Abstract: A life boat is disclosed having a hull, a propulsion system, and a conning system. The hull has an open or openable bow, a fore deck and a powered recovery ramp installed in or on the fore deck for deployment forwards of the bow for recovery of a casualty ahead of the bow of the life boat. The life boat may be unmanned and able to draw a survivor up on the recovery ramp and into the relative safety of the rescue deck area of the fore deck without human assistance. The life boat 1 may include a cabin area where the survivor can be given more protection from the environment.

Abstract: An apparatus for locating a body includes a plurality of receiving means for receiving emission and/or reflection from the body and for outputting a response in terms of presence and bearing when such emission or reflection is received. It also comprises comparison means for comparing the output response from the different receiving means and generating a body present output if output responses received from at least two of the receiving means indicate substantially the same bearing. The location apparatus also includes memory means for memorising such a body present output as a body location.