How many seamen are needed to lower a lifeboat to the water?

[Gaston Sam]

It's been stated the time for getting the boats ready and lowering them, but how many emn did it take to lower one single boat into the water, or actually for the whole process of preparing it?

Reading testimonies of the AB's, sometimes they mention one man at each boat end's davits, but there are also accounts that claim helping lower a particular boat which concludes in more than two men working on that.

 

[Ioannis Georgiou]

2 were needed to lower it. The others only assisted with the falls.

 

[David G. Brown]

Don't belittle the contribution of the man tailing off the falls. His duty was to make sure the run of line to the man surging at the bit was clear of hockles or tangles. He was also to be ready to hold fast if the line started to slip through the hands of the surger. Safety. It's no accident.

-- David G. Brown