dinghy on deck /Liferaft

graham

graham

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when I venture outside the local area I generally have the dinghy part blown up on deck as a makeshift liferaft.

As it takes up valuable space it may as well be on deck but has anyone any experience of using a dinghy as a liferaft?

And of course this also makes it easier to deploy for getting to the pub /forums/images/graemlins/cool.gif
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Just looking ahead fine to stbd bow ....

is that a porpoise ?? or MOB !?

Actually my dinghy is usually folded deflated under boom hard on the kicker ... but sometimes it is half inflated and folded - just in case !!

Some who see my dinghy don't believe it still stays up - especially after all the years it's sat out on deck without cover !!

But of course its an Avon ......
 
Sitting in anything that floats has to better than swimming in the water, but I guess you need a grab bag with flares, and whatever takes your imagination, like a large sheet of bright material to increase visibility. Rubber ducks are not frightfully stable in bad conditions, so some form of sea anchor, would be useful.

Henshaw Inflatables of Wincanton used to make a liferaft version of theTramp and Traveller, but are embargoed by the EU from using the word "liferaft", and have ceased production of the liferaft version. They continue to make the ordinary dinghies, which are brilliant items in their own right.

I happened to be there today on other business, and tried to persuade one of the MDs to return to production of the dinghy / liferaft unit. The principle is accepted, but the legal position prevents development. I wish they could be persuaded otherwise.

Secondhand liferafts come out at approx £350 for a reasonable one. Seems a relatively small sum for a lot of peace of mind.
 
Re: Just looking ahead fine to stbd bow ....

Its a porpoise ahead.The MOB was out of the camera shot astern /forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif

re Sarabande. Your absolutely right that its no real substitute for a liferaft but stowage is the problem. Even a valise raft would be a pain to stow when the boats loaded up.We do have survival suits which would probably take too long to get into in a sinking type emergency and also a watertight flare canister with usuall grab bag stuff in.
 
Re: Just looking ahead fine to stbd bow ....

I cant remember now but your probably right there were lots around last season,
 
Only comment I would make is that you would quickly suffer from exposure in an open rubber duck if the weather was less than "very nice". At least a life raft has a water & windproof cover. Makes a big difference in really HOT climes too I guess. Mind you I never felt the need of a liferaft as I am seldom far off shore and a couple of hours rowing, even against the wind & tide would usually see me safe. And if I was rowing that hard I wouldn't be that cold /forums/images/graemlins/wink.gif
 
Surprised that nobody has cited Maralyn and Maurice Bailey's experiences of surviving 117 (or 118) days in the Pacific, mostly in an old Avon dinghy after the liferaft disintegrated. Synopsis in Maralyn's obituary here.

Very interesting book - very analytical and "matter of fact".

Andy
 
Error ....

Not all L/rafts have covers / canopies ... there are a few small cheaper ones about that are open ... literally an inflated Karly float !! with a "floor" ....
 
Re: Error ....

Not in favour of rubber-duck vs liferaft, but different question altogether re MOB. We dont have one of the fancier facilities for rolling the mob back into the boat, the rubber-duck would be deployed to enable transfer of mob from water and thence to boat (we are lucky enough to have low freeboard). Only downside is that Avon inflatables have black bits which make nasty scuff marks on the deck /forums/images/graemlins/mad.gif
 
any breaking waves (say 30knot sea or more) would fill or tip a dinghy, whereas liferaft has higher free board and weights to give it a better chance.

However, in circumstances like losing power and geting washed up rocks, or fire - in calmer waters...then a dinghy with outboard would be better. Although it would be an idea to take the liferaft as well i spose....
 
liferafts .... weights ??????

I think you'll find they are fitted with water-pockets to act as stabilising agents. There are no weights in a liferaft - other than a few bodies / supplies ....

I can say in fact - a liferaft that is not carrying a reasonable number of people based on its nominated capacity is in fact unstable and with its high freeboard and canopy can be overturned quite easily ... this in fact has occurred in real life situations.
You are advised to sit as low as possible and spread out in a liferaft to increase its stability.

There was a range of rigid Liferafts ... called Igloos that were put on Merchant ships some years ago - they were even worse and in the end were discontinued ...

End comment ... is that if you are contemplating a liferaft for your boat ... then match crew numbers average to size ... IMHO based on above experience - do not go up a size thinking you'll get extra benefit - you may just create a disaster ....

I am sure that other MN people on here can pass comments that support above ...
 
Re: Error ....

I've just remembered "Almost too Late" by Elmo Wortman - also shown on Adventure channel. Family living in remote part of West Canada, Wrecked on returning home from provisioning/ dental trip. Dad, two girls & lad managed to make shore in a solid dinghy. Then built raft for men to get help. The title says it all, they did it. In apalling conditions, but only just. A good read and quite a few lessons in it too. But anything that floats is better than swimming!

Another one is "Last Voyage" by Anne Davison, 1950's dreamers cut loose & sail when not ready to escape creditors. They end up going round in circles on a Carley Float in the Channel. Hubby did not survive . . .

Best of all is Dr Alain Bombard's crossing of the Atlantic (deliberately) on an inflatable without any provisions - just to prove it was possible!

There is another one called "Half-Safe" I think, guy (and his girl) crossed the Alantic W-E in an ex-WW11 amphibious jeep. All very interesting books.
 
Re: Error ....

[ QUOTE ]
Best of all is Dr Alain Bombard's crossing of the Atlantic (deliberately) on an inflatable without any provisions - just to prove it was possible!



[/ QUOTE ]
But, surely, he was taking the piss??
 
Re: liferafts .... weights ??????

Not sure it's much use as a keel.... when I did my survival course, (30 years ago so things might have changed), if the liferaft was inverted, you found the cylinder at one edge, and there would be a rope running across the diameter of the raft. You got hold of the ropw, feet on the tank, pulled, and over she flips... or that's how it's supposed to go.

Happy to stand corrected <g>
 
Re: Error ....

[ QUOTE ]
[ QUOTE ]
Best of all is Dr Alain Bombard's crossing of the Atlantic (deliberately) on an inflatable without any provisions - just to prove it was possible!



[/ QUOTE ]
But, surely, he was taking the piss??

[/ QUOTE ]

That & fish juices. I''m glad to see you've read it!
 
Righting a raft .... exactly ... a foot-step.

It really has no more use than that .... it's an empty cylinder only. Its effective weight is partly countered by bouyancy ... so don't really think that its any use .....
 
Re: Righting a raft .... exactly ... a foot-step.

er yes, just like a keel's weight on a boat is also countered by buoyancy. If it was counterproductive to the function of the liferaft then it would be ditched.
 
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