Difference Between Tenders & Life Boats

I seem to remember a thread a couple of years back where Prinsendam was explaining the difference between the ship's tenders and the ship's lifeboats.

I tried searching for it, but couldn't find it.

My husband and I are disagreeing on the subject and I would like to know if Prinsendam could explain it again.

Thanks

The Vistas sometimes use lifeboats as tenders. I know there are several "types" of lifeboats, and one type can be and is used to tender passengers ashore at some of the ports. Other ports have dedicated tenders, such as those used at Half Moon Cay. Those do not ship out with you - they stay at the island. :) So I guess any boat that is used to "tender" (verb) can be a "tender" (noun).

A cruise ship will carry several devices for people who need to leave the ship.

Lifeboats can be of an inflatable type that are stored in a barrel, are released into the water when needed, and open and inflate when they hit the water. These are usually second choice items, but are commonly used. Some may call these "life rafts". These do not have motors.

The Tenders you can see on the sides of cruise ships are also called life boats. I suppose if they are being used to ferry people somewhere voluntarily, they are tenders. If you are evacuating the ship, they are lifeboats. These boats are rigid hulled craft- hard sided, not inflatable, and have motors and survival gear on board.

The ship with use it's rigid hulled lifeboats as tenders at ports where there isn't large enough docking facilities for the ship itself. This exercises the lifeboats on a regular basis.

At Half Moon Cay, there are two large tenders used for taking people to and from the ship. These are assigned to the island, not to the ship.

 

Tenders and life boats usually are one and the same. I suppose if they are being used to ferry people somewhere voluntarily, they are tenders. If you are evacuating the ship, they are lifeboats.

Smooth. :)

If I remember correctly Prinsendam explained it something like the tenders have a double "hull" and the lifeboats have a single "hull". Hull may be the wrong word, but it was something like that.

Many ports have boats called tenders that they charge the cruise ships to use to ferry passengers to and from the ship. They vary from nice and well maintained to much less so. They also vary in size and number of passengers they can carry.

The worst we ever had was at Kona Hawaii down to the broken seats and unclean conditions. Some tenders are down right luxury situations.

Most cruise ships carry along some of their own tenders which can also be used as life boats. See this is where it can get fuzzy.

 

Most cruise ships carry along some of their own tenders which can also be used as life boats. See this is where it can get fuzzy.

And, these are the ones I am asking about. The fuzzy part is the question I guess.

And, these are the ones I am asking about. The fuzzy part is the question I guess.

I cannot speak for the prinsendam, but suspect the arrangement is the same as for other holland america line ships.

Each ship has a certain amount of lifeboats (12 on s-class, 14 r-class, 16 on vista).

Of these boats, a few also do service as tender boats to bring passengers to shore in a port where there is no or not enough dockspace. As a tender the boat is usually rated by Lloyds ( a classification society by whose regulations the ships are built) for fewer passengers than as a lifeboat. (90-120 passengers for tender service vs. 150 persons as a lifeboat).

Construction of the tenders is different from the lifeboats: most tenders have 2 engines vs.1 for a lifeboat, it will have radar, an echosounder, and other safety equipment required for a tender.

In normal tender operations we do not even put that amount of persons in, normally between 60-75.

Hope this makes it a little less fuzzy?

Tenders are taller, and have more windows! They are the last three on each side of Vistas.

Tenders tendering in Sweden ...

scratched

... something like the tenders have a double "hull" and the lifeboats have a single "hull". Hull may be the wrong word, but it was something like that.

LOL :D All this "hull" talk reminds me of Oracle with their multihull boat and the ongoing court battle over the Americas Cup Challenge.

Anyone remember the "tenders" on the Norway ? Little Norway I and Little Norway II were both registered boats and were huge. :)

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I cannot speak for the prinsendam, but suspect the arrangement is the same as for other holland america line ships.

 

 

Each ship has a certain amount of lifeboats (12 on s-class, 14 r-class, 16 on vista).

Of these boats, a few also do service as tender boats to bring passengers to shore in a port where there is no or not enough dockspace. As a tender the boat is usually rated by Lloyds ( a classification society by whose regulations the ships are built) for fewer passengers than as a lifeboat. (90-120 passengers for tender service vs. 150 persons as a lifeboat).

