Life Raft Capacity?

Tim Good

Tim Good

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Short question: We plan to circumnavigate as a couple. Is the 8 man raft we have too big and potentially dangerous?

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Ok I have read various threads over the years on this and it seems slowly opinions change. Anyway I thought I'd ask nonetheless.

I have an 8 Man raft that came with my boat nice stowed in its container. It has recently lapse so it has to be repacked.

Anyway when we set sail next year we will predominantly be 2 people on board for coastal passages and maybe 2-4 people for oceans / larger multiday passages. Occasionally we'll be up to 5 or 6 but just when friends come for short periods.

95% of the time it will just be 2 so is out 8 man raft OTT and dangerous or is it probably fine?
 
A representative of one of the companies selling safety equipment gave a talk at my club and he said don't get a liferaft bigger than you need because the larger area combined with the low weight greatly increase the chance of it flipping over in a strong wind.
 
You might want to replace it for reasons of size or weight or servicing cost. But personally I would not replace it just because of the idea that an undermanned liferaft is unstable. A raft filled to capacity is a very tight fit indeed - all right for keeping you out of the English Channel for a couple of hours until the lifeboat arrives, but if you're crossing oceans then you could be in it for days even if you get an EPIRB signal off. You'd be damn grateful for the extra space in that case.

In the sort of weather conditions that might flip a raft despite its ballast bags etc, frankly I suspect you're unlikely to successfully abandon into it anyway. Far more likely to end up in the thing due to fire or flood in moderate conditions.

Pete
 
Can either one of the two persons on board deploy the raft?

In any case, the weight of two persons inside will not keep an 8-man liferaft from behaving like tumbleweed in stormy seas.

Personally I would prefer two 4-man rafts; they would provide flexibility and redundancy.
 
The advice we were given when looking at liferafts was clear and unambiguous. Do not get one any bigger than you need. In any sort of sea at all in a bigger raft you will find it difficult to maintain a comfortable position, it will be prone to being blown over despite the ballast pockets and it will be harder to launch because of its weight. Our four man raft is enough of a lump and I would not wish for a larger one.

If for the majority of the time you will be two people on board, occasionally four and the odd time six, then I'd buy a four man raft and possibly hire a second raft when you've got six people.
 
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Here are some random observations relating to liferafts by someone who had to abandon his boat last summer because of fire. It should be noted that he is a very experienced long distance sailor and is a retired colonel of the French fire brigade. His story is in this month's Yachting Monthly :

I jumped into the raft. It was full of water and the lower tube was scarcely inflated.

This means that the raft lacks rigidity and I have trouble keeping my balance. Instead of having one cylinder to inflate the tubes of the raft, consider having two, one for each tube. If a raft doesn’t inflate, the pump is inside the liferaft package which constitutes a problem as does trying to re-inflate a partially inflated raft with a foot pump because the raft’s floor provides no resistance to the effort. I had to press it by hand against my chest. Imagine if I had had a broken arm….

I keep trying to make sure that my life-jacket doesn’t auto-inflate and this involves all sorts of gymnastics to keep it out of the water.

When the liferaft is serviced, consider adding any special medicines, UV sun creams, portable VHF, cell phones, batteries, PLB, knife, headlamp etc

Have a raft capable of holding a greater number than those actually on board as I do not see how six people could possibly have held in my six man raft.

As is customary with persons concerned with safety, as was my case even though retired, the golden rule is practice, practice, practice. For example, the liferaft was the result of much study as to its positioning and its custom instant release system which I designed, able to withstand a capsize. Its handling was rehearsed until it became second nature to me. It was relatively new and therefore was not yet due for its first three year service. The extinguishers were serviced and the expiry dates of flares were checked.

The fenders could be added for extra buoyancy and for covering and insulating the raft’s floor.

I personally think that the PLB is a great help because it stays with you whether you are on the boat, in the raft, or in the water.

The assessment to evacuate or not is perfected by practice. In general having a crew is an advantage provided everyone knows what to do but, in the heat of the action, it’s too late to start wondering about what actions need to be done, the priorities being:

• Organize a practice as soon as you get on board and again on the first day of the trip
• Alarm - alert the crew
• Communicate the distress VHF mayday, flares etc.
• Organize remedial action, tackle the fire or leak. Distribute and coordinate the roles.
• Manage the action continuously throughout the emergency.
• Organize the evacuation”
 
There's one point nobody has mentioned yet - have you ever tried putting four persons into a 4 person liferaft? Cozy is not quite the right term. They're obviously not designed for comfort, but you might be grateful for the extra legroom when you're jammed into that thing for a week.

For example, this is a 4 person life raft. You better be slim: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GP_jOTLKy6o
 
In common with others, advice I received when buying a raft was not to oversize it due to stability and, bracing problems allowing occupants to be thrown around. Suggest if you want the definitive answer, you need to contact the manufacturer for advice.
 
Yes, I believe so.

Get a 4 or 6 and keep the 8 as a spare. I have heard a few stories where a raft has been inflated and then not needed. If you think the boat is sinking and then you fix the leak this is a real possibility, so having a spare is not a bad thing. Also consider the weight of the raft when trying to launch it when tired or injured, an 8 is a bit heavier. I had a valise in a cockpit locker and it had to be possible for my partner to launch it on her own.
 
Liferaft Capacity

I am not suggesting any capacity, but this is ours during first service. One comment - I would not like to be in with 7 other people!

DSC03509_zpsqkajwkj9.jpg


M.
 
When we do our sea survival course they tell us that a life raft has to carry twice the stated load. To this end they give 12 of us a 6 man raft to use. You can all get in but it's cosy. The most important thing is to have a 20 year old with you to pull you in, it's a long way up from the water!
 
Not in the tropics maybe but in the higher latitudes you will be huddled together for warmth. I've only been in open water in a lifejacket but even that gave me a feel for how much a liferaft could be thrown around. Drifting gently around in the heat of the day in the doldrums is one thing, been thrown around in even temperate zones is a bit different - know how much effort it is to stay warm sometimes even in a cockpit. I'd be very wary of a 8 man lifejacket for two people personally (though that's not based on any experience in one).
 
>In any case, the weight of two persons inside will not keep an 8-man liferaft from behaving like tumbleweed in stormy seas. Personally I would prefer two 4-man rafts; they would provide flexibility and redundancy.

Agree. We sailed two handed and had a four person life raft which our sea survival course recommended.
 
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