For liferafts, what is the length requirement for the sea painter?

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The length of the sea painter must be long enough to keep the liferaft clear of the vessel during deployment and inflation, giving space for the raft to move and for boarding without snagging on the hull. The rule uses a flexible minimum: not less than 10 meters plus the distance from where the painter is stowed to the light waterline, or 15 meters, whichever is greater. This accounts for different ship sizes and deck heights—the vertical distance from stowage to the waterline can vary, so you add it to the base 10 meters to ensure the line reaches the water far enough from the hull. If that total is less than 15 meters, the 15-meter minimum applies. In practice, this guarantees the raft is released with sufficient clearance, reducing the risk of entanglement or collision with the ship, and provides a practical length for safe deployment and boarding. Shorter, fixed lengths don’t adapt to vessel geometry and can be unsafe on larger ships or insufficient on certain stowages.