 

Construction of the tenders is different from the lifeboats: most tenders have 2 engines vs.1 for a lifeboat, it will have radar, an echosounder, and other safety equipment required for a tender.

 

 

In normal tender operations we do not even put that amount of persons in, normally between 60-75.

 

Hope this makes it a little less fuzzy?

I always wondered why they would rate the tender for holding fewer passengers than a life boat. At one tender station, the crew was trying to board the 60 or so passengers they were told to load, but couldn't get anywhere near that number onboard. When asked why, one of the crew replied "These people are just too big!" (And he was right too.)

Has anyone actually measured whether 150 people who have just spent a week dining on a cruise ship and who are wearing lifejackets, would actually fit in these little tenders? 30 years ago maybe, but they are having to make everything larger these days, even airline seats. And have you ever tried to return from muster drill on an elevator with your life jacket on? Not many people can fit in an elevator then.

I cannot speak for the prinsendam, but suspect the arrangement is the same as for other holland america line ships.

 

 

Each ship has a certain amount of lifeboats (12 on s-class, 14 r-class, 16 on vista).

Of these boats, a few also do service as tender boats to bring passengers to shore in a port where there is no or not enough dockspace. As a tender the boat is usually rated by Lloyds ( a classification society by whose regulations the ships are built) for fewer passengers than as a lifeboat. (90-120 passengers for tender service vs. 150 persons as a lifeboat).

 

Construction of the tenders is different from the lifeboats: most tenders have 2 engines vs.1 for a lifeboat, it will have radar, an echosounder, and other safety equipment required for a tender.

 

 

In normal tender operations we do not even put that amount of persons in, normally between 60-75.

 

Hope this makes it a little less fuzzy?

Prinsendam I referred to is not the ship it is Captain Card. He is an artist that paints the HAL ships. He is also a retired (I think) Captain.

Thank you everyone for the answers. I think that you have cleared things up for us.

On this pic of Oosterdam, the first two boats are dedicated lifeboats and the last two dedicated tenders. You can see the difference in shape and size. I'm pretty sure most, if not all of us here who have sailed on HAL, have had the opportunity at least once to sail ashore on one of the ship's tenders (not talking about HMC, Belize and other places that use shore-based tenders.)

Where it gets confusing is that the boats used as tenders are also dedicated lifeboats in case of an emergency but the boats dedicated purely as lifeboats (the first two in the pic) are not used as tenders. In other words, when a ship is tendering its pax to shore, it will be accomplished with the type depicted here in the last two boats.

Close-up of a lifeboat (not used for tendering) from Ryndam

Close up of a tender (also used as lifeboat) from Oosterdam

Copper, do you know what there are for windows under those tarps?

Close up of "Henry Hudson", one of Half Moon Cay's "new" dedicated tenders

Close up of Oosterdam's fast rescue boat/RHIB - not used for tendering;)

Copper, do you know what there are for windows under those tarps?

John, the times when I have seen the tarps removed, I have not seen any windows, just what appeared to be open entrances to board and de-board. Oz is the authority here but it appears to me the single screw/single hull lifeboats only have a window on top to provide visibility to the quartermaster or sailor who drives the boat so the tarps are probably re-secured when used in rough seas.

John, the times when I have seen the tarps removed, I have not seen any windows, just what appeared to be open entrances to board and de-board. Oz is the authority here but it appears to me the single screw/single hull lifeboats only have a window on top to provide visibility to the quartermaster or sailor who drives the boat so the tarps are probably re-secured when used in rough seas.

 

Correct, under the tarps there is only a large opening for passengers to enter the boat in. No windows in the lifeboat (other than the one for the driver).

I believe the lifeboats are more like life "capsules". Since they are windowless and the hatches are watertight they can totally submerge in a wave or "turn turtle" and stay afloat. Probably not too pleasant as a passenger though!

Here's a pic of one of the self-inflatable life rafts most of the remaining crew will use to evacuate the ship. This was copied from Capt. Schoonderbeek's blog. The crew members in this pic are using Veendam's aft pool to practice righting an overturned raft. HAL takes safety at sea very seriously! That's why they are always drilling

Plus one of a lifeboat with the tarps removed and the boarding openings visible