ISO 17339:2018

INTERNATIONAL ISO
STANDARD 17339
Second edition
2018-07
Ships and marine technology — Life
saving and fire protection — Sea
anchors for survival craft and rescue
boats
Navires et technologie maritime — Ancres flottantes pour
embarcations de sauvetage et canots de secours
Reference number
©
ISO 2018
© ISO 2018
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Published in Switzerland
ii © ISO 2018 – All rights reserved

Contents Page
Foreword .iv
Introduction .v
1 Scope . 1
2 Normative references . 1
3 Terms and definitions . 1
4 Design and performance criteria . 1
4.1 General . 1
4.2 Drag force . 2
4.3 Towing line . 2
4.4 Shroud line . 2
4.5 Attachments . 2
4.6 Stabilization . 2
4.7 Deployment . 2
4.8 Design . 2
5 Prototype testing . 3
5.1 Material test . 3
5.1.1 Strength test for fabric . 3
5.1.2 Strength test for structural webbing . 4
5.1.3 Corrosion test for metal attachments . 5
5.2 Temperature cycling test . 5
5.3 Deployment test . 5
5.4 Towing test . 6
5.5 Strength test . 6
Bibliography . 7
Foreword
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electrotechnical standardization.
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different types of ISO documents should be noted. This document was drafted in accordance with the
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This document was prepared by Technical Committee ISO/TC 8, Ships and marine technology,
Subcommittee SC 1, Maritime safety.
This second edition cancels and replaces the first edition (ISO 17339:2002), which has been technically
revised.
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iv © ISO 2018 – All rights reserved

Introduction
A sea anchor is a vital component to a drifting waterborne craft in keeping the preferred angle to wind
direction, enhancing stability and reducing drift speed. The International Life-Saving Appliance Code
prescribes the carriage and use of sea anchors for survival craft and rescue boats, yet the revised
recommendation on testing of lifesaving appliances does not provide requirements of performance
and testing procedure for the sea anchors. This document addresses those areas in which the IMO
recommendation is silent, in order to facilitate consistent implementation by maritime Administrations.
This document addresses the performance and testing of sea anchors for survival craft and rescue boats
and it is intended for use as a companion to the IMO Revised recommendation on testing of life-saving
appliances and also to encompass all other relevant life-saving appliances covered by this document
and not necessarily regulated by IMO instruments.
INTERNATIONAL STANDARD ISO 17339:2018(E)
Ships and marine technology — Life saving and fire
protection — Sea anchors for survival craft and rescue boats
1 Scope
This document specifies requirements for the design, performance and prototype testing of sea
anchors fitted to survival craft (lifeboats and liferafts) and rescue boats in accordance with the IMO
International Life-Saving Appliance Code.
2 Normative references
The following documents are referred to in the text in such a way that some or all of their content
constitutes requirements of this document. For dated references, only the edition cited applies. For
undated references, the latest edition of the referenced document (including any amendments) applies.
ISO 9227:2012, Corrosion tests in artificial atmospheres — Salt spray tests
ISO 4892-2:2013, Plastics — Methods of exposure to laboratory light sources — Part 2: Xenon-arc lamps
ASTM D 471-06, Standard Test Method for Rubber Property-Effect of Liquids
EN 590, Automotive fuels - Diesel - Requirements and test methods
3 Terms and definitions
For the purposes of this document, the following terms and definitions apply.
ISO and IEC maintain terminological databases for use in standardization at the following addresses:
— IEC Electropedia: available at http: //www .electropedia .org/
— ISO Online browsing platform: available at https: //www .iso .org/obp
3.1
sea anchor
device to stabilize the motion and to reduce wind-driven drift of a waterborne craft such as a survival
craft or rescue boat
4 Design and performance criteria
4.1 General
A sea anchor shall
1) be constructed with proper workmanship and materials;
2) not be damaged in stowage throughout the air temperature range −30 °C to +65 °C;
3) be capable of operating throughout the seawater temperature range −1 °C to +30 °C;
4) be rot-proof, corrosion-resistant, and not be unduly affected by seawater, oil or fungal attack;
5) be resistant to sunlight deterioration;
6) be capable of satisfactory operation in a seaway.
4.2 Drag force
A sea anchor shall develop the minimum drag forces specified in Table 1, when tested in accordance
with 5.2.
4.3 Towing line
The towing line used to secure the sea anchor to a survival craft or rescue boat shall be inherently rot-
proof. It shall be at least 30 m long, not less than 8 mm in diameter and have a breaking load including
attachments and knots of not less than:
— 7,5 kN for liferafts of capacity up to 10 persons;
— 10,0 kN for liferafts of capacity 11 persons to 25 persons;
— 10,0 kN for all other survival crafts and rescue boats, or a force corresponding to a safety factor of
3 based on a towing strain test at 3 knot, whichever is the greater.
4.4 Shroud line
A sea anchor shall have means to prevent twisting of the line and shall be of a type which is unlikely to
turn inside out between its shroud lines.
4.5 Attachments
Attachments shall be corrosion-resistant. In case a sea anchor mouth having a ring, the ring shall retain
its ring form when deployed regardless of the packed shape.
4.6 Stabilization
A sea anchor shall be stable when towed through the water at speeds up to 3 knot.
4.7 Deployment
A sea anchor shall unfold with mouth open immediately on deployment into water from its packed
condition and shall remain unfolded.
4.8 Design
Any designs that meet all of the performance requirements of this document may be accepted.
2 © ISO 2018 – All rights reserved

Table 1 — Minimum required drag force by craft type and size
Minimum required drag force at indicated speed
Craft
kilo-newton (kN)
2 knot 3 knot
Liferafts of capacity up to 10 persons 0,20 0,35
Liferafts of capacity 11 persons up to 25 persons 0,31 0,55
Liferafts of capacity 26 persons up to 75 persons
Lifeboats and rescue boats 0,45 0,79
up to 6 m in length
Liferafts of capacity
76 persons up to 150 persons
0,61 1,07
Lifeboats and rescue boats over 6 m and up to 9 m in
length
Lifeboats over 9 m in length 0,80 1,40
5 Prototype testing
5.1 Material test
5.1.1 Strength test for fabric
5.1.1.1 Sample conditioning
5.1.1.1.1 General
Prior to the test, fabrics shall be conditioned.
5.1.1.1.2 Standard conditioning
Samples shall be conditioned at a temperature of 20 °C ± 2 °C and a relative humidity of (65 ± 4) % for
not less than 24 h.
5.1.1.1.3 Accelerated weathering
Samples shall be exposed in a xenon weathering machine in accordance with ISO 4892-2:2013, as
further defined by the following specifications.
— Exposure: 500 kJ/(m × nm) at 340 nm of UV radiation.
— Sample mounting: mount samples with the face side (the side normally exposed to sunlight in
service) toward the light so that the centre of each sample is in the same plane as the perpendicular
to the centreline of the light source.
— Irradiance: 0,55 W/m at 340 nm.
— Filters: daylight filters.
— Black panel temperature: (63 ± 2) °C.
— Dry bulb temperature: (42 ± 2) °C.
— Relative humidity: 50 % (during light-only cycle).
— Water temperature: (20 ± 5) °C.
...