Judders
Well-Known Member
Help! They are awfully expensive and difficult to store.
All hints and tips on buying & stowing would be gratefully recieved.
All hints and tips on buying & stowing would be gratefully recieved.
Life-rafts
- Thread starter Judders
- Start date
DavidWR
Member
I fitted one last weekend to my boat, and used a stainless steel 'cradle' to mount it vertically to the transom door.
I have seen them mounted horizontally too on many other boats but a lot depends on the space you have.
The most important thing is to properly measure-up before you buy, and think through the whole installation, as to be of much use it needs to be readily launchable on deck rather than stored away somewhere.
Hope this helps.
I have seen them mounted horizontally too on many other boats but a lot depends on the space you have.
The most important thing is to properly measure-up before you buy, and think through the whole installation, as to be of much use it needs to be readily launchable on deck rather than stored away somewhere.
Hope this helps.
M
MarkG
Guest
Happy Birthday!!!
We used to have a liferaft in a valise in one of the cockpit lockers, it took 2 peeps to drag it out, so we changed and had it fitted onto the coachroof. Still not ideal, would have prefered it on the pushpit but its too heavy for that.
in order of preference:
1 - purpose made cockpit locker.
2 - pushpit bracket
3 - Coachroof mounting
4 - cockpit locker with other equipment - means it will always migrate to the back..
We used to have a liferaft in a valise in one of the cockpit lockers, it took 2 peeps to drag it out, so we changed and had it fitted onto the coachroof. Still not ideal, would have prefered it on the pushpit but its too heavy for that.
in order of preference:
1 - purpose made cockpit locker.
2 - pushpit bracket
3 - Coachroof mounting
4 - cockpit locker with other equipment - means it will always migrate to the back..
beancounter
Well-Known Member
Many happy returns!
The LR that came with our boat is stored in a cradle on the coachroof - secure, but as it's a fairly hefty canister, I'm wondering about mounting it in a bracket on the stern rail. This would make it a lot easier to deploy - (and act as a useful extra fender if reversing went a bit pear shaped /forums/images/graemlins/smile.gif ). The brackets are not cheap tho' - about £200 IIRC - so it's likely to be a while yet afore it's moved.
The LR that came with our boat is stored in a cradle on the coachroof - secure, but as it's a fairly hefty canister, I'm wondering about mounting it in a bracket on the stern rail. This would make it a lot easier to deploy - (and act as a useful extra fender if reversing went a bit pear shaped /forums/images/graemlins/smile.gif ). The brackets are not cheap tho' - about £200 IIRC - so it's likely to be a while yet afore it's moved.
Magic_Sailor
Well-Known Member
I can\'t see the point of valises
They can barely be lugged about!
Then imagine doing it in the dark, water up to yer armpits, boat pitching all over the place and you've got to get it up out of the hatch and over the side!
No chance I say.
I've got a canister mounted on the coach roof. The idea being that Wife can attach the cord and then slide it off the coach roof and into the drink. No lugging needed.
Magic
They can barely be lugged about!
Then imagine doing it in the dark, water up to yer armpits, boat pitching all over the place and you've got to get it up out of the hatch and over the side!
No chance I say.
I've got a canister mounted on the coach roof. The idea being that Wife can attach the cord and then slide it off the coach roof and into the drink. No lugging needed.
Magic
FullCircle
Well-Known Member
putting my 6 man on the pushpit rail had small stress cracks appearing at the stanchion bases within a week.
Mine is moved to the transom now, but i guess a compromise where the loads are shared between rail and transom may work well.
Heres my original location, I just moved it down to the transom below.
Mine is moved to the transom now, but i guess a compromise where the loads are shared between rail and transom may work well.
Heres my original location, I just moved it down to the transom below.
michael_w
Well-Known Member
Happy birthday!
If you are going to mount the thing on its side, tell the raft suppliers as the raft needs to be repacked so the gas bottle is at the bottom and not bearing down on the relatively fragile fabric and equipment.
If you are going to mount the thing on its side, tell the raft suppliers as the raft needs to be repacked so the gas bottle is at the bottom and not bearing down on the relatively fragile fabric and equipment.
kengill
Well-Known Member
Having it on the transom is nice and easy to launch.
Its also very vulnerable to being hit by other vessels and knocked off. personally I prefer the cradle on the coachroof cos I can control the unit more easily in bad conditions. The thought of the raft being damaged by the stern bashing down on it is a concern for stern fittingIMHO
Its also very vulnerable to being hit by other vessels and knocked off. personally I prefer the cradle on the coachroof cos I can control the unit more easily in bad conditions. The thought of the raft being damaged by the stern bashing down on it is a concern for stern fittingIMHO
bobgoode
Well-Known Member
It is much easier for weaker crew to launch from the transom than the coachroof, safer too.
