🔍 Key Concepts

• Inflatable liferaft construction and container on merchant vessels • How a hydrostatic release unit (HRU) and manual launching work together • What actually starts the raft’s inflation process when launched by hand

💭 Think About

• Picture yourself at the davit with a standard SOLAS inflatable liferaft in a fiberglass container. What is the first physical action you take to get it into the water by hand? • Once the raft container reaches the water, what specific action or device causes the gas bottle to open and inflate the raft? • Which option describes the normal, simple crew action, and which options sound more like maintenance or securing procedures?

✅ Before You Answer

• Identify which choice clearly involves putting the entire container into the water as a first step, not opening the raft on deck • Ask: Which step is actually used in emergency launching, not in servicing or installing the raft? • Confirm which part (bands, packing strip, cord) is normally handled by shipyard/technicians, and which is meant for the crew under stress in an emergency.