🔍 Key Concepts

• Purpose of the painter line on an inflatable liferaft • How a liferaft is automatically released and inflated if the vessel sinks • The function of a weak link in the securing arrangement

💭 Think About

• Think about what must happen to the raft and painter if the ship sinks suddenly and the raft container is still secured to the deck. • Consider which arrangement would allow the raft to float free, inflate, and remain attached long enough for survivors to reach it. • Ask yourself: if the raft drifts away or stays firmly tied to a sinking ship, what role does the painter and any weak link play?

✅ Before You Answer

• Verify how the painter is secured to the vessel so the raft doesn’t drift away before it inflates. • Check how the raft is designed to float free and inflate automatically when submerged. • Confirm the purpose of a weak link and when it is supposed to break.