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.

Abstract: An unmanned lifeboat 1 has a hull 2 with a transom opening 3, a fo'c'sle 4 closed by a rounded top deck 5, providing accommodation 6 for survivors. The aft deck as such is generally U-shaped with a cut-out 16 open at the transom 17, which is vestigial with two small port and starboard parts. Within the cut-out is a boarding assistance ramp 18. This is level with the aft deck at its forward end and slopes down to the transom. It extends aft of this by a few of feet—say about 1 m—to enable survivors to swim and crawl onto it. For guidance to reach the vicinity of the survivors, the lifeboat is equipped with a communication apparatus including a receiver 32 for receiving survivor location data. In addition, the navigation apparatus with which the lifeboat is equipped includes a GPS system 33 of its own, a compass 34.