Patent ID: 8316991

Claim:
An evacuation system for a vessel comprising a foldable evacuation means for movement between a parked folded up position on the vessel to be evacuated and a stretched out use position beside the vessel; a stabilizing weight in a bottom section of said evacuation means to maintain said evacuation means extended in said use position; a winch having a drum and a plurality of wires connected between and to said drum and said stabilizing weight for lowering and lifting said stabilising weight and said evacuation means; a counterweight; and a further wire connected between and to said drum and said counterweight and being of a length shorter than each wire of said plurality of wires; said winch being operable to selectively engage said drum for rotation thereof to lower said stabilizing weight and said evacuation means while simultaneously unwinding said plurality of wires from said drum and simultaneously unwinding said further wire from said drum and re-winding said further wire on said drum with continued unwinding of said plurality of wires from said drum and to thereafter disengage from said drum to permit rotation of said drum by said counterweight against the weight of said stabilizing weight and said evacuation means to maintain said plurality of wires tight.