why are the lifeboats hosed off

[luckyinpa]

was on NCL last week and we were out on the balcony in the middle of the night. couldnt figure out where the weird noise was coming from then looked down and saw someone hosing off lifeboats

 

doesnt rain do the same thing?

[Karysa]

We wash our cars even though they are left out in the rain.:) I think they hose them off because cruisers would complain if they were dirty.;)

[mikedw]

Salt is the enemy of steel ships. Just about every time a cruise ship is in port, they'll have people over the side hosing the ship off with fresh water.

[navybankerteacher]

The lifeboat hulls are fiberglass and generally pretty rust-resistant, but salt spray can create an obvious crust, and for cosmetic reasons, if nothing else, they want to maintain a clean appearance.

[SPacificbound]

It's housekeeping.

[florisdekort]

Because if they don't people complain on Cruise Critic the ship looks dirty, old and tired.

 

 

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[luddite]

For the same reason that ice cream doesn't have bones.

[GUT2407]

For the same reason people who own a boat hose it off.

 

Salt corrodes the metal parts

 

Forms a crust on other parts that

 

Slow them down and

cause them to use more fuel and

Looks ugly

[GUT2407]

This might assist you to understand

 

http://www.docksidereports.com/washing_down.htm

[cb at sea]

The entire ship, lifeboats and all, are routinely "hosed" off. Don't sleep on your balcony, or you might be hosed off, too!

[MicCanberra]

Strange they were doing it at night though.:confused:

[MicCanberra]

Don't sleep on your balcony, or you might be hosed off, too!

Some people do sleep out on the balcony and they drag the mattress out with them. I wouldn't want that bed on the next cruise.

[chesterbear]

Some people do sleep out on the balcony and they drag the mattress out with them. I wouldn't want that bed on the next cruise.

 

 

Yes we don't need another person saying that ----insert cruise ship here---- have really gone downhill since the good old days [emoji6]

 

 

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[MicCanberra]

Yes we don't need another person saying that ----insert cruise ship here---- have really gone downhill since the good old days [emoji6]

 

 

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Yeah, in any case, a clean ship is in ship shape.:D

[chesterbear]

A clean ship is a happy ship 🤡

 

 

 

 

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[chengkp75]

In even the cleanest of harbors, the boats will pick up grime at the waterline, and you don't want boats hanging there with "bathtub rings". Salt crystals are abrasive and can ruin the gel coat of the fiberglass. Even the short time the boats are in the water, they pick up very small marine growth that attaches to the hull. When out of the water, this stuff will dry out and die, but it then provides a larger "attachment" spot for further marine growth, until you've got a "beard" around the water line.

 

They wash the boats down at night for the same reason they wash the pool deck down at night; there's no one around. My guess is that they were using a pressure washer for the boats (the same system they use for the balconies at turn around, and the pool deck and promenade nightly, it's piped around the ship), and you don't want bystanders around when using 3000-5000 psi water jets that can flay the skin right off of you.

[Nitemare]

It keeps the ocean snakes away. Their name is a misnomer, although they live NEAR the ocean, they actually hate to get wet, so a regular washing down of the lifeboats warns the ocean snakes not to even think of hiding in a lifeboat.

[spookwife]

was on NCL last week and we were out on the balcony in the middle of the night. couldnt figure out where the weird noise was coming from then looked down and saw someone hosing off lifeboats

 

doesnt rain do the same thing?

 

uhh no. all rain does is get things wet. you have to pressure wash anything to get it clean/remove the salt spray encrusted on the sides.

[spookwife]

Strange they were doing it at night though.:confused:

 

not Strange at all. least impact on the ship's normal operations. would YOU want to be taking a stroll along the decks on a sunny afternoon while the lifeboats are being hosed off?!

[Lionesss]

I guess like anything else it is just routine house keeping.

 

To say the least.

 

I would think you could get algae or mold.

 

Dunno for sure, just saying

[Rala]

not Strange at all. least impact on the ship's normal operations. would YOU want to be taking a stroll along the decks on a sunny afternoon while the lifeboats are being hosed off?!

 

You are so right. We were on a recent Serenade cruise, and they decided to hose down the Promenade deck at 11am. What's up with that? People were out there reading, walking, napping, etc. and everybody had to move. Much better they do it at night and inconvenience the least number of people.:)

[MicCanberra]

Strange they were doing it at night though.:confused:

 

not Strange at all. least impact on the ship's normal operations. would YOU want to be taking a stroll along the decks on a sunny afternoon while the lifeboats are being hosed off?!

 

I meant that it is strange that they would make all the noise in the middle of the night. Normally they clean them in the morning and cordon off a small section of the promenade at a time.

[MicCanberra]

You are so right. We were on a recent Serenade cruise, and they decided to hose down the Promenade deck at 11am. What's up with that? People were out there reading, walking, napping, etc. and everybody had to move. Much better they do it at night and inconvenience the least number of people.:)

 

I don't think waking people up in the middle of the night from the noise isn't too convenient either.

[Karysa]

I don't think waking people up in the middle of the night from the noise isn't too convenient either.

 

I think if people were being woken up by the cleaning of the lifeboats/decks we would have heard it ourselves or read about it on here.

Edited December 25, 2016 by Karysa

[MicCanberra]

I think if people were being woken up by the cleaning of the lifeboats/decks we would have heard it ourselves or read about it on here.

 

Possibly although there are not many CC members compared to all passengers cruising.

The OP posted "in the middle of the night. couldn't figure out where the weird noise was coming from then looked down and saw someone hosing off lifeboats",.

Therefore, I took it as some people may have woken up, I am a light sleeper and wake up when someone comes down the corridor in the middle of the night let alone a weird noise.