How many coastal cruisers have a life raft?

[[178529]]

So I've been sailing for 30 plus years, mainly racing and coastal hopping on the east coast, and I've never had a life raft. When I started, there was no GPS, vhfs weren't digital and flares (fashion and handheld) were the thing. If going far I'd sometimes have an inflatable on the cabin top.

Many of the boats that I know on the east coast still don't have a life raft.

However, this season I'm hoping to go further than I have for a while, channel and southern Brittany. As a practice run for keeping her in my house in southern Brittany in a couple of years.

So I am thinking of getting an epirb and a liferaft. The epirb is a no brainer and I should have got one years ago.

I'm still in two minds about the liferaft. I don't sail in extreme conditions if I can avoid it, and with modern forecasting it's rare to be completely caught out.

So is an inflatable on the cabin roof good enough backup to stepping off the sinking boat? I know there have been threads about this but what do others actually have? Have I been an irresponsible minority coastal hopping without a liferaft for 30 years, or is that the norm.

Plus any suggestions for which one.

 

[newtothis]

To quote renowned offshore sailor Harry Callahan, "You've got to ask yourself one question: 'Do I feel lucky?' Well, do ya, punk?"

 

[colind3782]

We have one but it's really to keep the Admiral happy.

 

[johnalison]

I have cruised since the ‘70s, much of it without a liferaft. We used to cross the Channel or southern N Sea with a half-dinghy on deck and didn’t worry much about it. In a perfect world, we should all have life rafts, but how often does a family crew resort to one in these waters? Twenty years ago we saw an off for an XM 4-man raft for less than £800 and bought it. We have been sailing with it and having it serviced since then, but now it is outdated, but our sailing is also reduced to local waters and I don’t plan to replace it.

I think that on balance you would be better off getting a raft. It doesn’t have to be top quality. If it keeps you alive for six hours or so it will have done its job. We went for a valise, but the choice depends on your boat’s design. You will probably feel a bit more secure in open water if you have one, even if the psychology of this is a bit suspect. The cost over maybe ten years has to be taken into account, and balanced against the advantages to you sense of security, and especially that of those who sail with you.

 

[[2574]]

It’s another one of those things that we hope never to use. I’d rather not pay for yacht insurance but I do and that merely insures against financial loss. Arguably the raft insures (might mitigate) against physical loss. Arguably much more important.

 

[TernVI]

When did a yachtsman last actually use a liferaft i nthe English Channel?

 

[Deleted member 36384]

... In a perfect world, we should all have life rafts, ...

Au contraire, in a perfect world one would never need a life raft and hence would not carry one.

 

[Biggles Wader]

We have one but it's really to keep the Admiral happy.

Same here. I wouldnt buy a new one now.

 

[Chae_73]

I also don't have a liferaft currently but intend to get one.

As others have said, highly unlikely that it will ever be needed, but if one day you do need it and don't have one - big problem!

If you sail alone, it's one thing, but my kids are quite interested and that adds considerably to the "what if" scenario in my head.

 

[Deleted member 36384]

I remember when I started sailing the owner hiring one for races, which was usual then. The rest of the time when we were cruising it was the dinghy. Quite a few still do this today if the lack of life raft canisters on deck / pushpits are anything to go by, in my marina.

I life raft sits in the same risk space as smoke detectors, the consequences of not having one could be death, even though the probability of a hazard requiring a liferaft / smoke detector is very low. I carry one, my boat came with it, I get it serviced every 3 years. When it can not be serviced I'll replace it.

For coastal sailing, a good dinghy, EPIRB, lifejackets, hand held VHF, and good waterproofs would do the job, as well as a mobile phone; in fact probably better as the lack of a liferaft may focus the mind better.

 

[Boathook]

I don't have a liferaft but I am able to carry a fully inflated dinghy with outboard on board ready to go. For the channel, a epirb and or PLB would in my view make more sense rather than a liferaft.

 

[JumbleDuck]

My boat came with a liferaft, but I sold it. It was in a valise, which meant that it either took up the whole of the only cockpit locker (pointy back end) or lived in the cabin. Since the most likely reasons for needing it (fire and collision) would almost certainly preclude getting it up on deck, there just didn't seem much point.

Also, I tow a rigid dinghy at all times, so we have an escape pod.

 

[davidej]

When did a yachtsman last actually use a liferaft i nthe English Channel?

Or the lower North Sea.

I venture to suggest an answer not un-adjacent to zero.

Having said that I have one but won't bother to get it serviced again.

 

[Praxinoscope]

After years of sailing without, I finally bought one about 25 years ago for my last boat, I let it go with the boat when I sold her, and bought a new one for the replacement boat.
It's one of those things one hopes never to use in anger, like the fire extinguishers, flares, life jackets etc. Most of my sailing is now coastal so it is perhaps OTT most of the time, but we do cross over to Ireland fairly regularly, again one may feel it unnecessary for this, but our old Abeaeron club friend the late David Sinnet-Jones (single handed round the World yachtsman) found he needed his on a crossing to Ireland in his circumnavigation boat Zane Spray which sunk about 30 miles off the Irish coast.
I did once join the service people when they serviced my old liferaft as I felt having spent so much on one I would like to actually see it out of its canister and inflated.

 

[Snowgoose-1]

15% ?

 

[davidej]

15% ?

Is an answer to??

 

[Rappey]

My theory is an inflatible and a fladden immersion suit as it hugely extends your thermal protection time.

 

[Snowgoose-1]

% of cruisers that have the life raft onboard.

 

[SimonFa]

When did a yachtsman last actually use a liferaft i nthe English Channel?

I don't know about yotties but a few years ago there was a mayday relay south of St Catherines Pt for a very lucky fisherman. Turned out he had a fire on board and abandoned the boat and was in the water. Fortunately for him a frigate was in the area on final sea trials and they picked up his mayday and had a fast rib with him within 20 minutes. He was in shock but even more fortunately for him the crew was at full complement so had all the medics and facilities that were needed.

I view mine as I do my life jacket, useless if not worn (ready). I've also done the Sea Survival course so I've had at least one go of getting in to them and know how difficult it is so the recommendation of stepping in to them is definitely worth following.

One final point, if you're in a life raft you're easier to see than being in the water or even in a dinghy.

 

[davidej]

% of cruisers that have the life raft onboard.

Probably, but the question was how many have actually used them in anger.

I don't have any statistics but my guess is almost zero