🔍 Key Concepts

• Manual launching of inflatable liferafts versus float-free (hydrostatic release) launching • The function of the painter line and what happens when it is pulled • What the weak link does in a float-free arrangement and when it parts

💭 Think About

• Think about what a crew member can actively do in an emergency if the ship is still afloat and they want to launch a liferaft by hand. • Consider the normal sequence: how does the liferaft get from its cradle into the water, and then what has to happen for the inflation bottle to fire? • Ask yourself: does breaking the weak link or removing straps by itself cause inflation, or is there another step that actually triggers the gas bottle?

✅ Before You Answer

• Verify which action actually fires the CO₂ inflation cylinder in an inflatable liferaft. • Confirm the purpose of the weak link: is it to start inflation, or to allow the raft to float free if the vessel sinks? • Check SOLAS/USCG training materials on steps for manual launching: in what order are the straps released, the container moved/put overboard, and the painter handled?