I’d be grateful for opinions on two choices for liferaft stowage

Where to put a liferaft?

  • A: Valise in cockpit locker

    Votes: 26 55.3%

  • B: Canister in cradle on foredeck

    Votes: 21 44.7%
  • Total voters
    47
  • Poll closed .
Kukri

Kukri

Well-Known Member
Joined
23 Jul 2008
Messages
15,562
Location
East coast UK. Mostly. Sometimes the Philippines
Visit site
As built, the boat had two valise liferafts in dedicated cockpit lockers under the side decks but above the waterline and above seat level, with their own drains. These are amply big and not watertight and can be opened easily at any time. Feeble as I am, I would have no difficulty pulling a small valise liferaft out of them and chucking it onto the side deck. Getting it over the guard wires would need motivation perhaps.

Later, she was coded and was modified to have a big cradle on the foredeck holding one big canister with a Hammar strap. To get it manually over the guard wires would involve two rugger players, although of course it would float free, if the guard wires were to sink beneath the waves...

Neither system is perfect. Modern thinking is to have a float free canister right aft, but there’s no room. She is not coded now. There are probably things that I haven’t thought of.

Would you:
(A) carry a small valise in the cockpit, hiring another one for racing or anything else involving a big crew,
or
(B) carry a canister on the foredeck?

Thanks.
 
Last edited:
Minn said:
As built, the boat had two valise liferafts in dedicated cockpit lockers under the side decks but above the waterline and above seat level, with their own drains. These are amply big and not watertight and can be opened easily at any time. Feeble as I am, I would have no difficulty pulling a small valise liferaft out of them and chucking it onto the side deck. Getting it over the guard wires would need motivation perhaps.

Later, she was coded and was modified to have a big cradle on the foredeck holding one big canister with a Hammar strap. To get it manually over the guard wires would involve two rugger players, although of course it would float free, if the guard wires were to sink beneath the waves...

Neither system is perfect. Modern thinking is to have a float free canister right aft, but there’s no room. She is not coded now. There are probably things that I haven’t thought of.

Would you:
(A) carry a small valise in the cockpit, hiring another one for racing or anything else involving a big crew,
or
(B) carry a canister on the foredeck?

Thanks.
Click to expand...

The primary idea about life-rafts is to board them BEFORE sinking or personal immersion happens.
If you have to wait for your vessel's raft to auto inflate for you and your crew are at a disadvantage from the start.
If you can't guarantee being able to launch a raft on the foredeck, then one at the aft end, readily deployed is far better option. Carrying something that heavy from the coach roof aft - in appropriately nasty conditions when you DO NOT want your enhanced COG high up is not good news.
Aft launch - probably downwind is my preferred option.
Getting into a raft from the water is not much fun. Done that countless times on helicopter survival courses. It is tough, and worse if the thing gets inverted by wind!
 
Do these cockpit liferaft lockers take the liferaft horizontally or vertically?

On my Nic39 the cockpit liferaft locker took the valise liferaft vertically. It was one hell of a job to pull out the original liferaft when I first bought her.

So we opted for a pushpit mounted canister (which I realise is not an option for you).

If the locker takes the liferaft horizontally I might prefer that to a canister mounted on the foredeck (which on your boat is some way away!).
 
R
Tradewinds said:
Do these cockpit liferaft lockers take the liferaft horizontally or vertically?

On my Nic39 the cockpit liferaft locker took the valise liferaft vertically. It was one hell of a job to pull out the original liferaft when I first bought her.

So we opted for a pushpit mounted canister (which I realise is not an option for you).

If the locker takes the liferaft horizontally I might prefer that to a canister mounted on the foredeck (which on your boat is some way away!).
Click to expand...

Horizontally. Pull out two bronze wedge shaped stops (easy) the front panel falls into the cockpit and the contents pull out sideways.
 
I voted for the valise in the cockpit locker simply because having to go to the foredeck might well add to the danger of the situation. Its not an ideal choice because liferafts are heavy things to lug out of a locker and launch. Whatever you choose have the painter of the liferaft tied on to a strongpoint ast all times, and if there is not one available, fit a U-bolt into the locker for the purpose. Thie big danger with a valise in a locker is if the painter is not attached because there is no strongpoint inside the locker, and in an emergency situation someone launches it without attaching it.
 
Norman_E said:
I voted for the valise in the cockpit locker simply because having to go to the foredeck might well add to the danger of the situation. Its not an ideal choice because liferafts are heavy things to lug out of a locker and launch. Whatever you choose have the painter of the liferaft tied on to a strongpoint ast all times, and if there is not one available, fit a U-bolt into the locker for the purpose. Thie big danger with a valise in a locker is if the painter is not attached because there is no strongpoint inside the locker, and in an emergency situation someone launches it without attaching it.
Click to expand...

