Evening star., 1943-03-21
Making Our Merchants Fleet Worlds Safest

some $50 men, he said, all predomi-
nantly seafaring men. They have to
inspect all ships annually and re-inspect
them if damaged by enemy action. Their
men, Capt. Shepheard added, board
vessels before sailing time to drill the
crews in the use of safety equipment
Many OF the improvements in safety
devices. according to Capt. Shepheard,
have come as result of interviews
with survivors of sinkings
The interviews" he said, "have been
extremely helpful and resulted in many
things that have been done. We are
not going through the experience and
when we have a matter brought to us
by a fellow who has spent weeks on
raft we give it weight"
New Raft
Recently Capt. Shepheard, along with
other high Coast Guard officials, in
spected new steel raft at the Coast
Guard dock on the Washington Chan
mel. In this new craft, the captain
said, they have tried to eliminate all
the faults that had been found in other
RATS. Among the most frequent COM
plants, he said, was that seamen were
losing their feet by getting them wet
in freezing climates, that there was no
awning to protect them from spray or
from the sun in the tropics, and that
there was need Of more water and pro-
visions.
'Seamen who have inspected the new
raft are enthusiastic over It," Capt.
Shepheard said. "Unquestionably it
will be used extensively"
The new raft which is really a semi
boat, is is feet long, feet wide and 3
feet deep. The manufacturer has had
it dropped three times from height
of so feet and it can be used regard
less of what side it lands on. 1t is
equipped with mast, rudder, center
board tanks for 200 quarts OF water
and an awning which will completely
cover the occupants.
Physicians have told Capt. Shep-
heard that men could live on it for
81 days without having their health
impaired. Under favorable conditions
with fishing and rain water-it is be-
lieved that men could live for a much
longer time on it. The raft win hold
20 men, although it has held as many
as 27 in tests. The cockpit is SELF
bailing, which gives the raft an ad-
vantage over the ordinary lifeboat.
A New Lifesaving Suit
Capt. Shepheard said work is also in
progress on developing a lightweight
lifesaving suit. Present suits which are
designed to keep man from getting
wet weigh Is to 17la pounds. The one
tested the other day here weighs only
512 pounds, and can be carried in a
knapsack
one OF the innovations of the Coast
Guard is red light, operated on a bat
terry. that Is clipped to life preservers
and can be transferred to a life suit.
The red light was selected, Capt Shep-
heard said, to distinguish men in the
water from the white lights of ring
buoys and RATS. If the men mistook
each other for raft he explained, they
would expend their energies uselesslv in
trying to reach each other.
1Hey nave Deen commenced highly by
those who have used them." he added.
Extra Safety Equipment
Under wartime conditions, merchant
ships have been required to carry good
deal of additional safety equipment.
For instance, lifeboats are required to
carry 10 quarts of water for each occu-
pant, compared with l quart a person
in normal times, and actually carry IA
quarts. They are also required to carry
blankets first-aid kits and an emergency
fishing kit, with equipment recon-
mended by noted fishermen. Rats must
also be provided with fishing kits.
Capt. Shepheard said one seaman he
interviewed told him he caught IS dol
phin with . nsh hook made from .