Fig
2.4.1.1; Positioning of lifeboats on deck.
Wind direction the day of the disaster is marked with a blue arrow. The
broken away D-leg is marked yellow. Lifeboats were collected for inspection
and photos taken.The color photos are from the comissions official report.
The black and white pictures are from the police report.
Ph 2.4.1.1; Lifeboat 1 (light
green)
Ph 2.4.1.2; Lifeboat 2 (dark green)
Ph 2.4.1.3; Lifeboat 3 (pink)
Ph 2.4.1.4a; Lifeboat 4 (red)
Ph 2.4.1.4b; Lifeboat 4 (red)
Ph 2.4.1.5; Lifeboat 5 (light blue)
Ph 2.4.1.6; Lifeboat 6 (yellow)
Ph 2.4.1.7: Lifeboat 7 (dark blue)
The commission has delt with the lifeboats in their report. According to their report most damages have occured by lifeboats hitting the platform (lifeboats 2,4 and 6 are scarcely commented upon). One survivor testified to the police during examination 2-3weeks after the disaster that he thought it was sabotage and the beginning of world war 3. He expressed bad feelings about the enemy shooting at the lifeboats. He managed to get onboard lifeboat no 1.
The lifeboat producer Harding asked for the damaged lifeboats to be taken to their plant for examination in order to improve future design and construction. Their request where denied. The wrecked lifeboats where summer 1980 dumped on Stavanger garbage area and covered by 7meters of garbage.
From the Commissions report NOU 1981:11, chapter 6, Summary:
quote:
"On board <<Alexander L. Kielland>>there were 7 covered
lifeboats, each with seats for 50 men. 4 of the lifeboats were lowered
without particular problems. On the other hand, problems occurred with
the release of the lifeboat hooks. The hooks which were equipped with simultaneous
release can not be released as long as they are under load and this was
difficult due to the rough sea on the day of theaccident. For this reason
3 of the boats were blown against the platform and crashed. On the fourth
boat the afterpartof the wheelhouse was crashed. Through the opening caused
by the crash a man managed to release the after hook by hand. Before that
someone had succeeded in one way or another to release the forward hook.
A fifth boat came down on the water bottom-up when the platform capsized.
The hooks had been released in some way or another. People in the boat
and people outside it, managed by common efforts to turn it on even keel.
With regard to the two lifeboats which were utilized there were 26 men
on board the first one. A few hours after the accident these people were
taken up by a rescue helicopter. In the other boat there were 14 persons
when it came down to the water. In addition, 19 persons were taken up in
the boat from the sea. Of the persons on board 12 men were later on taken
on board a supply boat while the other 21 persons were rescued by helicopters.
Those who were on board the the lifeboats claimed that they felt heavily
chilly." unquote.
The two lifeboats which were utilized were lifeboat no. 1 and lifeboat no. 5.
