Lifeboats are the core equipment of a ship's emergency escape system, used by crew members to abandon ship in emergency situations. We provide professional lifeboat transport services from the manufacturing plant to shipyards, ports, or ship repair bases. We offer single-unit shipments as well as batch transport together with supporting equipment such as lifeboat davits and launching appliances.

Common Types

• Fully Enclosed Lifeboat

• Partially Enclosed Lifeboat

• Open Lifeboat

• Fast Rescue Boat

• Free-Fall Lifeboat

• Stern-Launched Lifeboat

• Inflatable Life Raft (transported as a companion item)

Key Transport Challenges

• Large and Irregular Dimensions: Lifeboat lengths typically range from 4.5m to 8.5m, width approx. 2m, height approx. 1.2m or more. The streamlined hull shape makes stable placement on a flatbed difficult.

• Precision Construction with Fragile Components: Internal fittings include engine, starting battery, control panel, seating, safety belts, etc. Transport vibration can cause looseness or damage. The outer shell (GRP or steel) is vulnerable to impact.

• Rearward Center of Gravity: Due to the engine and other heavy components located at the stern, the center of gravity is shifted aft. Lifting and stowage require precise balance calculations.

• Numerous Accessories: Lifeboats often come with hooks, release mechanisms, davit tracks, remote control wiring harnesses, etc. If shipped separately, missing or incorrect parts may occur during site installation.

• Specialized Lifting Points: Lifeboats have dedicated lifting points (typically lifting rings or shackle attachments). Non-professional lifting may damage the hull or lifting ring structure.

• High Surface Coating Requirements: The outer surface is painted with orange/yellow high-visibility paint and fitted with reflective tape. Scratches during transport can compromise visual identification and pass ship inspection requirements.

Our Transport Solutions

1. Packaging & Securing

• Custom curved or V-shaped support frames (wood or steel) tailored to the hull bottom, evenly distributed along the full length. Padding (rubber or softwood) added at support points to prevent localized deformation.

• Outer hull wrapped with bubble wrap or stretch film. Foam corner protectors added to protruding parts such as gunwales, windows, and roof.

• Engine and internal movable parts: if shipped as a whole, lock the propeller, secure internal seats, batteries, and other loose items. Recommend removing sensitive electronic equipment for separate packaging.

• Accessories such as release mechanisms, remote control harnesses, and spare parts boxes consolidated onto pallets with detailed packing lists, secured adjacent to the lifeboat or in separate wooden crates.

• All strapping points must avoid weak areas such as portholes, door handles, and handrails.

2. Lifting & Handling

• Use the lifeboat's integral lifting rings or designed lifting points. Use nylon slings or a dedicated lifting beam. Direct contact of wire ropes with the hull surface is prohibited.

• Before lifting, check the tightness of lifting point bolts and confirm equal length of left and right slings to prevent tilting.

• Loading/unloading operations must be carried out on a flat, hard surface to avoid hull bottom being crushed by ground debris.

3. Transport Modes

• Open-top container or flat rack container: suitable for small/medium lifeboats under 6m length. The hull is fixed to a steel or wood frame, lifted into the container as a unit, and secured with air bags or wood blocks to prevent lateral movement.

• Breakbulk on deck: suitable for large lifeboats over 6m length. The support frame is welded to the deck, with additional wind lashing on the hull.

• Ro-Ro vessel: only suitable for lifeboats mounted on wheeled dollies. The dolly is lashed to the deck.

• Road Transport: Use a low-bed flatbed or extended flatbed. The lifeboat, together with its support frame, is lifted onto the vehicle as a unit and secured by welding or chain lashing. If the stern overhangs the vehicle, warning lights and reflective plates must be installed.

• Sea Freight:

• Multimodal Transport: Road + sea combined, door-to-door service from factory to shipyard.

4. Value-added Services

• Customs declaration and HS code classification assistance (lifeboats generally fall under ship life-saving equipment).

• Pre-shipment photo and video documentation of hull condition, engine status, and lifting point configuration.

• Temporary protective treatments upon request (e.g., peelable protective film, sealing tape wrapping).

• Batch shipment together with davits, winches, release mechanisms, embarkation ladders, etc., with unified customs clearance and single-point handover on site.

• Coordination of offloading at destination port and positioning to designated shipyard storage area (additional arrangements available for relocation to slipway or deck installation position).

Our Advantages

• Years of experience handling all types of lifeboats and supporting equipment. We have mastered hull support solutions and lifting point load data for different vessel types, allowing us to quickly determine safe and reliable loading methods.

• Design and on-site fabrication of support frames (wood or steel). Frames can be shipped with the cargo or recovered for reuse.

• Pre-shipment written loading plan and lifting diagram provided for client and vessel review.

• Ability to coordinate with shipyard production schedules, offering express shipments or phased deliveries according to fleet procurement plans.

• Stable slot resources for Ro-Ro, breakbulk, and flat rack containers on major global routes, with flexible transport options based on delivery schedules.