Canister or Valise

[AIDY]

I've always had a canister raft but stored it in a sealed locker. Okay it should of been rail or deck mounted but i liked the idea of being able to move the ballast about when racing. should i be buying a can or a bag this time what are the pro's and con's.

 

[bobgoode]

Cannister on the rauil....ease of launching and less likely to be damaged when stored. If you race offshore then the ease of launching is essential. If you race around the cans justy leave it ashore and save the weight.

 

[jerryat]

Many years ago when we first bought a LR, the chandlers we were in, happened to be holding a mini-show of liferafts along with reps from the different manufacturers. To a man they said that, if at all possible, stow the LR below, where it's protected etc etc.

We queried access etc but their argument was that,when it came to servicing LR's, those kept below were almost always in far better condition than those stored on deck.

OK, this was many years ago, and containers will have improved(?) but our Avon 6 man was serviced in Gib. a couple of years ago, and the chap doing reckoned it was near to perfect.

We make sure that we - BOTH of us - are able to whip it up into the cockpit very fast, and good enough for us.

 

[David_Jersey]

I was quite amazed at the weight difference between a Cannister and a Valise - a four 4 man in a bag is really easy to grab and a million percent easier to handle........biggest problem would probably be it being under a pile of stuff at the crucial moment! - but if kept in a dry place for many years maybe more likely to work??

Maybe a Compromise of a Valise stored down below, and placed on deck / in the cockpit when under way?

 

[Glyka]

[ QUOTE ]
but i liked the idea of being able to move the ballast about when racing

[/ QUOTE ]
You know that in most systems that's cheating, don't you?

 

[MoodySabre]

A 6 man canister LR came with my boat but not in a cradle. I couldn't pick it up! So I swapped it for a 4 man valise which fits neatly under the stern seat. Concerned that it was getting grubby/affected by being out permanently I have got esatcoastbernie of this parish to make me a waterproof bag with a velcro top flap (her idea) for the LR to sit in whilst still being very close at hand and out of the way.

On reflection I'd go for a 4 man can on the back rail.

 

[bedouin]

I think if I were sure that it was going to be stored below, or in a locker, I would go for a valise.

I have a cannister stored in the lazarette and there is no doubt that a valise would be much easier to lift out (although perhaps more prone to being wedged in). It is not particularly easy to get a hold on the canister to lift it vertically out of the locker.

 

[jerryat]

[ QUOTE ]
I was quite amazed at the weight difference between a Cannister and a Valise - a four 4 man in a bag is really easy to grab and a million percent easier to handle........biggest problem would probably be it being under a pile of stuff at the crucial moment! - but if kept in a dry place for many years maybe more likely to work??

Maybe a Compromise of a Valise stored down below, and placed on deck / in the cockpit when under way?

[/ QUOTE ]

Hi David,

Yes, a friend of mine used to place his in the cockpit when sailing, but on the X-channel races the thing used to get spray all over it, so in that case it wasn't a sensible thing to do IMHO.

We stow ours in one of the hinge-lidded seat lockers in the saloon. It fits perfectly, is near the companionway, and anyone (including SWMBO) can just lift the lid, grab the strapping handles and lift it out. SWMBO does grunt a bit getting it up into the hatchway, but she can do it ok.

As I explain to her, she will be able to do it far quicker if the boat was sinking!! /forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif /forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif

Out of interest, our LR is spotless, has absolutely no damage, scrapes or scratches on the valise and looks brand new. As I noted in my earlier post, the service agent in Gib. was positively gushing over it's condition (it's 14 years old) and he ALSO confirmed that the valise versions, IF stowed below, would long outlast the canister type.

No idea whether he's right what with modern sealing techniques, but in some ways the decision on our little boat dictates we can't have one on the coachroof as visibility would be seriously impaired.

Hanging it on the stern rail is a no-no, particularly when we're cruising - too much other gear there!!

R's Jerry

 

[saltwater_gypsy]

A canister is like a bar of soap when you come to handle it so it really has to be in "ready to launch" location on the rail or on the deck.

 

[RestlessL]

Given the choice, I would put a canister on the coach roof (My pushpit is already crowded). However, I am on a swinging mooring, and feel the leaving the liferaft out is too much of a temptation, so I have a six man valise at the top of the locker. In hindsight, I should have gone for a smaller 4 man, as the larger raft takes a lot of strength to get it out on deck, which I need to do if I want the rubber dinghy stored under it.

John