrangement to test the release under load without launching (LSA Code 4.7.7, MSC.589(111), as reported by ABS).

Continue this lesson free

The full lesson, the interactive tool “See which new rules apply to your boat” 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 SOLAS chapter III, regulations 3 and 20IMO resolution MSC.404(96), 19 May 2016, in force 1 January 2020
  3. Adoption of amendments to SOLAS 1974 (new chapter III)IMO resolution MSC.47(66), 4 June 1996
  4. Adoption of the International Life-Saving Appliance (LSA) CodeIMO resolution MSC.48(66), 4 June 1996
  5. Amendments to SOLAS (free-fall drills, falls, regulation III/20.11)IMO resolution MSC.216(82), 8 December 2006, in force 1 July 2008
  6. Amendments to the LSA Code (oars, rescue boat launching appliances)IMO resolution MSC.459(101), 13 June 2019, in force 1 January 2024
  7. Amendments to the LSA Code (ventilation of totally enclosed lifeboats)IMO resolution MSC.535(107), 8 June 2023, in force 1 January 2026
  8. Amendments to the LSA Code (hook reset, lowering speeds)IMO resolution MSC.554(108), 23 May 2024, in force 1 January 2026
  9. Amendments to MSC.402(96) (ventilation system)IMO resolution MSC.559(108), 23 May 2024
  10. Revised guidelines on safety during abandon ship drills using lifeboatsIMO MSC.1/Circ.1578/Rev.1, 6 July 2026
  11. Resolutions adopted by MSC 111Maritime and Port Authority of Singapore Shipping Circular No. 8 of 2026, 27 August 2026
  12. ABS Regulatory News: Brief MSC 111ABS, 22 May 2026
  13. Life-saving Appliances and SystemsRepublic of the Marshall Islands Marine Notice 2-011-37, Rev. Dec/2025
  14. Review of Lifeboat and Launching Systems' AccidentsUK MAIB Safety Study 1/2001, 1 February 2001

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.