Performance of Lifeboats in Ice

The performance of lifeboats in ice was evaluated using model scale boats in an ice tank. Performance in a range of ice conditions was determined using simple benchmarks. Three different lifeboat hull forms were tested, and two power levels were used for each hull. While open water performance was different for the three hull forms, performance in ice was broadly similar. Ice concentrations of about 6/10ths to 7/10ths were found to be limiting conditions for all three. Larger floes were found to hinder performance more than smaller floes. Increasing power did not significantly improve performance in ice.