Question 16 LB01 - Lifeboat Operator

The Correct Answer is B. The hand holds or straps found on the underside (inverted canopy/bottom) of an inflatable liferaft are specifically installed for **righting the raft if it capsizes**. If a liferaft is deployed or launched upside down (inverted), survivors in the water must swim underneath the raft, grab these heavy-duty webbing straps or loops, brace their feet on the liferaft's side or buoyancy tube, and use their combined weight and leverage to flip the raft over so the entrance canopy is facing upwards. **Why the other options are incorrect:** * **A) For crewmen to hang on to:** While crewmen may temporarily grab them while righting the raft, their primary function is not to act as general grab handles for swimming alongside the raft. There are separate lifelines around the raft's exterior for that purpose. * **C) To hang the raft for drying:** Liferafts are typically dried by inflating them on a flat, clean surface or using specialized racks, not by suspending them by the underside righting straps, which could damage the hull structure if used for long-term weight bearing. * **D) To carry the raft around on deck:** The liferaft is carried in its container (canister or valise) or by specialized handles on the container itself. These underside straps are only accessible when the raft is fully inflated and either in the water or already deployed.