The external conflict is Person vs Nature, due to the fact that he was trying to get the life boats to fall into the water and it wasn't budging and he kept hammering and hammering to get it to finally fall in the water it wouldn't be classified as person vs himself. Other he would be depressed or going through an emotional problem or a problem of something he is bickering over in his head. Person vs Person doesn't even apply to this, and Person vs society isn't applicable on a ship.
