Liferaft deployment ?????????

A

Alrob

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Following on from that dreadful fire incident I am ashamed to admit that I am unsure how to deploy my life raft valise that I inherited with my boat last August. It was my intention to take it for a service and demo before the season kicks off however I might just bring this forward.
A wake up call for us all !!!!
 
Now your thinking...

Does it work?
Is it serviced?
How long to deploy?
Can only you launch it?
Or can my crew launch our liferaft?
How long to deploy?
When to? (when Sinking or Fire)
Should we have done the survival course?

We are all at risk and this event justs makes you realise how much?

Me too, by the way.
 
jimmy_the_builder said:
Maybe we should get a forum group together and do the sea survival course with Mendez? I'd certainly sign up for it.

Cheers
Jimmy
Click to expand...

Good call gentlemen.......they make us do refresher courses for first aid, which at the thought of it makes you ask yourself why? but when you have done it, you realise just how much you have forgotten.

If its gets to the raft stage, there would have no doubt been a fair bit of stress/trauma already experienced, all eyes and hopes are going to be directed fair at the skipper. How confident are you?
 
Well worth the experience and well worth understanding what is involved in Sea Survival and how to deploy the liferaft correctly. Not only that but being taught how to get in the thing correctly. Go do it!
 
Done sea survival course a couple of years ago, getting into the life raft in the simulated force 8 is not good, makes you realise how bad things can get, and that the liferaft really is a last resort.
 
RogerRat said:
Now your thinking...

Does it work?
Is it serviced?
How long to deploy?
Can only you launch it?
Or can my crew launch our liferaft?
How long to deploy?
When to? (when Sinking or Fire)
Should we have done the survival course?

We are all at risk and this event justs makes you realise how much?

Me too, by the way.
Click to expand...
Interesting questions ...
I've not had a good look at ours, although we did have it serviced last year so would hope that it is all tickity boo ...
I think the critical question is - When to deploy ... we all consider liferaft to be last resort - but is it the last thing you should try when in a crisis?

Two scenarios are likely when faced with loosing your boat - Sinking or Fire (which usually leads to sinking!)
1) Sinking - depends on the speed of water ingress - if it is rising fast then it is inevitable that you'll have to get off the boat, if not then your bilge pump might cope until you can get the boat ashore (or the RNLI attend with a huge pump!). Fortunately, deployment of the LR shouldn't be so dramatic - it's only water - so as long as the LR is ready to deploy then great...

2) Fire - this is far more dramatic - and most likely to end with a required departure from the boat - I would suggest that (unless it is a minor fire) the second action is to ready the LR having got everyone up first... with the LR ready to deploy you can resume firefighting if applicable ...
 
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