Wooden-Step Marine Embarkation Rope Ladder for Survival Craft | ISO 5489:2008 /

Product Specification

Wooden-Step Marine Embarkation Rope Ladder for Survival Craft | ISO 5489:2008 / SOLAS

Product Overview

The wooden-step marine embarkation rope ladder is a flexible shipboard lifesaving appliance used at survival craft embarkation stations. It is lowered in a single length along a vertical portion of the ship’s hull to provide controlled access between the embarkation deck and a waterborne lifeboat or liferaft. This page covers the hardwood-step configuration; an aluminum-step version should be treated as a separate option and confirmed against its own approved design.

ISO 5489:2008 has been withdrawn and replaced by ISO 5489:2024. The 2008 edition remains relevant for existing approved designs, replacement supply, or projects that expressly specify it. For a newbuilding or new installation, the applicable standard edition, flag Administration acceptance, classification or recognized-organization approval, MED status, and certificate validity should be confirmed before order.

Quick Specifications

• Product function: Ship’s survival craft embarkation ladder → intended for access to waterborne lifeboats or liferafts, not for pilot transfer or accommodation access.
• Reference basis: ISO 5489:2008 and SOLAS Chapter III → use of the legacy edition should be confirmed because ISO 5489:2024 is now the current ISO edition.
• Step configuration: Hardwood steps → wood species, grading, preservative treatment, anti-slip profile, and drainage detail should match the approved design.
• Step quantity: 10 to 60 steps, customized → selected according to the required single-length descent and the approved model range.
• Overall length: 3,100 to 18,500 mm, customized → final length should be checked against the vessel’s embarkation deck and lightest seagoing waterline condition.
• Side-rope options: Mildew-resistant Manila rope or synthetic rope → fiber type, construction, diameter, minimum breaking strength, and identification tracer are subject to approved specification.
• Stowage form: Flexible roll-up rope ladder → supports compact onboard stowage, deployment, recovery, drying, and periodic inspection.
• Approval documentation: Type approval, MED, class, or Administration documentation → available only within the selected design’s current certificate and production-inspection scope.

Main Technical Parameters

Selection & Inquiry Guide

Step 1: Confirm the intended application as survival craft embarkation, and state the vessel type, newbuilding or replacement status, and installation side or embarkation station.

Step 2: Confirm the required standard edition, flag Administration, classification society or recognized organization, MED requirement, and the exact certificate or approval route expected.

Step 3: Provide the embarkation deck level, lightest seagoing waterline, applicable trim and list condition, required clear ladder length, preferred step count, and ship arrangement drawing.

Step 4: Confirm hardwood specification, step profile, side-rope material and construction, rope identification requirement, end terminations, securing arrangement, and any replacement-step requirement.

Step 5: Confirm production-test, inspection, marking, serial-number, packing, stowage, preservation, and document-package requirements before quotation.

Step 6: Provide quantity, vessel or project name, delivery destination, required delivery time, and existing ladder photos or approval documents when ordering a replacement.

Structure

Hardwood step set | Side-rope suspension assembly | Step-securing arrangement | Upper and lower rope terminations | Corrosion-resistant fittings | Identification and approval marking

Safety, Construction & Quality Advantages

• The product is described specifically as a survival craft embarkation ladder, helping prevent incorrect substitution with a pilot ladder, accommodation ladder, Jacob’s ladder, or general-purpose rope ladder.
• Hardwood selection should control knots, splits, grain defects, moisture condition, surface finish, and preservative treatment so that each step remains suitable for repeated marine exposure and inspection.
• Step surfaces should provide secure footing and water drainage, while edges and fastening areas should be finished without splinters, burrs, or projections that could injure personnel or damage the ropes.
• Uniform step positioning, controlled rope alignment, and repeatable securing details help the ladder hang vertically, reduce twisting, and support predictable footing during deployment.
• Side-rope material, construction, continuity, end termination, and identification should be verified against the approved design rather than selected only by nominal rope size.
• Corrosion-resistant fastening components and protected termination details reduce deterioration at interfaces where rope, wood, and metal components meet.
• Prototype or type-approval testing and routine production inspection are different scope; the required production tests, witness points, marking, and certificate package should be agreed before manufacture or supply.
• Final ladder length is an installation parameter derived from vessel geometry and operating condition, not merely from a preferred number of steps.

Custom Attributes

• Standard: ISO 5489:2008 → withdrawn legacy edition; ISO 5489:2024 is current and should be checked for new projects.
• Configuration: Wooden steps → this page does not automatically cover the aluminum-step version.
• Step Count: 10–60 steps, customized within approval scope → exact model matrix to be confirmed.
• Overall Length: 3,100–18,500 mm → final length depends on vessel arrangement and approved design.
• Wooden Parts: Hardwood → species, grade, moisture condition, preservative, anti-slip profile, and step dimensions to be confirmed.
• Side Ropes: Mildew-resistant Manila or synthetic rope → fiber, construction, diameter, minimum breaking strength, tracer, and termination to be confirmed.
• Use Boundary: Survival craft embarkation → not for pilot transfer, accommodation access, lifting, cargo handling, towing, or pulling.
• Approval Scope: Project-specific → issuer, validity, model, maximum length, MED module, production test, and marking should be confirmed.

How It Works

Approved securing points are confirmed → Ladder is unrolled and lowered in a single length along the vertical hull → Lower end reaches the required waterline condition → Personnel embark or disembark the waterborne survival craft under shipboard procedure → Ladder is recovered, dried, inspected, and stowed

Applications

Passenger ships | Cargo ships | Container vessels | Bulk carriers | Tankers | Lifeboat embarkation stations | Liferaft embarkation stations | Existing-vessel replacement projects

Certifications & Advantages

Type approval, MED conformity documentation, class or Administration acceptance, production inspection, and maker documentation can be arranged according to project requirement and only within the current certificate scope. The final issuer, certificate validity, approved model, maximum length, marking, witness points, and document package should be confirmed before order.

Certification: CCS, NK, BV, ABS, DNV, LR, KR, IRS, RS, RINA, CRS, Makers Test Certificate.

Drawing & Photos

FAQ

Q1: Is an embarkation ladder the same as a pilot ladder?

A1: No. This ladder is intended for survival craft embarkation under SOLAS Chapter III. Pilot ladders are used for pilot transfer and are governed by different SOLAS Chapter V and ISO requirements. The two products should not be substituted without specific approval.

Q2: How should the required ladder length be selected?

A2: Length should be checked from the embarkation deck to the waterline in the vessel’s lightest seagoing condition, including the applicable unfavorable trim and list condition. The shipyard or vessel designer should provide the arrangement data; step count alone is not a sufficient selection basis.

Q3: What approval information is needed before quotation?

A3: State the required ISO edition, flag Administration, class or recognized organization, MED requirement, certificate type, approved model and length range, production-test scope, marking, and document package. A list of society names does not mean every certificate is automatically available for every design.