Life raft ejector

[KAM]

My liferaft container slots into a dedicated rear cockpit locker but I'm worried its becoming harder for me to start the lifting process. Was thinking it would be nice to have some gas springs or other device to lift it part way out. Anyone tried this. Any other ideas out there. Trying not to have it cluttering the deck or pushpit.

 

[Refueler]

TBH - I am not a fan of stowing such an item in a locker ..... even on my small boat - I would accept the fact - LR would be on coachroof or somewhere it can be deployed easily.

 

[penfold]

Do you need a liferaft? Unless you're sailing offshore they're an expensive ornament if you already have an inflatable dinghy.

 

[Rappey]

Wouldnt a large adrenalin rush from sinking give you super human strength to yank it out without thinking ?
Webbing, used like the ribbon that goes under aa batteries to help pop them out.

 

[KAM]

Yes that's what I have. It was easy 14 years ago but the arm strengths not what it was. Maybe a bit more upper body training. I'm over 100 miles from shore so a raft seems prudent. Its stored in a dedicated locker only inches away from the helm position. There are advantages in not exposing the liferaft and contents to extremes of environmental fluctuations on deck plus no risk of it being carried away by a rogue wave or thief. Also nice not to have the clutter.

 

[KevinV]

My liferaft container slots into a dedicated rear cockpit locker but I'm worried its becoming harder for me to start the lifting process. Was thinking it would be nice to have some gas springs or other device to lift it part way out. Anyone tried this. Any other ideas out there. Trying not to have it cluttering the deck or pushpit.

What an intriguing question, and I can think of two solutions - any chance of some dimensions /weight, and how it's orientated in the locker? How much spare room is there at the top (ie room for a mechanism at the bottom) ?

 

[boomerangben]

I don’t have one, never had one and don’t have space for one, so my input is not back up by any sort of experience other than having to use one in a pool every three years.

My thinking would go along the lines of:

why would I need one? Sinking or fire.

What else am I likely to be doing? Raising alarm, bailing water out or throwing water in

Who else is likely to be deploying the life raft? Me or someone else?

To my mind, I would need to stow it somewhere where if it isn’t permanently tied off it is quite obvious what needs to be attached to where, will it be down wind of likely sources of smoke and flames, will someone else trying to deploy it be unable to do so because of other efforts to save the boat……..

In my little dream world, having it on the push pit or cabin top would prime choices but then again there is the keeping the weather out issue and keeping the miscreants out. And then of course is the question would I really need one, could I mitigate in other ways………

Each skipper to their own I suppose

 

[penfold]

In the first instance I'd reconsider a pushpit mount at least for the duration of the offshore voyages; while nearer shore it can go back in the locker. If you're still keen on the locker is there a means of securing a ratchet strap to act as a windlass as per sketch for a glorified parbuckle? Two pieces of webbing screwed or otherwise fastened to the outer locker coaming, pass under the liferaft then attach to a piece of sail batten or similar to brace them apart, then brought together to a single piece of webbing for the ratchet. If there's nothing convenient to anchor the ratchet a U-bolt could be fitted on the opposite side of the cockpit footwell.

 

[KAM]

What an intriguing question, and I can think of two solutions - any chance of some dimensions /weight, and how it's orientated in the locker? How much spare room is there at the top (ie room for a mechanism at the bottom) ?

Standard Seago container. 28kg, 430 x 260 standing on end. 680 high. Probably 250mm available below or above. Same could be arranged at the side. Just a simple coil spring under if something was available would seem the favourite option. Ideal lift would be about 500 but anything to get things started would be good. Ideas appreciated.

 

[Refueler]

Unless its the 'soft' bag like container - the LR will survive all weather on deck exposed. Think about all those ships plying the oceans in foul and fair weather .... extreme sun / heat ... cold etc.

Yes if a the soft bag type - then stowed away when not sailing ... brought out and handy when sailing ...

 

[ibbo]

You could put a manual life jacket under it, and a piece of line to the actuator?

