How many boats must a ship designate as the abandon ship boat for marshaling life and recovering survivors?

A ship must designate at least one boat as the abandon ship boat responsible for marshaling life and recovering survivors in an emergency situation. This means that there is a single designated vessel specifically equipped and trained to assist in the evacuation and to facilitate the recovery of personnel while ensuring order and safety during such a critical scenario.

In practice, while many ships may have multiple boats to assist in different capacities, the requirement is established for efficiency and clarity in emergency operations. Having a single designated abandon ship boat helps simplify and streamline the recovery operation, allowing the crew to focus their efforts on this one boat for coordination and assistance purposes when managing survivors.

Other options suggest the necessity of more than one designated boat, which can complicate command and control during an emergency, or none at all, which would not meet safety standards set for maritime operations. Thus, designating one boat fulfills safety protocols and efficient rescue operations.