On impact with water, the unique Co2 system immediately inflates the platform over an area of 12 sq feet. The low freeboard of 4 inches allows anyone in the water to crawl onto the platform using the foot and handholds and await rescue.

The large bright orange platform supports the bodies of survivors out of the water, considerably reducing the effects of hypothermia.

The large orange area is enhanced at night by a brilliant lighting system that has been proven by the RAF to be visible up to 5 miles away.

The lighting has been tested by the US Coastguard as being visible through fog and smoke.

The deluxe version also carries the Famous Sea Marshall MOB location beacon alerting ships and aircraft to pinpoint the exact location of the Seapod from many miles away.

AFTER 200 YEARS, THE LIFEBUOY IS REPLACED!

The Difficulties of rescue on the Modern Ship

The boats, unless you are lucky enough to have a purpose built rescue boat, are two enclosed lifeboats, one of which will, absurdly, be named the rescue boat, the only difference being that the davit motor is faster.
They will, in many cases, be stowed high up on the ship. Add this height to the possible height of a bulk carrier in ballast and the drop can be very high.

In addition, the modern ship has the lifeboats davits aft, as part of the accommodation housing. All too often, this means that the boats, when lowered, are, rather than being against the side of the ship, in considerable danger of being swept under the stern counter.

With such difficulties, purely in using the boat, you would expect that the expertise of the seamen and the officers to be better than in the past. Regrettably the seamanship training of present day ratings and officers could be called non existent in comparison with the past, being very basic with little boatwork knowledge or practical training.

Purely from these observations, a plethora of perceived problems arise in any attempted rescue venture, added to which is the sensible caveat of not endangering the lives of your men.
Regardless of all these difficulties, it is the duty of the Master to do all he can to rescue the person from the water to a place of safety. Further, the master must be able to demonstrate that he did all possible to affect such rescue.
There is one aim, and that is to retrieve the man from the water in the shortest possible time, without endangering other crewmembers. So how long do you have?
If the waters are anything but tropical, it will completely depend on the temperature. In Northern waters the time especially there is not much time, think of 15 to 30 minutes.
The choice of recovery options will be dictated by the weather conditions, and condition of the person in the water. If the boat cannot be used, then is there other ships close enough to immediately launch theirs? Is it possible to bring the ship alongside the casualty? Can a net be put over the side on a crane? These are just some alternatives that might be available.
In all decisions made to use the rescue boat, if the master considers the weather possible for a successful launch, the final decision should rest with the Cox’n. If the person in the water is seen to be alive, then the pressure to recover is intense. If the body is located and no sign of life is observed, then, while not accepting death, the allowable risk factor is less.
On the subject of risk factor, as we know, all rescue efforts are subject to the priority being the safety of ones own crew first.
As we all know, the greater problem is the recovery of the boat. The positioning of the ship has already been discussed, it really is now in the hands of the Cox’n. The enclosed plastic lifeboat is totally unsuitable to use as a rescue craft but without a dedicated FRC, it is all you have. One item might help and that is nylon pennants. if you have these already made up for such an eventuality, then after the launch haul up the hooks and put these on. They will make an immense difference in the ease of recovery. Years ago many ships had these supplied for just this purpose. The boat rope must be ready to lower down to the boat as this will be their only chance of lining the boat up while the try to engage the hooks.
It might be appropriate at this stage to use oil on the water. Even with all this there is the possibility that you cannot recover the boat, or the boat could have been so damaged in attempting to recover, that further attempts cannot be made, at least until the weather has abated.

This situation is not one that any master would wish to find himself in. Alternatives such as going to another ship which might be easier to board, wait for a helicopter if one is available, even escorting the boat to land if near enough would have to be contemplated. In the end the only alternatives would be to wait for weather to improve or try to take off the personnel and abandon the boat and that could be a most perilous action. The Master of the average merchant vessel, with only enclosed lifeboats carried, on a ship alone on the high seas in poor weather, trying to cope with a MOB, is in a desperate predicament, not of his own making.
It is disgraceful that ships with such survival boats are not compelled to carry a dedicated rescue craft, and that SOLAS continues to perpetuate the myth of the enclosed lifeboat/rescue boat. As I called for some years ago, in my paper on lifeboats, all ships should be fitted with a dedicated rescue craft regardless of the age of the ship. Most ships still do not have a dedicated rescue craft. Even those that do, with the lack of adequate training for the crews, can only launch in moderate conditions.
In the past ships had adequate seaboats and the crews skilled in using them. That is no more. all we have is the centuries old devices of the inadequate lifebuoy and a single line throwing device AND LIFEBOATS THAT CANNOT BE USED PROPERLY FOR RESCUE AT SEA.

Until Now.

SEALEAF

Sealeaf is a survival haven for anyone accidentally in the water. It is again based on the same technology, and also a concept conceived from the large oriental lily pads. No launcher is required as Seapod is designed to be thrown into the water exactly the same as with the old fashioned lifebuoy, except Sea Pod is a lot smaller and lighter.

Once sealeaf enters the water the outer rim inflates into a large circle, the diameter of which can range from 20 ft to 50 ft dependant on the size required. From the outer rim a series of inflatable spokes go into the centre and this supports an immensely strong membrane which is capable of holding several people dependant on the size of the pod. The outer rim again illuminates and the whole membrane is coloured bright orange.

Hand and foot holds are on the membrane to give additional support while the survivors are awaiting rescue.