About this time last year, I rode a full-size ship for the first time when we went on a cruise on Royal Caribbean up the Northeast Atlantic. I wasn’t sure what to expect…the last time I was aboard any ship was the ferry ride from Scotland to Ireland and that was not a pleasant experience in the least. Truth be told, I wound up lying on a bench, moaning out my last will and testament while hoping that breakfast would stay down. (Spoiler alert: it didn’t.) Previous to that, I knew about the Washington State Ferries, which usually are pretty tranquil and pleasant. But riding on Grandeur of the Seas proved to be an awesome experience. Mostly for cruise ship sleep. If nothing else, you will sleep better than you ever have on a cruise ship at sea. I promise you.

Now, in an odd segue, I should also admit that I am a historical buff when it comes to the sinking of the RMS Titanic in 1912. I found the subject of the ship, from keel to the moment the stern disappeared under the waves of the North Atlantic, highly interesting…and it was easy to whip up a report that was detailed and guaranteed high marks in school based on the story alone, at least before James Cameron screwed that up for me with his movie. One of the bigger issues with the Titanic had to do with the lifeboats aboard. Twenty boats of three different designs were utilized on the ship, which if used to their maximum capacity, only had enough space for anywhere between one-third of the ship’s full capacity and on the night of the sinking, just over half of the souls on board. After the sinking, the 1914 International Convention for the Safety of Life at Sea was passed, requiring (among other changes) enough lifeboats for those aboard, plus mandatory lifeboat drills, inspections of the equipment, and more.

What you are going to see here is what’s known as a free-fall lifeboat, which can be found on sea-going oil rigs and bulk container ships. The operation is simple: at notice, everyone piles into the enclosed ship, the hatch is sealed and from the inside, the catch is released and everybody gets a quick trip into the drink before puttering away from the problem. Not a bad plan in practice, right? Right…watch this test and tell me you wouldn’t be the first to start pleading with your stomach over the release of it’s contents.

And here’s what it is supposed to look like, in this 131-foot drop: