Lifeboats - why orange?

[QM1]

I wondered why the top of the lifeboats are usually orange. It does not seem to mandatory, as Costa has yellow ones.

 

With Cunards house colour being red, or better orange-red, why cant they be painted in this funnel colour? That would look much better, and would be as visible as orange, so I cant see a reason that makes sense.

[capnpugwash]

I wondered why the top of the lifeboats are usually orange. It does not seem to mandatory, as Costa has yellow ones.

 

With Cunards house colour being red, or better orange-red, why cant they be painted in this funnel colour? That would look much better, and would be as visible as orange, so I cant see a reason that makes sense.

 

I believe that SOLAS requires that lifeboats be painted orange, otherwise I'm sure that some lines would opt for a nice pastel colour.

[keithm]

I wondered why the top of the lifeboats are usually orange. It does not seem to mandatory, as Costa has yellow ones.

 

With Cunards house colour being red, or better orange-red, why cant they be painted in this funnel colour? That would look much better, and would be as visible as orange, so I cant see a reason that makes sense.

The color makes them easier to spot from a distance..rather obvious.

[Jim Avery]

there have been variances granted. Disney comes to mind. The OP is right in that Cunard Red should be plenty visible as well. Maybe they just did not think it worth the trouble to apply for a variance. Have to admit, I never thought it an issue.:D

[BlueRiband]

there have been variances granted. Disney comes to mind. The OP is right in that Cunard Red should be plenty visible as well. Maybe they just did not think it worth the trouble to apply for a variance. Have to admit, I never thought it an issue.:D

 

QM2 already required a variance from the SOLAS lifeboat height maximum far in excess of 15m (50 ft) above the water line. Maybe a color variance too would have been pushing it. Might be a question to pose the her designer.

[turquoise 6]

I believe that SOLAS requires that lifeboats be painted orange, otherwise I'm sure that some lines would opt for a nice pastel colour.

Hi. I recently sailed on the NCL Breakaway

To Bermuda and the lifeboat tops were

Red. The Breakaway is registered in

Bahamas.

[Chunky2219]

Because pink is just so gauch.

 

 

.

[Q-step]

I have a small 4-seat plane and one summer day we thought it would be fun to fly out a little way and look at the QM2 and some navy ships that were on their way towards Boston. It was an overcast, humid summer day with about 6 miles visibility in haze. After a lot of searching we spotted the QM2 due to her red funnel. We didn't find the aircraft carrier until we were just a few miles away as she's painted gray, and the skies were gray and the seas were gray. We spotted her wake trail which pointed us in the right direction. If she was at a standstill, we might have flown close enough before spotting her to warrant an official reception party when we landed.

 

Now if we had trouble finding some of the largest ships in the world, imagine the odds against you in a lifeboat. If the searchers don't have an exact GPS position, being off just a few miles makes it almost impossible.

 

So they paint the tops of lifeboats a bright color, have dye markers, flairs, GPS locators and radios onboard all to improve your odds of being plucked from the Atlantic.

[Pushka]

Orange is the complementary contrast colour of blue - hence the greatest contrast between two (blue and orange) and therefore easily seen. In the sea and against the sky.

[glojo]

My thoughts are that this must surely be a case of where vanity should be over ruled by a safety issue? There have been a couple of very informative posts regarding visibility at sea and folks should remember just how vastour oceans are and how small a LIFE boat is. The clue should really be in the name and if orange is the most visible colour, then so be it.

 

A great point about the height of the boats on the Queen Mary 2 and in retrospect I would query why that exemption was given but that is a question for a different thread :)

[scifisteve]

A great point about the height of the boats on the Queen Mary 2 and in retrospect I would query why that exemption was given but that is a question for a different thread :)

 

I think I member reading that the request was made as the "required" placement spoilt the lines of the ship, and there was a possibility of damage by the North Atlantic. Moving them higher would solve that, plus reduce the risk of them being damaged by rough seas on the TA's

[QM1]

The color makes them easier to spot from a distance..rather obvious.

 

So does yellow and Cunard Red! So its no answer to my question.

 

there have been variances granted. Disney comes to mind. The OP is right in that Cunard Red should be plenty visible as well. Maybe they just did not think it worth the trouble to apply for a variance. Have to admit, I never thought it an issue.:D

Hi. I recently sailed on the NCL Breakaway

To Bermuda and the lifeboat tops were Red. The Breakaway is registered in

Bahamas.

See!

 

I think I member reading that the request was made as the "required" placement spoilt the lines of the ship, and there was a possibility of damage by the North Atlantic. Moving them higher would solve that, plus reduce the risk of them being damaged by rough seas on the TA's

Yes, the reason why the lifeboats are higher up on OM2 is because she is built for the rough North Atlantic.