Thank you, Norman, for a really good point, which I hadn’t thought about at all. Up to now I’ve always had canister ones on deck, and even I couldn’t miss the big notice telling me to “Secure The Painter”.
 
Why the foredeck? Is there not space behind the mast and in front of the cockpit?
 
Really hard to make a suggestion without knowing the boat and what obstructions there are.
My valise sits on its end in the saloon to the side of the entrance, but I only have 3 steps from saloon to centre cockpit, it wouldn't suit boats with a deep saloon.
With a deep saloon, I would be inclined to put a valise somewhere in the cockpit but it depends on whether it's wheel or tiller steering as to where.
 
I voted for the locker, as the cockpit is where you want your liferaft if you have to use it. Close to the companionway, so you can easily transfer grab bags, water bottles and what else may come in handy.
I have my valise in the starboard quarter locker, which takes some heaving to get it on deck. Crossing Biscay last summer, I simply put it on the quarterdeck, well secured. If it was needed in a hurry, it was avalaible, and three days in the sun is no problem. I stowed it again for the rest of the trip, as for coastal sailing, I think no liferaft is needed on deck.
 
westhinder said:
I voted for the locker, as the cockpit is where you want your liferaft if you have to use it. Close to the companionway, so you can easily transfer grab bags, water bottles and what else may come in handy.
I have my valise in the starboard quarter locker, which takes some heaving to get it on deck. Crossing Biscay last summer, I simply put it on the quarterdeck, well secured. If it was needed in a hurry, it was avalaible, and three days in the sun is no problem. I stowed it again for the rest of the trip, as for coastal sailing, I think no liferaft is needed on deck.
Click to expand...

Thank you once again, Johan. That makes perfect sense.
 
None, or at least very few of us, is going to ever use a life raft and not many more will get to practice. Interestingly not many people are rescued from yachts in rafts - or not that I know of. Maybe for this reason life rafts are only on yachts where there presence is mandated, by regulation or personal desire.

'I am a believer' - my father spent 3 days in one. He would confirm that swimming and climbing into a raft is not a bundle of laughs - especially in winter Dec 1st, North Sea)

We have a 6 man raft in a canister -- because that is the sensible maximum we would have on board if we are offshore.

I did not want a canister either on the coach roof nor foredeck (both are simply too exposed) and we had a cradle built that bolts to the transom. Half the cradle is bolted to the transom the other half is hinged to the bolted portion and the 'gate' is retained by a simple pin. Lift the pin, the gate opens one can simply tip the life raft into the sea. Its painter is attached to the bolted portion. It would not be difficult to modify the design for other transoms.

If the raft is to secure the lives of 'children' then they and their mother(s) are unlikely to be experienced sailors on whom you can rely, nor weightlifters or rugby players and I would not want to plan - contingent on their ability to help. I certainly would not want to send them out of the relative safety of the cockpit to foredeck nor coachroof to free and deploy a liferaft from a canister. Even if they are experienced I think it unnecessary to increase e exposure to danger. I similarly might question their ability to release the same raft from a cockpit locker and lift it over the transom (though in those circumstances adrenalin is a power asset).

I might consider a location where the raft can be more easily deployed without the need to expose crew to even more danger. The scenario is unlikely, my opening paragraph, but working on worst case scenario - you really need the crew to be as dry as is possible and not trying to stay upright in a heaving sea.

A decent custom made cradle could easily be designed at stanchion height, unless you have rather a lot of children and need to cater for 14 of them :)

Jonathan
 
I think that wherever it goes it has to be easy to handle. they are very heavy & one has to remember that the boat may be rolling violently. For that reason I would not like to have to get the crew onto the foredeck.( although 95% of my sailing is SH)
The Op has a locker that allows him to roll a bag onto the cockpit floor. That is OK ,but some people have deep lockers & I could imagine trying to get a bag from a deep locker being a very difficult operation. The liferaft will be heavy, The locker lid will want to smash down on the operators head or arms causing injury. The bag may well stick in the opening if it catches on something else in the locker.
Placing a liferaft on the hatch garage ( As I have seen many do) restricts forward view. As the garage, on some boats, is only fitted with a few screws it could be carried away taking the hatch with it !!!.

Lifting a liferaft over the guardrail will be a problem if it is a canister as there are no handles.
keeping the liferaft below is not ideal, as climbing up steps with a heavy raft will be very difficult & one may forget to tie it on in the panic

I only have a 31 ft boat so any weight right on the stern along with the Aeries, fuel cans etc all adds weight in the wrong place. My solution is to place it under the mainsheet track. I have to step over that, so I may as well step over the liferaft as well. Not ideal but I can undo the aft guard rail & slip the raft over the stern- I hope !!!!
 
I have my liferaft in a canister in a stainless steel cradle attached to the pushpit in such a way that releasing 2 over centre catches and the canister will slide out and self launch.

When not sailing the cardle is pad locked to prevent theft.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.

Share this page

Top