But do mount so some of the 20Kg plus mass is carried by strong fittings rather than all leaning off the pushpit.
But do mount so some of the 20Kg plus mass is carried by strong fittings rather than all leaning off the pushpit.
FullCircle
Well-Known Member
38kg mine, and the ISAF version is 46kg.
Not something cold, wet, tired, seasick,injured, frightened crew need to deal with. Throw it off the back with the levering line under the canister. End of. Its on a painter, so let it out and drag it back alongside, cleat it off where you want.
Luck is the lottery here. A given mix of circumstance can conspire to ruin your day (night) further than it already is.
Not something cold, wet, tired, seasick,injured, frightened crew need to deal with. Throw it off the back with the levering line under the canister. End of. Its on a painter, so let it out and drag it back alongside, cleat it off where you want.
Luck is the lottery here. A given mix of circumstance can conspire to ruin your day (night) further than it already is.
fisherman
Well-Known Member
Re: I can\'t see the point of valises
[ QUOTE ]
The idea being that Wife can attach the cord and then slide it off the coach roof.
[/ QUOTE ]
Run that past me again; wife can attach the cord? Is it just me........
[ QUOTE ]
The idea being that Wife can attach the cord and then slide it off the coach roof.
[/ QUOTE ]
Run that past me again; wife can attach the cord? Is it just me........
ChrisE
Well-Known Member
I reckon it depends upon the type of sailing you intend to do and the type of boat. If you are going to stick to coastal sailing then you could argue that you don't need one, plenty of peeps have an inflated tender as their lr. If you are going offshore then lr prob a good idea, altho' there are some, Evans Starzinger of YM article fame, who do without.
If you are going offshore then what kind of offshore are you going to do? If Xchannel and not going to be exposed to prolonged big seas and you don't have a semi-submersible like a CO32 then coachroof OK. If, however, you are contemplating going out in rough stuff then pushpit /transom it has to be. Coachroofs get washed by big waves and then it doesn't matter how clever the attachment system a big lump of green water running up or across the deck will take your lr with it.
With all due respect to those who say that pushpit/transom mounting means lugging lr, this is bollux, there are mountings that allow the lr to be deployed by dropping off the mount once cradle has been opened.
If you think I'm talking tosh, then talk to a marine engineer, as I did, before mounting ours on the back.
Regarding cost, again depends on where you intend to sail. If Xchannel and near shipping, then prob OK with a single floor £500-800 jobbie. If serious offshore with the potential for being out there for a day or more then consider the double floored, £1200+ bits of kit. Lrs are too important to skimp on, in my view.
If you are going offshore then what kind of offshore are you going to do? If Xchannel and not going to be exposed to prolonged big seas and you don't have a semi-submersible like a CO32 then coachroof OK. If, however, you are contemplating going out in rough stuff then pushpit /transom it has to be. Coachroofs get washed by big waves and then it doesn't matter how clever the attachment system a big lump of green water running up or across the deck will take your lr with it.
With all due respect to those who say that pushpit/transom mounting means lugging lr, this is bollux, there are mountings that allow the lr to be deployed by dropping off the mount once cradle has been opened.
If you think I'm talking tosh, then talk to a marine engineer, as I did, before mounting ours on the back.
Regarding cost, again depends on where you intend to sail. If Xchannel and near shipping, then prob OK with a single floor £500-800 jobbie. If serious offshore with the potential for being out there for a day or more then consider the double floored, £1200+ bits of kit. Lrs are too important to skimp on, in my view.
Signed Out
Well-Known Member
Aren't they vulnerable on the transom also though? Either from something solid like a quayside/other boat, or simply heavy like a following sea. Mine's really heavy- a 6 man hardcore jobbie, that was in a valise, but am getting put into a canister, so am wary of where I put it. At least it won't damage my steel boat, but I don't want to trash my new paint job by fixing a mount on the transom if it's not safe there.
Jem.
Jem.
Robin
Well-Known Member
On most modern transoms (look at the pic in the post from fullcircle) the pushpit mounted raft is inboard of the end of the boat so unless you plan travelling everywhere in reverse and ramming into things, or stopping dead in front of the tailgater behind I fail to see the problem! As far as it being damaged by a heavy sea from astern is concerned, how likely is that in reality, how many solid water poopings have you had, real ones not a bit of spray? Then consider how many times you have had solid green stuff over the bow, up and over the coachroof and wonder how easily a bad one of those could rip the raft off a coachroof cradle.