 

QM2 already required a variance from the SOLAS lifeboat height maximum far in excess of 15m (50 ft) above the water line. Maybe a color variance too would have been pushing it. Might be a question to pose the her designer.

 

I´ll ask Mr. Payne!

[Pushka]

Like I said. Orange is the complimentary contrast to blue. Red isn't. Nor is yellow. What colour is the sea? What colour is the sky?

[QM1]

Like I said. Orange is the complimentary contrast to blue. Red isn't. Nor is yellow. What colour is the sea? What colour is the sky?

 

As a designer I know that orange is complimentary colour to a certain kind of blue. But there are a lot of shades of blue on the sea, and the sea isnt blue all the time, its sometimes green, grey, almost black, turquoise, and brownish.

 

Its obvious that the complementary colour theory explains why boat tops should be "somewhere in the orange territory" but doesnt explain sufficiently enough why the boats tops on Cunarders are orange when other shipping lines use yellow and a red that is even equivalent to Cunard red. So Cunard red seems to be covered by the rules. So, why not use it if its safe and better looking at the same time?

 

Anyway, I have posted this question in the Steven Payne question sector.

[capnpugwash]

As a designer I know that orange is complimentary colour to a certain kind of blue. But there are a lot of shades of blue on the sea, and the sea isnt blue all the time, its sometimes green, grey, almost black, turquoise, and brownish.

 

Its obvious that the complementary colour theory explains why boat tops should be "somewhere in the orange territory" but doesnt explain sufficiently enough why the boats tops on Cunarders are orange when other shipping lines use yellow and a red that is even equivalent to Cunard red. So Cunard red seems to be covered by the rules. So, why not use it if its safe and better looking at the same time?

 

Anyway, I have posted this question in the Steven Payne question sector.

 

Oh good, won't it be nice to hear from the designer of the ship about his favourite colour scheme. I can hardly wait :)

[rhkennerly]

IWe didn't find the aircraft carrier until we were just a few miles away as she's painted gray, and the skies were gray and the seas were gray.

 

In the fleet that color is known as "haze gray" for a reason. The saying is: Navy-haze gray and underway.

 

The color of lifeboats needs to "pop" from the air, particularly in bad weather with breaking seas & low light. Red is iffy. Warning orange and "yum-yum yellow" show up against the dark sea and white breaking waves the best.

[capnpugwash]

Bright orange is called International Distress Orange (IDO) for a good reason.

[pepperrn]

I do think it is vital that the lifeboats tone in with the colour of parts of the rest of the vessel.

All this rubbish about safety of lives at sea.

Stuff and nonsense.

Or the best colour to be seen by rescue aircraft following a disaster.

What rot ;) .

 

I know that if I was ever unfortunate to find myself in a lifeboat in the middle of any ocean :eek: I would be cheered by the thought that, although it might take an extra few hours/days to find me, or that I might be missed altogether by low flying aircraft, and die... :( ... at least the lifeboat didn't clash with the drapes in the Queens Grill Lounge :rolleyes: .

Best wishes and happy sailings to all :) .

[Jim Avery]

I do think it is vital that the lifeboats tone in with the colour of parts of the rest of the vessel.

All this rubbish about safety of lives at sea.

Stuff and nonsense.

Or the best colour to be seen by rescue aircraft following a disaster.

What rot ;) .

 

I know that if I was ever unfortunate to find myself in a lifeboat in the middle of any ocean :eek: I would be cheered by the thought that, although it might take an extra few hours/days to find me, or that I might be missed altogether by low flying aircraft, and die... :( ... at least the lifeboat didn't clash with the drapes in the Queens Grill Lounge :rolleyes: .

Best wishes and happy sailings to all :) .

 

Good one Pepper.:D For a moment there, I thought you were going to tie it to the "Dress Code".

[turquoise 6]

As a designer I know that orange is complimentary colour to a certain kind of blue. But there are a lot of shades of blue on the sea, and the sea isnt blue all the time, its sometimes green, grey, almost black, turquoise, and brownish.

 

Its obvious that the complementary colour theory explains why boat tops should be "somewhere in the orange territory" but doesnt explain sufficiently enough why the boats tops on Cunarders are orange when other shipping lines use yellow and a red that is even equivalent to Cunard red. So Cunard red seems to be covered by the rules. So, why not use it if its safe and better looking at the same time?

 

Anyway, I have posted this question in the Steven Payne question sector.

Very true about the changes of water color during

The day. Also night time is a different issue.Red would show.

