timothy hewett
Guest
How long did it take to lower the 65 people lifeboat on the titanic?
Time lifeboat start to lower
- Thread starter timothy hewett
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Bill Wormstedt
Member
Working purely from memory, I think someone (Quartermaster Lowe? Lightoller?) said it took about 5 minutes to lower a lifeboat from the deck to the sea. This has nothing to do with how long it took to fill the lifeboat, however.
Joshua Gulch
Member
David G. Brown
RIP
The length of time to lower a boat would have varied. In a practice situation, ten minutes sounds reasonably close to lower a boat down the equivalent of a 6-story building. However, under duress...??? Also, the real time that must be considered is how long it takes to load and lower a lifeboat. This varies depending upon the people involved and their willingness to climb into a small boat hanging in mid-air.
However, there is one interesting time to consider. From the launching of the first boat until it was impossible to launch any boats was roughly 90 minutes. Two collapsibles were never lowered properly. So, we have 22 boats sent down in 90 minuts. That works out to a boat launched every 4 minutes. Not a bad record under the circumstances.
Titanic's boats were arrayed in four groups: a forward and after group on both sides of the ship. This means that each group had 4 minutes times 4 groups to get a boat down, which equals 16 minutes. That appears to be quite close to the BOT time, which does not include loading.
If Lowe did estimate "about 5 minutes" to lower a boat, then there was 11 minutes to load that boat and keep to the average launch time.
-- David G. Brown
However, there is one interesting time to consider. From the launching of the first boat until it was impossible to launch any boats was roughly 90 minutes. Two collapsibles were never lowered properly. So, we have 22 boats sent down in 90 minuts. That works out to a boat launched every 4 minutes. Not a bad record under the circumstances.
Titanic's boats were arrayed in four groups: a forward and after group on both sides of the ship. This means that each group had 4 minutes times 4 groups to get a boat down, which equals 16 minutes. That appears to be quite close to the BOT time, which does not include loading.
If Lowe did estimate "about 5 minutes" to lower a boat, then there was 11 minutes to load that boat and keep to the average launch time.
-- David G. Brown
Dave Hudson
Member
Hello Everyone,
The Olympic's test was most likely very cautious and slow. However, Lowe's estimate was just that, an estimate. Estimating time that Monday morning was notoriously difficult. Another interesting point to ponder is that Olympic's boats were being lowered from a much higher hight than Titanic's. Remember, Titanic was sinking. By the time Boat 4 was lowered, the water line was already at C Deck (less than 3 stories).
Obligingly,
David
The Olympic's test was most likely very cautious and slow. However, Lowe's estimate was just that, an estimate. Estimating time that Monday morning was notoriously difficult. Another interesting point to ponder is that Olympic's boats were being lowered from a much higher hight than Titanic's. Remember, Titanic was sinking. By the time Boat 4 was lowered, the water line was already at C Deck (less than 3 stories).
Obligingly,
David
Bill Wormstedt
Member
Geez!
I just re-read my original note at the head of this column!
I meant to say Quartermaster ROWE, not Lowe! Although, of course, Lowe may also have been the person I'm recalling saying 5 minutes.
Regardless of who said it, it must be remembered that many of the lifeboats were lowered almost the full height. #7, #5 and the rest of the early boats. Also boats at the far stern such as #13 on up, I doubt any of these stern ones got much lower to the water, you might even be able to make a case that they may have increased in height from the water line as the ship tipped forward, and the stern raised up.
I just re-read my original note at the head of this column!
I meant to say Quartermaster ROWE, not Lowe! Although, of course, Lowe may also have been the person I'm recalling saying 5 minutes.
Regardless of who said it, it must be remembered that many of the lifeboats were lowered almost the full height. #7, #5 and the rest of the early boats. Also boats at the far stern such as #13 on up, I doubt any of these stern ones got much lower to the water, you might even be able to make a case that they may have increased in height from the water line as the ship tipped forward, and the stern raised up.
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