Life raft v Epirb

Vara

Vara

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Sorting out some safety gear, constrained by budget and natural meanness.

So given a limited budget which would you buy,raft or epirb.

I'm leaning towards EPIRB as that seems to be the quickest way in UK coastal waters of getting a chopper hovering overhead.
 
The way I see it they have different uses.
One is to give flotation, safe haven bobbing around and protection from the sea and elements. ie try and save your life.
T'other is to find you, hopefully sitting and bobbing around in the above.
If you can not afford both, then LR and good HH vhf (which you would have in your grab bag anyway)
 
Personal choice of course.

As a single hander, I think it more likely that I would fall overboard rather than lose the boat. Particularly as I use an autohelm most of the time.

I would choose a personal epirb that now only cost about £250

http://marinestore.co.uk/Merchant2/merchant.mvc?Screen=PROD&Product_Code=PL57865

Having been on a number of safety courses I would definitely recommend a lifejacket sprayhood also.
 
It is a tricky one - for coastal use - which is all i'll ever do I would go for an epirb. I wouldn't trust a liferaft much and would gamble on an epirb getting help along pretty quickly.
 
Liferaft= 500 quid & 140 quid every 3 years.

EPIRB=300 quid & 200 quid every 5 years.

Sailed without EPIRB for 15 years, but always had a raft for crossing Channel/North Sea. Besides, you will probably carry a VHF and a Mobile phone, not to mention flares.

I think a liferaft would be far more visible in a TSS, so the nasty big boys in their ships might not run you over.

If you are going off the continental shelf or more than 100 miles off shore, then an EPIRB would go up the must have scale.
 
I'm afraid this is a non sequitur.

It's like comparing fish with horses.

Each has its own role and they are not complementary.

I can only digress and ask do you have an inflatable dinghy which could in part serve for one of them?
 
For coastal sailing, liferaft wins it for me. You're very likely to be picked up by vhf in an emergency and if you have a handheld you can keep signalling from the liferaft.
 
Another vote for 'they do two different things'

The thing to remember is that its the cold that kills you.

Two scenarios (assuming you are UK coastal):

So you are bobbing around in the water with your EPIRB bleeping away. The emergency services know where you are but they have around 10 minutes to an hour to get to you before there is no point.

Alternatively you are sitting in your liferaft. Nobody knows you are in trouble or where you are but you have two or three days for someone to find you. Enough time for the alarm to be raised by your loved ones and a search commenced.

What you really need is a catamaran and an EPIRB. The boat won't sink and you have a liferaft of sorts to use while you wait for your helicopter ride.

The thing that people who have been rescued reccomend is a waterproof hand held VHF. I would wonder what the range is from a man swimming in the water though?

P
 
A liferaft allows you to rescue yourself, an epirb relies on someone else.
For coastal sailing I'm still generally happy without either, but a raft would come before a beacon.
 
I can't believe a discussion has arisen about whether to have a liferaft or an EPIRB... they are completely different items of safety equipment doing different things and to be used for different purposes. A trade of between the two based upon budget leads me to suggest that some quiet time for reflection on what is important namely the safety of your crew may be needed.
 
I went for a PLB.
For coastal / X channel, the rational was that:
Most boats found floating after they have been abandoned in rough conditions, as a cruiser I tend not to do V rough anyway.
I have a dingy I can evacuate to if fire or holed in normal conditions.
If crept up on and run down then I don't think anything can help!
For long passages, Biscay and greater, then both are required. Obviously this would be the best solution for all circumstances, but money and service costs can't be ignored.
 
[ QUOTE ]
Bit of a myth that an EPIRB means instant rescue. By the time the CG have done their checking that it's not a false alarm, it can be an hour or so before the shout is called.

[/ QUOTE ]

I've been making this point over and over quite a few times.
In vain it would seem /forums/images/graemlins/frown.gif

Given the number of false alarms (in particular in summer) even a response time of one hour is quite optimistic.
 
[ QUOTE ]
I can't believe a discussion has arisen about whether to have a liferaft or an EPIRB... they are completely different items of safety equipment doing different things and to be used for different purposes. A trade of between the two based upon budget leads me to suggest that some quiet time for reflection on what is important namely the safety of your crew may be needed.

[/ QUOTE ]

Are you god ?
 
[ QUOTE ]
[ QUOTE ]
Bit of a myth that an EPIRB means instant rescue. By the time the CG have done their checking that it's not a false alarm, it can be an hour or so before the shout is called.

[/ QUOTE ]

I've been making this point over and over quite a few times.
In vain it would seem /forums/images/graemlins/frown.gif

Given the number of false alarms (in particular in summer) even a response time of one hour is quite optimistic.

[/ QUOTE ]

Oh dear, another person who seems to feel that only his his contribution matters and the rest of us need a damn good lecturing. I think another one of your lectures was to tell the rest of us not to go to sea unless we have the means to purchase a liferaft.

I thought the idea of a forum was to exchange personal views for interest.

Can people like yourself and Minkysailing please give the rest of us a break ?
 
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