Lifeboat capacity and obsolete rules

Alexander Carlisle's proposed davit arrangement could have supported far more boats than Titanic carried, enough in this account to cover everyone aboard. The final arrangement followed Board of Trade requirements written for an earlier generation of ships and was defended as an economic decision. Carlisle objected to that minimum and had considered how a larger complement could fit without simply surrendering the boat deck. Boat numbers mattered for total capacity and for getting people clear of the water during a short evacuation window.