Outdoors it was cool and rainy, but the crew of the Picton Castle were swimming and enjoying the warmth this afternoon. We were at the local indoor pool, emOcean, but not for swim call. Joe from the Nova Scotia Community College came to Lunenburg to run a life raft training session for our crew.
The crew all headed up the hill to the pool with immersion suits and life jackets. Joe first showed the crew the contents of a life raft, the standard items that are packed inside it. On Picton Castle we have extra food, flares, water and other supplies that are easily accessible that would also be taken into a life raft if time permits. Joe then had everyone put on immersion suits and demonstrated how to inflate the life raft by pulling the cord and how to right it if it inflates upside down. The crew were able to practice getting into the inflated life raft in their immersion suits. They also practiced getting in and out of the life raft in life jackets.
The life raft that the crew used today for training is one the instructor brought with him, life rafts must be inspected annually and Picton Castle‘s have recently passed their inspection and been re-installed on the ship. Picton Castle carries four 25-person life rafts, two on each side of the quarterdeck. They can be launched manually or by hydrostatic release.
[cpg_album:149]