Do you know difference between rescue boat and lifeboat?

What do you think when you heard "lifeboat" and "rescue boat"? 

Many people think the two names refer to the same thing, but actually, there's a subtle difference. A lifeboat is a survival craft used for sustaining the lives of persons in distress from the time of abandoning the ship while a rescue boat is to rescue a person in distress (overboard) and to board the ship.

If you read LSA-Code International Life-saving appliance Code carefully, you'll have a better understanding of the difference between the two boats.

Today, we're going to show you some different equipment of the two boats.

A lifeboat is equipped with the following things that are not necessary for a rescue boat:

• a survival manual;

• watertight receptacles containing a total of 3 l of freshwater for each person the lifeboat is permitted to accommodate, of which either 1/  per person may be replaced by a desalting apparatus capable of producing an equal amount of fresh water in 2 days, or 2 l per person may be replaced by a manually powered reverse osmosis desalinator capable of producing an equal amount of fresh water in 2 days;

• a rustproof dipper with lanyard;

• a rustproof graduated drinking vessel;

• a food ration totaling not less than 10,000 kJ for each person the lifeboat is permitted to accommodate; these rations shall be kept in airtight packaging and be stowed in a watertight container;

• one daylight signaling mirror with instructions for its use for signaling to ships and aircraft;

• life-saving signals on a waterproof card or in a waterproof container;

• three tin openers;

• anti-seasickness medicine sufficient for at least 48 h and one seasickness bag for each person;

• one set of fishing tackle;

• etc.

From the listed equipment, you could have a better understanding "sustaining the lives of persons". 

If you want more details of the difference between the lifeboat and the rescue boat. you can refer to LSA-Code International Life-saving appliance Code.

There are the LSA standards for the equipment of the lifeboat and the rescue boat.

Lifeboat equipment

All items of lifeboat equipment shall be secured within the lifeboat by lashings, storage in lockers or compartments, storage in brackets or similar mounting arrangements or other suitable means. However, in the case of a lifeboat to be launched by falls the boat-hooks shall be kept free for fending off purposes. The equipment shall be secured in such a manner as not to interfere with any abandonment procedures. All items of lifeboat equipment shall be as small and of as little mass as possible and shall be packed in a suitable and compact form.

Except where otherwise stated, the normal equipment of every lifeboat shall consist of:

1. except for free-fall lifeboats, sufficient buoyant oars to make headway in calm seas. Thole pins, crutches, or equivalent arrangements shall be provided for each oar provided. Thole pins or crutches shall be attached to the boat by lanyards or chains;

2. two boat hooks;

3. a buoyant bailer and two buckets;

4. a survival manual *;

5. an operational compass that is luminous or provided with suitable means of illumination. In a totally enclosed lifeboat, the compass shall be permanently fitted at the steering position; in any other lifeboat, it shall be provided with a binnacle if necessary to protect it from the weather, and suitable mounting arrangements;

6. a sea-anchor of adequate size fitted with a shock-resistant hawser which provides a firm hand grip when wet. The strength of the sea-anchor, hawser and tripping line if fitted shall be adequate for all sea conditions;

7. two efficient painters of a length equal to not less than twice the distance from the stowage position of the lifeboat to the waterline in the lightest seagoing condition or 15 m, whichever is the greater. On lifeboats to be launched by free-fall launching, both painters shall be stowed near the bow ready for use. On other lifeboats, one painter attached to the release device required by paragraph 4.4.7.7 shall be placed at the forward end of the lifeboat and the other shall be firmly secured at or near the bow of the lifeboat ready for use;

8. two hatchets, one at each end of the lifeboat;

9. watertight receptacles containing a total of 3 l of freshwater as described in paragraph 4.1.5.1.19 for each person the lifeboat is permitted to accommodate, of which either 1/  per person may be replaced by a desalting apparatus capable of producing an equal amount of fresh water in 2 days, or 2 l per person may be replaced by a manually powered reverse osmosis desalinator as described in paragraph 4.4.7.5 capable of producing an equal amount of fresh water in 2 days;

10. a rustproof dipper with lanyard;

11. a rustproof graduated drinking vessel;

