Life Rafts for Coastal Sailing - Are they ever used?

[prv]

Not sure that is correct for a cruising boat. Much more common to have Brest/Elbe limits as standard and then specific supplements for extending.

Ours has a "UK Waters" option, which I think was up to 20 miles off the coast (plus if going from one UK port to another by the direct route, even if that took you more than 20 miles out). And then the next step up is the traditional "Brest to Elbe" which is what we have.

Not sure what any of this insurance stuff has to do with the subject, though. All Simon said was that different people mean different things by "coastal sailing", and that his definition more or less matches mine which, as a South Coast sailor, is "in the English Channel".

Pete

 

[Vara]

Sorry, I wasn't there, I just know one of the crew well and recall him relating the tale. I seem to remember that the raft had to be abandoned as they found recovery impossible, presumably due to the water ballast.

Maybe the Seago Resue Platform would be a suitable compromise for inshore sailors, see here....http://www.seagoyachting.co.uk/rp500-system-p-53.html


Peter.

Thanks, I'll do some more delving.

On our short handed boat, after pushing all the red buttons, the life raft would go over, as it's easier to self board a life raft, albeit still not easy.

 

[Tranona]

Ours has a "UK Waters" option, which I think was up to 20 miles off the coast (plus if going from one UK port to another by the direct route, even if that took you more than 20 miles out). And then the next step up is the traditional "Brest to Elbe" which is what we have.

Not sure what any of this insurance stuff has to do with the subject, though. All Simon said was that different people mean different things by "coastal sailing", and that his definition more or less matches mine which, as a South Coast sailor, is "in the English Channel".

Pete

Exactly the point I was making in post #32. Definitions vary according to who is making them. So RCD "Coastal" is Cat C, insurance "Coastal" is however the company defines it, usually based on distance from shore. Categories used by those countries that prescribe areas of operation and equipment and/or licencing required usually use distance from shore. MCA uses distance from safe haven.

All of these are crude and a more sophisticated approach is perhaps better when doing risk assessment to determine what equipment is necessary for both prevention and emergency. So, for this decision consider the probability of an incident happening and the potential mechanisms available to deal with it. That approach gives different strategies for different people/situations/locations etc.