🔍 Key Concepts

• Sea painter purpose when recovering a lifeboat alongside a vessel underway or with slight headway • Effect of securing point (forward, amidships, aft) on the lift boat’s heading and stability while alongside • How water flow along the ship’s side tends to act on a boat held by a painter at different positions

💭 Think About

• Visualize the lifeboat alongside the ship while the ship has some headway. How does the water move along the ship’s side, and how would that flow try to swing the bow or stern of the lifeboat? • If the painter is secured at different points (forward, amidships, aft), which position would best help keep the bow of the lifeboat toward the ship’s bow and prevent the boat from sheering or slewing around? • Which securing point would reduce the risk of the lifeboat being forced athwartships (sideways) and making contact with the ship’s side in an unsafe way?

✅ Before You Answer

• Confirm the primary safety purpose of the sea painter during recovery: keeping the lifeboat under control and in the correct position alongside. • Check which location would most naturally keep the lifeboat aligned with the ship’s direction of travel when there is way on the ship. • Eliminate any choice that would tend to let the lifeboat swing broadside to the ship or pivot dangerously while the vessel has headway.