12. a food ration totaling not less than 10,000 kJ for each person the lifeboat is permitted to accommodate; these rations shall be kept in airtight packaging and be stowed in a watertight container;

13. four rocket parachute flares complying with the requirements of section 3.1;

14. six hand flares complying with the requirements of section 3.2;

15. two buoyant smoke signals complying with the requirements of section 3.3;

16. one waterproof electric torch suitable for Morse signaling together with one spare set of batteries and one spare bulb in a waterproof container;

17. one daylight signaling mirror with instructions for its use for signaling to ships and aircraft;

18. one copy of the life-saving signals prescribed by regulation V/16 on a waterproof card or in a waterproof container;

19. one whistle or equivalent sound signal;

20. a first-aid outfit in a waterproof case capable of being closed tightly after use;

21. anti-seasickness medicine sufficient for at least 48 h and one seasickness bag for each person;

22. a jack-knife to be kept attached to the boat by a lanyard;

23. three tin openers;

24. two buoyant rescue quoits, attached to not less than 30 m of buoyant line;

25. if the lifeboat is not automatically self-bailing, a manual pump suitable for effective bailing;

26. one set of fishing tackle;

27. sufficient tools for minor adjustments to the engine and its accessories;

28. portable fire-extinguishing equipment of an approved type suitable for extinguishing oil fires;**

29. a searchlight with a horizontal and vertical sector of at least 6 degrees and a measured luminous intensity of 2500 cd which can work continuously for not less than 3 h;

30. an efficient radar reflector, unless a survival craft radar transponder is stowed in the lifeboat;

31. thermal protective aids complying with the requirements of section 2.5 sufficient for 10% of the number of persons the lifeboat is permitted to accommodate or two, whichever is the greater; and

32. in the case of ships engaged on voyages of such a nature and duration that, in the opinion of the Administration, the items specified in 12 and 26 are unnecessary, the Administration may allow these items to be dispensed with.

Rescue boat equipment

All items of rescue boat equipment, with the exception of boat hooks which shall be kept free for fending off purposes, shall be secured within the rescue boat by lashings, storage in lockers or compartments, storage in brackets or similar mounting arrangements, or other suitable means. The equipment shall be secured in such a manner as not to interfere with any launching or recovery procedures. All items of rescue boat equipment shall be as small and of as little mass as possible and shall be packed in a suitable and compact form.

The normal equipment of every rescue boat shall consist of:

1. sufficient buoyant oars or paddles to make headway in calm seas. Thole pins, crutches or equivalent arrangements shall be provided for each oar. Thole pins or crutches shall be attached to the boat by lanyards or chains;

2. a buoyant bailer;

3. a binnacle containing an efficient compass which is luminous or provided with suitable means of illumination;

4. a sea-anchor and tripping line if fitted with a hawser of adequate strength not less than 10 m in length;

5. a painter of sufficient length and strength, attached to the release device complying with the requirements and placed at the forward end of the rescue boat; 4.4.1.7

6. one buoyant line, not less than 50 m in length, of sufficient strength to tow a liferaft as required by paragraph 5.1.1.7;

7. one waterproof electric torch suitable for Morse signaling, together with one spare set of batteries and one spare bulb in a waterproof container;

8. one whistle or equivalent sound signal;

9. a first-aid outfit in a waterproof case capable of being closed tightly after use;

10. two buoyant rescue quoits, attached to not less than 30 m of buoyant line;

11. a searchlight with a horizontal and vertical sector of at least 6 degrees and a measured luminous intensity of 2500 cd which can work continuously for not less than 3 h;

12. an efficient radar reflector;

13. thermal protective aids complying with the requirements of section 2.5 sufficient for 10% of the number of persons the rescue boat is permitted to accommodate or two, whichever is the greater;

14. and portable fire-extinguishing equipment of an approved type suitable for extinguishing oil fires.*

In addition to the required equipment above, the normal equipment of every rigid rescue boat shall include:

• a boat hook;

• a bucket; and

• a knife or hatchet.

the normal equipment of every inflated rescue boat shall consist of:

• a buoyant safety knife;

• two sponges;

• an efficient manually operated bellows or pump;

• a repair kit in a suitable container for repairing punctures; and

• a safety boat hook.