The Netherlands Shipping Inspectorate has informed ClassNK about "Launching at 5knots" test of lifeboats and rescue boats as follows.

1. For ships built according to the same plans and with identical installation of rescue boats and launching arrangements, the successful results from the launch test at 5 knots headway speed on the mothership are acceptable as documented evidence of the similar ability to launch the rescue boats from the sister ships in the series.

2. In the case of existing ships and in particular to address the problems with the launching test at 5 knot of lifeboats after replacement of lifeboat release and retrieval systems which is required in MSC.1/Circ.1392, the Administration allows the following test to be performed, as an equivalent:
A tugboat is tied alongside the ship at the quay, whereby the tug engines create a '5-knot wash'.
In this '5-knot wash' the installation test is performed.

For any questions about the above, please contact:

NIPPON KAIJI KYOKAI (ClassNK)
Survey Department, Administration Center Annex, Head Office
Address:　3-3 Kioi-cho, Chiyoda-ku, Tokyo 102-0094, Japan
Tel.:　+81-3-5226-2027
Fax:　+81-3-5226-2029
E-mail:　svd@classnk.or.jp