When I was in Bermuda, the Breakaway

Tested the life boats. They were bright red and very noticeable

I am sure they will do very well in an emergency

The Breakaway was built in Germany , Norwegian owners

[Louise D]

Good one Pepper.:D For a moment there, I thought you were going to tie it to the "Dress Code".

 

We have never had a thread about the appropriate attire to be worn in Life Boats.

 

If the emergency occurs after 6pm, I assume that it is necessary to abide by the particular dress code of that evening prior to going to the muster station, and then into the said life boats.

 

Frankly, this is an issue that the Fashion Police have not considered.

[Jim Avery]

How right you are! Gentlemen must have a proper jacket in order to offer it to women in strapless ball gowns when it gets chilly.:eek: Really, did no one else watch "Titanic"?:eek::D

[Dcoy]

How right you are! Gentlemen must have a proper jacket in order to offer it to women in strapless ball gowns when it gets chilly.:eek: Really, did no one else watch "Titanic"?:eek::D

 

But didn't at least on guy try to ware a strapless ball gown? :eek:

 

Don

[glojo]

Yes, the reason why the lifeboats are higher up on OM2 is because she is built for the rough North Atlantic.

Really!! No other sea is as rough as the North Atlantic and the Queen Mary 2 is the only ship plying her trade across that stretch of sea? Please do not think I am being cheeky when I query that remark... I simply look at the thousands of ships that really do regularly cross that stretch of water all year round and none of them have their lifeboats secured at such a height and so far the sea is not riddled with lifeboats that have been wrenched off of their moorings. I personally would like to see a total review of lifeboat locations and how they are deployed.

 

Leaving aside the behaviour of the master of the Costa Concordia, Cunard crews undergo the exact same lifeboat training as the personnel aboard that ship and could it be suggested that the higher the lifeboats are above the water line the greater the problem when the ship heels to one side and has to be abandoned?

 

I am hoping lifeboat locations will be reviewed as a consequence of the events of that night especially now that ships are getting so much bigger and we are seeing thousands of passengers on these huge vessels.

 

Lifeboats are just that and if the emergency services decide luminious orange is the ideal colour, then that is the colour they should be and who cares whether they look pretty, or the colour clashes with someone's eye liner... they are intended to save lives.

[seasidegal]

Really!! No other sea is as rough as the North Atlantic and the Queen Mary 2 is the only ship plying her trade across that stretch of sea? Please do not think I am being cheeky when I query that remark... I simply look at the thousands of ships that really do regularly cross that stretch of water all year round and none of them have their lifeboats secured at such a height and so far the sea is not riddled with lifeboats that have been wrenched off of their moorings. I personally would like to see a total review of lifeboat locations and how they are deployed.

 

 

Good afternoon, glojo:

 

Here is an article on why the lifeboats were placed in the location they are on QM2:

 

http://www.nzmaritime.co.nz/qm2/specs.htm

 

part of the article on lifeboats:

 

Melding Payne's naval architecture skills with Ellis' navigational experience, the pair embarked on a project that would differ from a conventional cruise vessel in many ways.

 

Aside from her sheer size, the Queen Mary 2 will not be your average cruise vessel making stops throughout the Eastern and Western Caribbean. Since she will be performing trans-Atlantic crossings, possibly in harsh weather conditions, some adjustments needed to be made. The perils of the North Atlantic (especially in wintertime) are numerous, accordingly Payne designed the vessel with her lifeboats 88 ft. (27 m) above the water instead of the SOLAS recommended 49 ft. (15 m). SOLAS made this exception because of the condition of service that the Queen Mary 2 is intended for. According to Ellis, a SOLAS clause states that if a vessel will be traveling in poor weather, lifeboats can be secured at a higher level than the usual 49 ft. (15 m). This clause, coupled with Lloyd's Register's assistance, was the focal point of a meeting in Washington, D.C. with the U.S. Coast Guard, who after mulling Cunard's reasoning opted to waive the conventional lifeboat height requirement.

Payne and Ellis took into consideration the North Atlantic weather conditions in their decision to not add any balconies to the forward area of the ship. She will have decks in other areas, since the vessel will be suited for both warm and cold weather cruising. In fact, five swimming pools will be built into the Queen Mary 2, not to mention the addition of 5,000 deck chairs spread throughout the vessel.Steadfast on ensuring that the Queen Mary 2 exceeds all safety requirements, the technical team opted to use 37 lifeboats instead of the escape chutes that some operators are now choosing to implement citing that they are easier to operate and maintain on a daily basis.

 

 

best regards,

seasidegal