A familiar defense holds that Titanic's lifeboats only had to shuttle passengers to a rescue ship expected nearby. That plan required evacuees to scramble down and up cargo or scaling nets, or the crew to lower and recover boats repeatedly with the davits. Lower hull hatches still sat above sea level, so they did not remove the need to climb during a transfer. None of these operations would be quick or simple for a mixed passenger population during a night-time emergency. Any failed transfer or delay would consume the short time before the ship became uninhabitable.
Notable Point · 52:15-53:01
Why lifeboats could not simply ferry passengers
The claim that Titanic needed only enough boats to shuttle passengers to a rescue ship breaks down when the transfer and launching mechanics are considered.