Davits for boat A

[Alex McLean]

Hi guys,
I apologise if this topic has been brought up before, but if someone could clear it up for me it would be appreciated. When Collapsible boat A landed on the boat deck on the starboard side, the davits were cranked back to lower to lifeobat over the side of the ship instead of following Sixth Officer Moody's advice to float it from the boat deck as Titanic went under. I would like to know which set of davits were cranked back. Many people say that the forward most davits were connected to the frail collapsible, but if you look at photos, you will see that the boat would have been loaded into the davits that held boat 3 easier as it was closer and more centered to this set. Also the davits that held boat C and 1 had that stairwell behind it that goes down to A deck, further complicating things. In James Cameron's blockbuster, davit set 3 was cranked back dispite the fact that the Historian for the movie Don Lynch wrote in Illustrated History that the forward set was back to accept the boat.
Just my thoughts,

 

[Michael H. Standart]

Don Lynch was right. You might want to check out this link;

Titanic Collapsible Lifeboat A | Encyclopedia Titanica

Titanic survivors in collapsible A

www.encyclopedia-titanica.org

Collapsible A was hooked up to the falls for boat 1, however, befor loading could be completed, the Titanic took a plunge and the boat ended up being floated off.

Located as it was on the deckhouse, hooking up the boat to the davit's for lifeboat 3 would have required the crew to literally drag it back by hand for a distance that would be at least the length of the boat itself once they got it down off the roof to the deck itself. Rather pointless and physically impossible as well. This thing wasn't exactly light as a feather.

Cordially,
Michael H. Standart

 

[Alex McLean]

Yes, and I choose to beleive that, but it would seem a little silly at that stage. Let me run through a few things (not matter how false or irrelevant)
1. The boats atop the officer's quarters were more level wioth the davits for boats 4 and 3. I am guessing that the small railings along the roof near these would stop them from falling closer to the forward most davits.
2. To get to the davits in question, one would have to push the boat down the boat deck a fair distance to reach a suitable place for the boat to be attached. This would include rolling the boat over many of the blocks that held boat 3 and collapsible C upright on the deck.
3. There is a smallish staircase down to A deck fro the boat deck, and there is very little room for a between this and collapsible C. also, the davits would be in the way, meaning that as they were trying to get the boat into place here, they would have to be continuously moving the boat in different directions to get it here.
4. With the ship this close to foundering, I doubt anyone would be trying to load this boat from the forward most davits even if it got there. If we remember, Collapsible C (or D, cant't remember right now) was lowered just as water crashed onto the promenade deck. Seperated by 10 minutes, water should be very close to the top of the bridge wing. I doubt the slope of the deck would be enough to push a reletivly heavy boat down the deck at this stage.
5. I am pretty sure people would have other things on their mind right now anyway.

Once again, just some nagging thoughts.

 

[Michael H. Standart]

Actually, just to clear things up, Collapsibles C and D wer stowed on the boat deck itself and after the emergency cutters were launched, they were hooked up to the falls, loaded and launched successfully. The problems were with collapsibles A and B, both of which were "launched" by being washed off the decks as the ship plunged.

Collapsible A was the one that was actually hooked up, and it was two men, Saloon Steward Edward Brown and another man who climbed in and cut the falls just in time to prevent the boat from being dragged to the bottom. Collapsible B was the one that floated off upside down.

Cordially,
Michael H. Standart

 

[Dave Gittins]

Alex, much of the stuffup with collapsibles A and B was caused by the disorganisation so typical of Titanic. They were supposed to be hoisted off the top of the deck house by tackles attached to the funnel guys. If Lightoller and the rest had been thinking ahead, they would have ordered somebody to rig the gear in time to use it. Not much was to be expected from seamen who didn't even have knives to cut lashings. (See Gracie and others)

 

[Alex McLean]

Ok then guys, thanks, but this still doesn't clear this up. I beleive that boat A was attached to the forward most davits on the starboard boat deck, but these were just some annoying little things in my head that were continuously ontradicting everything else. Most were about the way the boat got here in the first place. I knew that A was hooked to the davits, that boats C and D were lowered at about 1:55-2:05 am, April 15, and that boat B went off overturned (sorry Michael, I might be young, but I know enough about the ship's final minutes - save for this topic, to know what I'm talking about - no offence). Thanks for the info on the guy wire, where abouts was this mechanism placed (was it the green thing on the boat deck that the crying child was behind in James Cameron's movie? I always had a suspision that this was used in some connection to the lifeboats. I heard it was what raised them after the test involving Lowe and Moody).
Thanks for the help fellas, just a little annoying ^_^

 

[Dave Gittins]

Alex, I don't know what the green thing was. There were several electric winches that could raise boats, but I've no idea where they were. The tackle was simply ropes and blocks meant to be attached to a ring on the funnel guy. Once rigged, it depended on Norwegian steam and Armstrong's patent winch. In other words, seamen hauling on ropes.

 

[Lester Mitcham]

Dave,

You mention the Electric Winches, but say you do not know where they were. Deck plans show 4, Two just forward to the 1st Class Entrance, outside staterooms Z and W; and thus opposite to boats 6 and 5; with the other two immediately alongside the dome over the after-1st Class Stairway; close to the after-walls of the Tank Rooms [P&S]; and thus opposite; but a long way back from boats 9 and 10.

I hope that helps,
Lester

 

[Lester Mitcham]

Alex,

My understanding is that boats A and B were stored alongside the forward funnel. Looking at deck plans this would locate them closer to boats 1 & 2 than to boats 3 & 4.

You mention the Crew Stairways leading down to A-deck. Deck plans indicate that they were forward of boats 1 & 2; and forward and inboard of where boats C & D were stowed. As such they should not have been a problem in getting boats A & B to the forward davits.

I hope that helps,
Lester

 

[Haowei Shi]

I'm going post what I think about how the company wanted the boat to launch.First, somebody have to push the boat down the officer's roof."BOOOM!"Tug it to the boat 1/boat C davit"sssss!"and hook it on the davit.And then lower it.(silly sound effects added)
Haowei
FULL SPEED AHEAD

 

[Ioannis Georgiou]

>>I'm going post what I think about how the company wanted the boat to launch.First, somebody have to push the boat down the officer's roof."<<

No this was not planned!
On funnel No. 1 they were so called shroud links for attaching the falls for these collapsible boats to lower them down from the officer quarter to the boat deck.
This was not done as the falls for these boats were not there, they were stored in the forecastle which was under water during that time. That was the reason why they were pushed down to the boat deck and then attached (as planned) on the forward set of davits.

 

[Haowei Shi]

Humm?

 

[Ioannis Georgiou]

Haowei, you can see the shroud links in this image (in the red circle). Two on the port side and two on the starboard side, were the falls for collapsible boats A & B were attached to lower them to the boat deck.
Not sure if I have a better image of them.