Do you have a hydrostatic release on your liferaft?

[Malo37]

Clearly loss of hull integrity and loss of stability can happen in a matter of seconds. Is your liferaft lashed down so securely that it would be of no use in these circumstances (like mine has been for years) or is a hydrostatic release a good common sense investment.

 

[maby]

Ours is in a dedicated, closed locker in the cockpit, so a release would serve no purpose. We are short of good deck locations for it, so it stays in the locker - in practice we are fair weather, inshore sailors, so we probably don't really need one at all.

 

[npf1]

Clearly loss of hull integrity and loss of stability can happen in a matter of seconds. Is your liferaft lashed down so securely that it would be of no use in these circumstances (like mine has been for years) or is a hydrostatic release a good common sense investment.

In case you weren't aware, a hydrostatic release is unlikely to help in the event of a capsize as, IIRC, they only activate when submersed to 4 metres or more.

 

[blackdogsailing]

Interesting subject with recent events. Our raft sits on the coachroof with a hydrostatic release. We are going across the pond next year and until recently were going to switch the 8 man cannister to a 6 man valise stowed in a cockpit locker. Now not so sure.
On a side note, if fitting a hydrostatic release do ensure it is fitted correctly ! Each year a number of yachts doing the ARC are found to have installed it incorrectly. Either upside down or the wrong part is connected to the deck. I have also seen padlocks fitted to transom mounted rafts. OK in harbour to prevent theft but not out sailing !
Chris

 

[Deleted member 36384]

In case you weren't aware, a hydrostatic release is unlikely to help in the event of a capsize as, IIRC, they only activate when submersed to 4 metres or more.

I have always fitted Hammer's H20 which releases at a depth of 1.5 to 4.0 meters. I honestly think that if my boat was upside down the surge pressures would cause the H20 to release. It's at least at least 3m from the coach roof to the likely point that my inverted hull would float. The pictures showed most of the CR hull underwater and again the surge pressures are likely to have released it.

Approvals
The Hammar H20 hydrostatic release units are approved all over the world, fulfil the requirements of the SOLAS 74/96 Convention, Reg. III/4 LSA Code, MO Res. MSC. 48/(66), IMO Res. MSC. 81(70), approved to EU Directive 96/98 EC on Marine Equipment and has a Nato stock number. Release depth 1,5 – 4,0 metres according to IMO/SOLAS regulations. The required certificates can be downloaded under Approvals.

 

[maby]

Interesting subject with recent events. Our raft sits on the coachroof with a hydrostatic release. We are going across the pond next year and until recently were going to switch the 8 man cannister to a 6 man valise stowed in a cockpit locker. Now not so sure.
On a side note, if fitting a hydrostatic release do ensure it is fitted correctly ! Each year a number of yachts doing the ARC are found to have installed it incorrectly. Either upside down or the wrong part is connected to the deck. I have also seen padlocks fitted to transom mounted rafts. OK in harbour to prevent theft but not out sailing !
Chris

Do you need to "switch" from the 8 man canister to the 6 man valise? I think I would be tempted to carry them both - since they will not be competing for the same stowage, there is nothing to stop you carrying both.

 

[Tranona]

There is not much evidence of the effectiveness or otherwise of hydrostatic releases on yachts, simply because there are so few cases of them ever being used, or even enough cases of liferafts being used at all, to draw any real conclusions. The issue was discussed extensively in the Hooligan and Ouzo reports, the former because a raft was deployed from its locker with difficulty and the second because of speculation that because the crew survived the swamping (or whatever it was) an automatically released raft might have provided a means of survival. It is, however, a big "if" as it would still require the crew to find and board the raft. Other reports have often highlighted how difficult this is, even in benign conditions.

There is more evidence that releases have a value on fishing boats because a high proportion of accidents are sudden capsizes and there are certainly examples where lives would have been lost without it - only last year off the Needles as an example.

So, the advice from many is that it is a viable alternative to locker stowage, but it does leave the raft exposed and potentially vulnerable to being washed away in extreme weather. In the end it is an individual decision where there is no right or wrong until the unknown disaster occurs!

 

[nigelmercier]

Ours is in a dedicated, closed locker in the cockpit...

Ditto, although there is some other clutter in there, as this is my dedicated "dry" locker.

 

[prv]

Ours is in the cabin. I don't particularly like this, but there is no good deck location for it. On the plus side, it won't get lost, damaged, or prematurely activated by storm conditions, and it is still quite quick to access. There's a red handle under the chart table which, when pulled, opens the stowage straps and drops the raft onto the cabin sole. It's only a four-man valise, and our companionway is quite low, so it's then an easy one-handed move to pick it up and dump it in the cockpit. The grab bag is stowed behind the companionway steps, again released by a single buckle and pulled out either between the steps or round the side of the ladder. It has a length of line with a carbine hook in an external pocket, a bit like the painter of a raft, so that it can immediately be tied or clipped to someone or something and not lost during a hasty evacuation.

The previous owner had a cannister raft mounted on the outside of the pushpit. Trouble is, the weight was slowly ripping the railing out of the deck (it still leaks into my bunk). The space is not available now anyway, as we have a Jon Buoy mounted there for man-overboard purposes, and to my mind that's a much bigger risk.

Pete

 

[maby]

Ours is in a dedicated cockpit locker - trouble is that it is lockable and I don't always remember to unlock it!

 

[GrahamM376]

If you are converting to hydrostatic release, have a look at Thanner which have a 4 year service life. http://www.norwestmarine.co.uk/shop/Hydrostatic_Release_Units.html

 

[Daedelus]

Thanks for the tip about Thanner, there's not much in it price wise as I have been unable to get the 4 man Hammar release and have always had to put up with the 6 man release. I have been assured that it is OK by Viking but the Thanner says for 4 man rafts upwards.

