Lifeboat provisioning

[Lee Gilliland]

I have been trying to figure out what happened to the BOT required provisioning for the lifeboats. Boxhall states in his testimony in the Senate Inquiry that boats had to have extra oars, water, mast, sail, and compass or they would not have passed inspection and been allowed to sail, yet in Boat 6 Quartermaster Hitchens specifically bemoans the fact they have no water and no compass - Mrs. Candee wound up pointing out the North Star to the man. Were they perhaps tossed aside in the confusion?

 

[Dave Gittins]

Lee, there was a compass for each of the big lifeboats, but they were stored in a locker instead of in the boats and none made it into them. Lanterns were also stored in a locker and some boats left before they were handed out. The failure of those in the boats to find food and water was mostly due to ignorance of where provisions were stowed, coupled with the crowding in some of the boats.

The rules were later changed to require all prescribed equipment to be kept in the boats.

 

[Lee Gilliland]

Thank you, Dave. Odd how these little niggling details get to you, isn't it?