Cross channel - without liferaft?

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fjweaver

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Does everyone sailing cross channel carry a life-raft?
I'll be making my 3rd Solent-Cherbourg crossing in the summer and so far have only carried an inflatable
 
I've happily crossed the channel without a liferaft - although I do have one now. The official recommendation would be to have a part-inflated dinghy on deck.
 
In my case many times without one.

What would be really interesting is to see some reliable data on how many times a liferaft has been deployed by a yacht crossing the Channel (or indeed anywhere around the British Isles). Reasons for deployment and outcome (drowning, rescue etc) would also be interesting. Data on how many people drown every year at sea is probably available, and again it would be interesting to get a view on how many deaths might have been avoided if a liferaft had been available and used.

Based on this kind of data one could make an informed decision about the merits of carrying a liferaft.

Risk is in two parts. First the probability of something happening and second the consequences. Would guess the probability of getting into a position of a boat sinking is very small, but the chances of survival using a liferaft may be high (but we don't know owing to lack of data).

In the meantime the adoption of safety equipment is determined by legislation/regulation, personal preference and disposable income!
 
You pays your money.........

SWMBO and I decided to always carry a liferaft if we were sailing outside The Solent.

A few years ago we were involved in a rescue, at night, near the Nab. I believe that the casualty caught something that forced the rudder back and up piercing the hull. They took to the liferaft, with 1.5m of water in the boat. The boat, a Beneteau Figaro l, sank shortly after abandonment. Yachts are not WWll warships, designed to take a bit of punishment.

We were racing at the time, and at the redress hearing later, we were awarded a joint class win and got a rather rare brass plaque for our boat.
 
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Does everyone sailing cross channel carry a life-raft?

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No!


And I suspect that 20 years ago it would have been almost unheard of to cary a liferaft on less than an ocean crossing. How many died x-channel? How many of those would have been saved by a liferaft ? Not many.
 
Nope, nor the Irish Sea which is a bit further and more desolate. I do however carry the dinghy inflated on deck.
 
have crossed the puddle for years without one. but carried a partial inflated dinghy on deck. With the family on board no risks are taken. we have a raft just for peace of mind, but getting the troops inside it safely will be another matter /forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif
 
We have had a rental liferaft on the last boat, now we don't. We sail a Prout cat, not unsinkable but probably would float if holed in 1 hull, if we inverted who knows. BUT, could we get in a liferaft in storm conditions assuming we could deploy it,( only 2 of us and now 60), have we done a survival course, no,
we have an inflatable on the afterdeck, but would need to pump it up, my only real concern is fire, or explosion, what do we do then and how long would we have.
I want to carry an EPIRB for our next cross-channel and further.
Sold an old Tinker with full kit including gas inflation, wasn't sure that option suited us,, didn't like the concept, dinghy/liferaft/sailing dinghy, 1 boat 1 job.
I wonder if ocean survival suits, EPIRB and DSC is a better option.
Or sit under an Oak tree?
 
It all has to be down to personal choice, our boat came with one, so that made things easier. Also our boat is in the slightly warmer waters of the Med. So if we did not already have one I think that I would have been happy with an infatable on deck.

UK water however would be a different situation. Survival times are considerably less in the colder waters. So would probably choose to have a liferaft. Even just on coastal waters

As some one said on one of the other liferaft or life jacket threads, it is more about how far you think that you can swim or how long you can survive and keep afloat in the cold water rather than how far out you go.
I consider myself as a strong swimmer under Ideal/controlled conditions.
Age 10 did 2 miles swim in an indoor pool.
Age 16 around the peir races in Isle of white (equivalent of about a mile when against the tide) I was then very fit young lad swimmer, training daily, but we also had RNLI on duty for the races and I was bloody knackered after the race.
These days, over one hour in the Med, do not even feel a chill
BUT in UK waters I feel the cold starting to sap away my energy after just a few minutes.

Personally I would try and stack up everything available in my favour, and do not forget that not everyone on board has the same swimming abilities or even wants to try them out.

I would prefer to be plucked from a life raft, rather than swim a mile or so.

Another thing to consider is that many people get into difficulties when swimming too soon after a meal, cramp can set in etc, we were all taught this in the personal survival swimming classes (if they are still running)

After lunch I will not swim for at least one hour, however one can not predict the time when you need to abandon ship. it might happen a few minutes after you have just polished of a Fray Bentos ( and most likely an undercooked one at that based on some threads)
 
Not true. I carried a liferaft on cross channel passages over 30 years ago. My recollection is that the majority of British boats I saw in France in those days were carrying them too.

Maybe times have changed because people think that sophsticated modern electronic gadgetry lessens the need.

I would not cross the channel without one.
 
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I do however carry the dinghy inflated on deck.

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Thats much more sensible IMO. Half-inflated ones lying on deck are not going to be much use in an emergency situation anyway. Why not be properly prepared. At least, thats what I do. (Light lashings and a sharp knife).
 
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Does everyone sailing cross channel carry a life-raft?

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Well I don't, for the simple reason that I don't think the risk justifies the expense.
 
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Maybe times have changed because people think that sophsticated modern electronic gadgetry lessens the need.


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Are you seriously suggesting that cheap and widely available modern communications do not lessen the need for a liferaft?

You can argue a liferaft is still necessary, but with modern communications you can't reasonably claim that the benefit is as great as it was 20 years ago.
 
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