Interesting

 

[Ruffles]

Like all old Moodys we have a 'float free' position for a liferaft. The boat came (chartered) with a hydrostatic release which I eventually replace with a new one.

But with coastal sailing you're quite likely to sink in shallow water so I'm not convinced it's money well spent. So I retain it but don't replace it on the replacement dates. BTW when you buy them there's no sell-by date. You're supposed to mark the expiry date when you fit them. And as ours is always stored below when the boat is not in use I don't see why it shouldn't work.

You might consider with the secure dedicated storage on older boats such as Moodys or Sigmas do you really need to secure the liferaft? Or you could unstrap it when there's a perceived risk of collision such as a channel crossing at night.

 

[Twister_Ken]

At sea my raft (pushpit mounted) is secured in a cradle hinged at the bottom, and secured by a long pin at the top. The pin is kept in place with a barely-opened split pin on a piece of whipping twine. Pull the split-pin, pull the long pin, and the back of the cradle will fall down, dumping the raft in the sea. Painter/firing line is secured on the bit of cradle which will remain on the boat. Should work in most circumstances and take less than 10 secs to deploy. Not quite sure what would happen, though, if the boat were inverted as the hinge would be at the top, and the release pin six feet or so underwater.

 

[john_morris_uk]

To answer the OP: yes we have the liferaft in a cradle on deck with a hydrostatic release.

We have a HAMAR one and you've reminded me that it needs replacing.

 

[Malo37]

Ours is in the cabin. I don't particularly like this, but there is no good deck location for it. On the plus side, it won't get lost, damaged, or prematurely activated by storm conditions, and it is still quite quick to access. There's a red handle under the chart table which, when pulled, opens the stowage straps and drops the raft onto the cabin sole. It's only a four-man valise, and our companionway is quite low, so it's then an easy one-handed move to pick it up and dump it in the cockpit. The grab bag is stowed behind the companionway steps, again released by a single buckle and pulled out either between the steps or round the side of the ladder. It has a length of line with a carbine hook in an external pocket, a bit like the painter of a raft, so that it can immediately be tied or clipped to someone or something and not lost during a hasty evacuation.

The previous owner had a cannister raft mounted on the outside of the pushpit. Trouble is, the weight was slowly ripping the railing out of the deck (it still leaks into my bunk). The space is not available now anyway, as we have a Jon Buoy mounted there for man-overboard purposes, and to my mind that's a much bigger risk.

Pete

Would you consider launching your life raft in a man overboard situation? If not why not?

 

[Yacht Yogi]

The current ISAF Offshore Regulations require that "Each liferaft shall be capable of being got to the lifelines or launched within 15 seconds". Whilst not mandatory for cruising yachts, it is prudent guidance that was introduced as a considered response to experience. It implies that the raft needs to be on deck not down below and that you must be able to get to it and release it amidst general pandemonium.
I thought I had mine sorted by strapping it down with a manual quick release just ahead of the open transom (on a J-109) the idea being to release the pelican clip holding the straps and shove it straight off the back of the transom. However it turns out that the crew didn't actually know how to launch it and complained that it took too long to undo the ropes when they attempted to remove the raft at the end of a recent trip. I had thought it was obvious how to undo the clip. And why wait until the end of the voyage to ask how to launch it. So a briefing and some labeling is obviously required too.

 

[pagoda]

The current ISAF Offshore Regulations require that "Each liferaft shall be capable of being got to the lifelines or launched within 15 seconds". Whilst not mandatory for cruising yachts, it is prudent guidance that was introduced as a considered response to experience. It implies that the raft needs to be on deck not down below and that you must be able to get to it and release it amidst general pandemonium.
I thought I had mine sorted by strapping it down with a manual quick release just ahead of the open transom (on a J-109) the idea being to release the pelican clip holding the straps and shove it straight off the back of the transom. However it turns out that the crew didn't actually know how to launch it and complained that it took too long to undo the ropes when they attempted to remove the raft at the end of a recent trip. I had thought it was obvious how to undo the clip. And why wait until the end of the voyage to ask how to launch it. So a briefing and some labeling is obviously required too.

Our 6 person canister raft lives below the aft end seat, more or less below the tiller. We would only need to toss away the seat, undo two bungy cords and the aft end safety wires (2 pelican hooks) and we're in business. No padlocks or rope to undo. I always go through how it should be done with new crew.
Though hydrostatic release mechanisms are all very well, the prospect of a foul launch - in among standing rigging for example, would discourage me from using that launch method. It always worries me seeing liferafts with padlocks...

 

[Deleted member 36384]

.... Though hydrostatic release mechanisms are all very well, the prospect of a foul launch - in among standing rigging for example, would discourage me from using that launch method. ...

You, the human, do not use 'that launch method'! Its not the primary launch method, that is still a manual launch over/under the rail. It's for the case where the liferaft can't be launched manually and the vessel sinks that the hydrostatic is designed for e.g. collision. If this happens then the hydrostatic release shears the lashing allowing the canister to float free, long painter should deploy from the raft, which is still attached to the boat, which at around 10 meters pulls taught, trips the inflation gas trigger and allows the liferaft to inflate. The weak link will then part at the yacht disconnecting the partial/fully inflated liferaft. Yes, it may get caught up in the rigging, but also it may not.

Personally I cant see what the issue is with hydrostatic releases, they are low cost items, less than a couple of rounds of beer. In the event of a sudden sinking it at least gives the liferaft a chance of floating free, unlike one that is down below, or under a helmsman's seat.

 

[Jamesuk]

No, It's a Hallberg Rassy. We have the life raft for rules mounted on the deck.

The Rassy is the liferaft )