Page 114 - British Inquiry into Loss of RMS Titanic Day 19 - 22

boats, hoisting the boats out, lowering them down, connecting them, pulling away, hoisting the sails, and a certain time, whatever the Captain or officer decides, to pull round or sail round the harbour, wherever they are, to come back to the ship, hook on, hoist up, and place the boats away. 21640. (The Commissioner.) When that boat drill is performed, how many men are there in the boat? - From four to five. 21641. There are no people who are what I may call dummy passengers to fill the boat? - No. 21642. Therefore there is no drill with a boat full of people? - No, my Lord. 21643. And there is no lowering of the boats from the davits with the people in the boat? - No. 21644. Except the men who are going to row her? - Except the crew. 21645. (Mr. Scanlan.) May I suggest to you that it would be an easy matter to put weights into a lifeboat which would correspond to a full complement of passengers in her? - Yes. 21646. If it were designed to test the boat as to the possibility of lowering her safely with her full load of passengers - I mean as to the falls being able to bear the strain - that could be done? - I think so, yes. The Commissioner: But you would not suggest that that should be done at every boat drill. Mr. Scanlan: No, I would not, my Lord. The Commissioner: If it is done once you know the capacity of the boat is tested, and I think if you went on testing it for long enough you might break the boat. Mr. Scanlan: One test would establish efficiency of the falls. The Commissioner: I should not call that part of the boat drill; that I should call a mere testing of the boat. Now, will you ask him what a boat muster is, as distinguished from a boat drill. 21647. (Mr. Scanlan.) I will, my Lord, but I propose asking him, does he contemplate having all the boats lowered, and not one boat or two. (To the Witness.) Would a proper boat drill, in your view, consist in lowering all the boats and exercising all their crews? - I do not think it is necessary to lower all the boats. 21648. Of course, you would have more practice and more drilling, the more you lower. That is evident? - Yes, but we can vary that by having different boats at different drills. 21649. I see, but if you wanted to give adequate training, or any considerable training to your boats’ crews, it would be desirable to lower them all, would it not? - Not at one time; I do not think it is necessary. 21650. You have told us what a boat drill is; now explain what a boat muster is? - A boat muster consists of all the men lining up on the deck, and having their names called, and then as they answer their names they proceed to their boats and stand opposite their boats; the officer or petty officer in charge of the boat reads their names over at the boat and reports to the Captain. 21651. Each man goes, I take it, in a muster to the boat to which he is stationed? - To the boat to which he is stationed. 21652. And his name is marked on a list opposite a boat with a certain number? - Yes. 21653. And that is the boat he has to go to? - That is the boat he has to attend. 21654. Do you think it would be desirable in the boat drill to have the crew of each particular boat exercise the boat to which they are stationed and to which they would attend in a muster? - Well, they do. 21655. That is what should be done? - They do now. That is what they are used for - for the lowering of the boat. 21656. You stated to Mr. Aspinall that you have experienced difficulty in inducing your men to take part in a boat drill. The Commissioner: I understood the firemen - I think it is confined to the firemen. Mr. Scanlan: Yes, my Lord. I am anxious to bring before your Lordship the view I am putting before you, which is that the firemen should be practised in boat drill.