Life-saving Equipment
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Lifebelts - 3,560 lifebelts of the latest improved overhead pattern approved by the Board of Trade. These were distributed throughout the passenger accommodation and inspected by the Board of Trade.

Lifeboats - 14 wooden lifeboats 30 feet long and 9feet 1inch broad, by 4 feet deep each with a cubic capacity of 655.2 feet, constructed to carry 65 persons

Emergency cutters - 2 wooden cutters, 25 feet 2 inches long, 7 feet 2 inches broad, and 3 feet deep with a cubic capacity of 322.1 cubic feet. Constructed to hold 40 people.

4 Englehardt collapsible boats - 27 feet 5 inches long, 8 feet broad, and 3 feet deep. Had a cubic capacity of 376.6 cubic feet. Constructed to hold 47 people each.

The lifeboats and cutters were constructed as follows: The keels were elm, the stems and stern posts were of oak. They were all clinker built of yellow pine, double fastened with copper nails cinched over rooves. The timbers of elm, spaced about 9 inches apart, and the seats pitch pine secured with galvanized iron double knees. The buoyancy tanks in the lifeboats were of 18oz. Copper, and of a capacity to meet the Board of Trade requirements.

The lifeboats were fitted with Murray's disengaging gear with arrangements for simultaneously freeing both ends if required. The gear was fastened at a suitable distance from the forward and after ends of the boats to suit the davits. Lifelines were fitted round the gunwales of the lifeboats. The davit blocks were treble roller for the lifeboats and double for the cutters. They were of elm and lignum vitae roller sheaves, and were bound inside with iron, and had swivel eyes. There were manilla rope falls of sufficient length for lowering the boats to the vessels light draft, and when the boats were lowered, to be able to reach the boat winches on the Boat Deck.

The lifeboats were stowed on hinged wood chocks on the Boat Deck, by groups of three at the forward end and four at the after ends. On each side of the Boat Deck the cutters were arranged forward of the group of three and fitted to lash outboard as emergency boats. The were immediately abaft of the navigating bridge.

The Engelhardt collapsible lifeboats were stowed abreast the of the two cutters, one on each side of the ship, and the remaining two were stowed on the top of the officer's house, immediately aft of the navigating bridge.

The boat equipment was in accordance with the Board of Trade requirements. Sails for each lifeboat and cutters were supplied and stowed in painted bags. Covers were supplied for each lifeboat and cutters, and each lifeboat had a sea anchor. Every lifeboat was furnished with a special spirit boat compass and fitted for holding it, these compasses were carried on a locker on the Boat Deck. A provision tank and water beaker was supplied for each boat.

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