(a) Each survival craft must be approved and equipped as follows:

(1) Each lifeboat must be approved under approval series 160.135 and equipped as specified in table 199.175 of this part.

(2) Each inflatable liferaft must be approved under approval series 160.151 and equipped with—

(i) A SOLAS A pack; or

(ii) For a passenger vessel on a short international voyage, a SOLAS B pack.

(3) Each rigid liferaft must be approved under approval series 160.118 and equipped as specified in table 199.175 of this part.

(4) Each marine evacuation system must be approved under approval series 160.175.

(5) Each liferaft must have a capacity of six persons or more.

(b) Each passenger vessel must carry the following:

(1) A combination of lifeboats and liferafts that have an aggregate capacity sufficient to accommodate the total number of persons on board, provided that—

(i) On each side of the vessel, lifeboats with an aggregate capacity sufficient to accommodate at least 37.5 percent of the total number of persons on board are carried; and

(ii) Any liferafts that are provided in combination with the lifeboats are served by launching appliances or marine evacuation systems equally distributed on each side of the vessel.

(2) In addition to the survival craft required in paragraph (b)(1) of this section, additional liferafts must be provided that have an aggregate capacity sufficient to accommodate at least 25 percent of the total number of persons on board. The additional liferafts—

(i) Must be served by at least one launching appliance or marine evacuation system on each side of the vessel. These launching appliances or marine evacuation systems must be those described under paragraph (b)(1)(ii) of this section or be equivalent approved appliances capable of being used on both sides of the vessel; and

(ii) Are not required to be stowed in accordance with §199.130(c)(4).

(c) Each passenger vessel engaged on a short international voyage that also complies with the standards of subdivision requirements for vessels on short international voyages as described in subchapter S of this chapter may, as an alternative to the lifeboat requirements in paragraph (b)(1)(i) of this section, carry lifeboats with an aggregate capacity sufficient to accommodate at least 30 percent of the total number of persons on board. These lifeboats must be equally distributed, as far as practicable, on each side of the vessel.

(d) Each passenger vessel that is less than 500 tons gross tonnage and is certificated to permit less than 200 persons on board is not required to meet the requirements of paragraphs (b) or (c) of this section if it meets the following:

(1) On each side of the vessel—

(i) Liferafts are carried with an aggregate capacity sufficient to accommodate the total number of persons on board and are stowed in a position providing for easy side-to-side transfer at a single open deck level; or

(ii) Liferafts are carried with an aggregate capacity sufficient to accommodate 150 percent of the total number of persons on board. If the rescue boat required under §199.202 is also a lifeboat, its capacity may be included to meet the aggregate capacity requirement.

(2) If the largest survival craft on either side of the vessel is lost or rendered unserviceable, there must be survival craft available for use on each side of the vessel, including those which are stowed in a position providing for side-to-side transfer at a single open deck level, with a capacity sufficient to accommodate the total number of persons on board.