🔍 Key Concepts

• 46 CFR requirements for lifeboat falls on inspected vessels • Difference between routine inspection, renewal, end-for-ending, and weight testing of falls • Typical time-interval schedule (e.g., annual vs 30‑month vs 5‑year tasks)

💭 Think About

• Think about which maintenance action is done most frequently and which is done less often—would a 30‑month interval be for a simple visual check or a more intrusive procedure? • Which action changes the part of the fall (rope/wire) that is actually bearing the load at the hooks, and why might that be tied to a specific time interval? • Which of these tasks is normally associated with a major proof test rather than periodic rotation or routine checks?

✅ Before You Answer

• Verify in 46 CFR (lifesaving equipment / lifeboats) what the specific term used at 30‑month intervals is. • Confirm that inspection and testing may occur at different intervals than renewal of the falls themselves. • Check which maintenance action is done to prevent one end of the falls from wearing out faster than the other.