The equipment carried aboard a liferaft will generally be either a SOLAS “A” pack (offshore; oceans route) or “B” pack (limited, nearshore). As an example of what you’ll find with each type, the following is a table from the U.S. lifesaving requirements for offshore supply vessels:
------------------------------------------------------------------------
Oceans Coastwise
-------------------------------------------
Item Rigid Rigid
No. Item liferaft Rescue liferaft Rescue
(SOLAS A boat (SOLAS B boat
Pack) Pack)
------------------------------------------------------------------------
1 Bailer \1\.......... 1 1 1 1
3 Boathook............ ......... 1 ......... 1
4 Bucket \2\.......... ......... 1 ......... 1
5 Can opener.......... 3 ......... ......... .........
6 Compass............. ......... 1 ......... 1
8 Drinking cup........ 1 ......... ......... .........
9 Fire extinguisher... ......... 1 ......... 1
10 First-aid kit....... 1 1 1 1
11 Fishing kit......... 1 ......... ......... .........
12 Flashlight.......... 1 1 1 1
14 Heaving line........ 1 2 1 2
15 Instruction card.... 1 ......... 1 .........
17 Knife \1\ \3\....... 1 1 1 1
18 Ladder.............. ......... 1 ......... 1
19 Mirror, signalling.. 1 ......... 1 .........
20 Oars, units \4\..... ......... 1 ......... 1
Paddles............. 2 ......... 2 .........
21 Painter............. 1 1 1 1
22 Provisions (units 1 ......... ......... .........
per person)........
23 Pump \5\............ ......... 1 ......... 1
24 Radar reflector..... 1 1 1 1
26 Repair kit \5\...... ......... 1 ......... 1
27 Sea anchor.......... 2 1 2 1
28 Searchlight......... ......... 1 ......... 1
29 Seasickness kit 1 ......... 1 .........
(units per person).
30 Signal, smoke....... 2 ......... 1 .........
31 Signal, hand flare.. 6 ......... 6 .........
32 Signal, parachute 4 ......... 4 .........
flare..............
34 Sponge \5\.......... 2 2 2 2
35 Survival 1 ......... 1 .........
instructions.......
36 Table of lifesaving 1 ......... 1 .........
signals............
37 Thermal protective 10% 10% 10% 10%
aids (percent of
persons) \6\.......
39 Towline............. ......... 1 ......... 1
40 Water (liters per 1.5 ......... 1 .........
person)............
41 Whistle............. 1 1 1 1
------------------------------------------------------------------------
Notes:
\1\ Each liferaft equipped for 13 persons or more must carry two of
these items.
\2\ Not required for inflated or rigid-inflated rescue boats.
\3\ A hatchet counts towards this requirement in rigid rescue boats.
\4\ Oars are not required on a free-fall lifeboat; a unit of oars means
the number of oars specified by the boat manufacturer.
\5\ Not required for a rigid rescue boat.
\6\ Sufficient thermal protective aids are required for at least 10% of
the persons the survival craft is equipped to carry, but not less than
two.