TRANSACTIONS OF THE 



Having passed some severe stricttires upon the gross carelessness shown 

 by sliip-owners in not providing suitable boats, in sufficient number, and 

 properly found and provisioned, to meet the exigencies of wreet, leak or 

 fire at sea, Mr. Garbanati proceeded. 



MR. GARBANATI'S PAPER ON LIFE BOATS. 



" I am aware that many vessels carry life boats, but still insist that very 

 few carry enough for the accommodation of all the passengers, because they 

 are not easily stowed ; and fewer vessels still have their boats prepared and 

 provisioned in advance. I cannot call to mind a single instance of such 

 forethought. When an accident occurs, all is hurry and confusion, and 

 then no boat can be equipped and provisioned in a proper manner. Nor 

 will life boats be so prepared effectually until they be turned to useful pur- 

 poses in the economy of the vessel. 



"A plan for so doing suggests itself, which I wish to submit to the con- 

 sideration of the Polytechnic club; and which, though possibly not availa- 

 ble for sailing vessels, is, nevertheless, suited to steamers — and these are 

 now becoming the ocean carriers of human freight. Almost all vessels 

 have a dock cabin, known by various names according to its construction 

 and uses, and all vessels can readily be supplied with such, if not already 

 provided. This cabin can be so constructed as to serve as a boat or raft. 

 It can, with ease, be fastened to the vessel tvhen used as a cabin, and yet 

 so fastened that it can be detached in a few minutes, and converted into a 

 boat. Such a cabin may be made in two parts — the lower part forming a 

 boat five feet in depth from keel to gunwale ; the upper one, a raft about 

 three feet deep ; the two, when placed together, forming a cabin about seven 

 feet deep. They could be so put together as to be air and water tight, by 

 making the under lip of the joint half round, and the upper lip, a semi- 

 circular groove, the parts being held together by chain plates, like those of 

 the rigging. The door offers the greatest difficulty in adapting the cabin 

 to the uses of a boat ; yet it too could be secured by bolts and bands; and 

 when used as a boat, the door could be rendered water-tight, by tongue 

 pieces of iron, fitted into grooves in both the door and door-frame, these 

 being packed properly with India-rubber, and being capable of instant 

 adjustment, by means of a rack and pinion; the tongue pieces would, of 

 course, be drawn in when the door formed part of the cabin, but would be 

 projected into the grooves to convert the cabin into a boat. Of course such 

 a door would militate somewhat against the boat being what is known as a 

 "life-boat;" yet, as the door would be narrow, it would not do so to any 

 serious extent; disguising the boat-like appearance of the cabin, would be 

 a board, fitting from the curve of the boat to the deck of the vessel, and 

 forming a step into the cabin. This board could easily be removed when 

 the boat was to be launched. 



" When used as a cabin, masts and spars could be stowed away under the 

 curve of the boat, behind the screw of the curve and the keel. The space 

 where the bow of the boat was squared off into a cabin-like appearance, 

 would answer for sails, which, with the masts and spars, could quickly be 



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