Manning work boats

Boats have been designed and built up to at least 37 x 9 m (120 x 30 ft.) in RP. Plastics have become vital for operating within the sea. In 1965 extensive test were conducted by the U.S. Navy Sealab 11 to assay man s ability to live and work in ocean depths for long periods of time (Fig. 2-56). For forty-five days three groups of ten men each lived fifteen-day periods in a 57 ft. x 12 ft. habitat at a depth of 188 m (205 ft.) one half mile off La Jolla, Calif. Plastic parts as well as other materials were used to provide a highly successful experiment. 

Boats should be manned continuously - and on patrol whilst work is in progress - by experienced boatmen who are qualified first aiders. If possible, there should be two persons to a boat so that one is free to attend to the person in the water. Boatmen should always wear suitable buoyancy aids. 

---