 

[RunAgroundHard]

The parbuckle idea in post number 8 from penfold would be easy to do and give a 2:1 advantage but there would be friction to overcome, so the right material would be key.
Post number 11 by igbo is a great idea, could be simple, just a bladder of some type and an air bottle. Pneumatic lifting cushions are quite common, search google for ideas.

The lowest cost idea would be for the OP to do strength training. Unless there is a medical reason why not, strength training with free weights, at any age will work to improve a persons strength.

 

[jac]

I'd be inclined to mount it on the pushpit and leave it there all season. Maybe a lock around it if crime is an issue, or a simple cover if too much in the way of airborne pollutants, Just remove when you get on board.

I was talking to Ocean Safety when taking mine in for a service and he was doing the usual show and tell. the key point he made and which I had forgotten was that a cannister is not there to protect the liferaft itself but is to protect the vacumn bag which itself protects the liferaft. Even if it does get damaged, the liferaft will be ok. Teh cannister is design to take years of weather in its' stride, especially if you can remove when the boat is out of commission and store somewhere dry and sheltered.

If you shove it somewhere difficult to deploy then can you guarantee it will be deployed? Imagine you have hurt your arm, could you lift the liferaft with the other one? Could youir weakest crew member lift it out and deploy it? On the pushpit you might run the risk of it being lost in a large storm nuty deployment is usually achieved by releasing a catch and letting gravity help.

 

[boomerangben]

If you are struggling to lift it out of the locker, how would you find lifting it out of the cockpit and then over the side? In the dark. On a moving boat. I don’t mean to be at all unkind, but if you feel the need to have a life raft and you are concerned about being able to deploy it, then perhaps the dislike of “clutter” has to be over come

Edit:

If the difficulty in lifting is because the life raft is below a level which is comfortable to lift, would a sling around the canister, long enough to make the lift a more convenient height be a solution?

 

[veshengro]

Does your boom reach far enough aft to be above the locker? If so, stow the liferaft on either a webbing Bridle or harness or even a piece of netting, just something that will take the weight of the Raft when hauled out of the cockpit.
To deploy the raft, centre the boom over the locker and use a tackle or even mainsheet to lift the raft out of the locker. If you can't physically lift the raft over the rail leave it hanging on the boom and swing it over the side and just let the tackle run.
Make sure the the raft deploying line is made fast aboard first!

 

[coopec]

Do you need a liferaft? Unless you're sailing offshore they're an expensive ornament if you already have an inflatable dinghy.

Well I got a 4 man life-raft from the rubbish tip/recycle center for $200. I got it serviced for $700 to cover very, very basic items like flares, gas bottles, water, etc as I told them it would not be used well offshore.

It is stowed in a special "cage" mounted on the push-pit. I think if I undid the latch it would fall into the water.

 

[jac]

Does your boom reach far enough aft to be above the locker? If so, stow the liferaft on either a webbing Bridle or harness or even a piece of netting, just something that will take the weight of the Raft when hauled out of the cockpit.
To deploy the raft, centre the boom over the locker and use a tackle or even mainsheet to lift the raft out of the locker. If you can't physically lift the raft over the rail leave it hanging on the boom and swing it over the side and just let the tackle run.
Make sure the the raft deploying line is made fast aboard first!

Thats a good system for regular removal - perhaps for servicing- but if you need a liferaft you need it NOW. In reality you may have only a few minutes from impact / fire to needing to bail out. That is time when you might be searching for the leak, starting pumps, using fire extinguishers etc . By the time you realise a liferaft is inevitable , how much time will you have. Then factor in things like a dismasted boat where the mast has holed the hull and how do you use the boom?

 

[KevinV]

You could put a manual life jacket under it, and a piece of line to the actuator?

That was my first thought, and given the dimensions probably the only thing that would work in an emergency.
No way a life jacket bladder (or the canister to fill it) is big enough, or high enough pressure to lift the weight, but a bigger bottle (small fire extinguisher maybe?) and something like an inflatable fender must be possible to rig.