The maximum number of persons a lifeboat will accommodate is based on the lesser of two weight-based assumptions: 165 pounds for passenger ships or 188 pounds for cargo ships. Which option describes this basis?

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The key idea is that lifeboat capacity is set by weight, not by a simple headcount. To determine how many people the lifeboat can safely carry, you use standard assumed weights for each person and ensure the total doesn’t exceed the boat’s weight limit. There are two common per-person weight assumptions: 165 pounds for passengers on passenger ships and 188 pounds for cargo ships. Using these two figures, the safety rule takes the smaller resulting headcount (the stricter limit) to guarantee the boat won’t be overloaded in real-world conditions. The option that matches these exact weights—165 pounds for passenger ships and 188 pounds for cargo ships—describes this basis.