Lifeboat Number 2

Lifeboat Number 2. . , The only known remaining lifeboat from Savannah's original outfit of four lifeboats, No. 2 is a 26' long aluminum hull, oar-propelled open boat manufactured in 1959 by the Welin Davit and Boat Company of Perth Amboy, New Jersey. This lifeboat was installed in the forward set of davits on the port side of the ship (the side facing the pier). , , Like any ship built since the Titanic, Savannah was required to carry lifeboats with enough capacity for everyone onboard. As a passenger ship, Savannah was allowed to distribute that lifeboat capacity evenly on each side of the ship. For a total complement of 190 persons, Savannah needed enough lifeboat space for 95 persons on each side of the ship. For this she carried an unusual mix of boats; two 26' and two 28' boats. The “normal” size of lifeboats was usually 24' or 30'. After 1965 Savannah operated as only a cargo ship. Cargo ships then and now are required to carry enough lifeboat seats for 100% of the complement on each side of the ship. That meant that after 1965, with the exact same set of lifeboats and with no structural changes to the ship, Savannah was allowed to carry a maximum of only 95 persons, instead of 190. , , All four lifeboats were onboard when Savannah became a museum ship in South Carolina in 1981. After Hurricane Hugo struck, three of the lifeboats were removed from the ship. The museum used the lifeboats for various purposes, and was permitted to keep them when Savannah was returned to the Maritime Administration in 1994. Lifeboat No. 2 was removed at that time, and also left at the museum. It became a static Merchant Marine Veterans display in the main parking lot. It was rediscovered there in 2008, and eventually a swap for a Victory Ship lifeboat was arranged to allow Lifeboat No. 2 to be returned to Savannah for display. The fate of the other lifeboats is not known.