As for sliding a raft off the coachroof (tied on or not!) you would need to be very sure it would even go through the guardrails, ours wouldn't.
I'm with Chris, our 6 person cannister raft is stowed in a S/S cradle mounted vertically on the pushpit from where it can be launched instantly by the weakest of crew In our case the pushpit is part of a very sturdy gantryand the aft is inboard of the very end of theswim platform out of the way of the mad tailgater. If I had a really small boat or one with a very narrow stern then maybe a valise raft in a cockpit locker would have to be a compromise.
Type? Depends on for what, where and whatever. We have an offshore double floored 6 person in a cannister with a RORC contents pack and additional gubbins in a separate grab bag.
Before anyone tries it in anger, try lifting a 6 person cannister raft and then imagine doing it when everything is wet and very slippery (they are hard to get a grip on) and the boat is rolling, lurching or on fire or in a cloud of black smoke. Then think how much easier it would be to just pull a pin on the pushpit cradle....
Just IMHO of course, and I still wouldn't get in the thing unless stepping up to it from at least the 2nd spreaders with sharks snapping at my ankles.
As for sliding a raft off the coachroof (tied on or not!) you would need to be very sure it would even go through the guardrails, ours wouldn't.
I'm with Chris, our 6 person cannister raft is stowed in a S/S cradle mounted vertically on the pushpit from where it can be launched instantly by the weakest of crew In our case the pushpit is part of a very sturdy gantryand the aft is inboard of the very end of theswim platform out of the way of the mad tailgater. If I had a really small boat or one with a very narrow stern then maybe a valise raft in a cockpit locker would have to be a compromise.
Type? Depends on for what, where and whatever. We have an offshore double floored 6 person in a cannister with a RORC contents pack and additional gubbins in a separate grab bag.
Before anyone tries it in anger, try lifting a 6 person cannister raft and then imagine doing it when everything is wet and very slippery (they are hard to get a grip on) and the boat is rolling, lurching or on fire or in a cloud of black smoke. Then think how much easier it would be to just pull a pin on the pushpit cradle....
Just IMHO of course, and I still wouldn't get in the thing unless stepping up to it from at least the 2nd spreaders with sharks snapping at my ankles.
Magic_Sailor
Well-Known Member
Re: I can\'t see the point of valises
There's a cord thingy that you attach to a cleat whotsit that stops the liferaft job floatin orft
Magic
There's a cord thingy that you attach to a cleat whotsit that stops the liferaft job floatin orft
Magic
fisherman
Well-Known Member
Re: I can\'t see the point of valises
.......that should be attached all the time and will inflate the raft if the boat sinks and it floats free.
.......that should be attached all the time and will inflate the raft if the boat sinks and it floats free.
Signed Out
Well-Known Member
Re: I can\'t see the point of valises
Thanks for the response. My biggest fear to be frank though, is my mooring attempts. Clumsy [--word removed--] that I am.
Think I'd like to sort some set-up actually on the transom though, rather than the pushpit, but it'd mean some kind of folding ladder over it though, for boarding from astern.
How about the seal around the edge- they tough?
Thanks for the response. My biggest fear to be frank though, is my mooring attempts. Clumsy [--word removed--] that I am.
Think I'd like to sort some set-up actually on the transom though, rather than the pushpit, but it'd mean some kind of folding ladder over it though, for boarding from astern.
How about the seal around the edge- they tough?
Magic_Sailor
Well-Known Member
I disagree
I can just see someone tripping over the line and the whole lot going off.
Magic
I can just see someone tripping over the line and the whole lot going off.
Magic
Robin
Well-Known Member
Re: I disagree too
[ QUOTE ]
I can just see someone tripping over the line and the whole lot going off.
[/ QUOTE ]
I can just see someone finally succeed to get the thing from the coachroof and over or under the rails only to realise they forgot to tie it on first! /forums/images/graemlins/blush.gif
Normal practice is to tie the line to the cradle mount, it should not therefore be a tripping hazard. You need to pull a lot of line out of the cannister anyway before you even get to the firing stage.
[ QUOTE ]
I can just see someone tripping over the line and the whole lot going off.
[/ QUOTE ]
I can just see someone finally succeed to get the thing from the coachroof and over or under the rails only to realise they forgot to tie it on first! /forums/images/graemlins/blush.gif
Normal practice is to tie the line to the cradle mount, it should not therefore be a tripping hazard. You need to pull a lot of line out of the cannister anyway before you even get to the firing stage.
