Emergency supplies

[squidge]

Hi , having had a look at my liferaft this weekend as it is over due a service(first time in my ownership), i will have to replace the water, flares & batteries.But what surprised me was that some items i would have expected to find in there was missing.No sea sick pills,food,measuring cup or bailer (did have a couple of sponges).
What are you idears on what should be in it and what should i keep for the grab bag? The raft is an 8 person zodiac in a square case.
Thanks

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[aod]

To be honest I get mine serviced by John Strickland-Baker from Nationwide marine hire tel 01925 245788.

He's the UK Zodiac agent and knows exactly what he's talking about.

This year I was a little late so I took it to Viking and got hammered for a huge and in my opinion excessive bill that hacked me right off so I won't be going there again.

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[squidge]

Thanks,I thought i would have a look at it before taking it to a servicing agent to see if it was worth doing anything with as it is quite old and the case has been letting water in from a crack in the GRP.Even though the out side of the case was very tatty i am pleased with the condition of the raft.
I am not sure on what it should have as part of its kit (v old list in raft)but i was wondering if i should have some self heating meals put in together with some of those foil type survival bags.
Suffolk-sailing.co.uk are advertising a servicing cost of £95.00 but i would be surprised if that includes all the supplies as the cost of flares must be more than that.


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[aod]

Firstly I wouldn't bother with the self heating meals on account of the fact that liferaft motion is so bad that sea sickness is a very real problem hence the anti emetics.

I think Viking also quoted me something like £95 but by the time they had replaced this battery, that bailer and those pills it amounted to about £250.

If it's a Zodiac I would at least give John a ring because he will give you an honest opinion about the condition of the liferaft and he may well have an old case knocking around that he will sell for a reasonable price.

Some of the prices are a blooming joke and you may well source the same much cheaper yourself. My suggestion would be to open the liferaft and what has expired/broken/missing and replace what you can yourself.

What the liferaft contains depends on what the liferaft is graded for i.e. an offshore raft will be built better and contain extra items above and beyond that found in a coastal raft.

Beware because liferaft servicing can be a massive rip off but as I said if you open it up and find out which raft it is, replace what you can and then phone John and tell him what you have done and what you need doing you will probably save yourself a bucket load of dosh.

Hope this helps.

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[squidge]

Thanks for the advise, i think i will replace what i can myself as i cannot see the point in paying through the teeth for something i can get anyway.I will give John a ring as i will need it repacked in chalk and i want to get the air cylinder checked.
Good idear re the case i haddent thought to ask.
regards
Squidge

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[William_H]

The AYF blue book on yacht racing, I am sure ther is an RYA equivalent lists liferaft requirents which I will list as amatter of interest to readers.. I think this list would be essential the same as other national requirements.
A sea anchor
A safety knife
Hand pump for raft.
Water reistant torch flashlight with spare batteries and bulb in waterproof container
Heliograph mirror
Bailer
One spong per person
Repair kit for raft
A bouyant rescue quoit with 30 metres of bouyant line.
Four red hand flares 2 smoke flares.
Two parachute flares
Signaling whistle
Sufficient water for .5 litres per person
A tin of emergency rations per person. These are often a biscuit or glucose sweet.
Two tubes sunburn cream
Five plasic bags per person
Six anti seaksickness pills per person
Two bouyant paddles
Instructions on how to use and repair the raft.
A book on how to survive on a raft
A first aid kit

good luck from oz

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[vyv_cox]

The advice we were given on my offshore survival course is that in coastal waters such as North Sea there is little likelihood of needing much in the way of food, as rescue is likely within a matter of hours (assuming somebody knows of the problem). So the first question is how have the services been alerted? This may mean an EPIRB or possibly hand-held VHF, dependent upon location.

After that, the list given above looks pretty comprehensive. Sweet food that lasts for years is usually advocated for morale purposes in emergency kits. Stuff like figs, sweet muesli bars, Kendal mint cake has a long history of successful use in these circumstances.

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[milltech]

"Stuff like figs, sweet muesli bars, Kendal mint cake has a long history of successful use in these circumstances".

Urrrghh, you'd have to be adrift in a liferaft to face any of them! What's wrong with the good old Mars Bar?


<hr width=100% size=1>John
<A target="_blank" HREF=http://www.allgadgets.co.uk>http://www.allgadgets.co.uk</A>

 

[vyv_cox]

The rule for mountaineering emergency rations used to be to put in stuff that you didn't like. Also that would last a long time on the basis that you would forget to check it or change it. The three that I suggest fall more or less into these categories, although opinions vary as to whether they are liked or not. Manufactured sweets like chocolate bars have a short lifetime.

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[squidge]

Thanks all. I like the idear of long life sweet things that we dont like as most chocolate bars don't last five seconds once SWMBO and the kids find them!
I do keep a H/H VHF in the grab bag and would like to think that if the worst happens one of us would hit the DSC button before stepping up into the raft.
Thanks again
Regards
Squidge
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[Guest]

Contents are as per Class of Raft it is .... Coastal, Offshore etc.

Mots if not all rafts will have a contents /packing list.


<hr width=100% size=1>Nigel ...
Bilge Keelers get up further ! I only came - cos they said there was FREE Guinness !