liferaft: in a bag or in a container??

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alexlago

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I have to buy a 4 people liferaft for a 34' boat, and I'm hesitating between getting a container or a bag for it.

container pros :
more space for stuff IN the boat
if you have to use the liferaft with the capsized boat and you in the water, having a liferaft in a container fastened to the transom is the only available option.

container cons:
heavier
one more stuff on the deck
risk of being ripped of the deck if its fasteners fail
installed on the deck, it risks being crushed by the mast if the mast falls down (Murphy's law...)
more expensive
survival items inside are more vulnerable to sun heat
I wouldn't like to deal with a 30kg hardcase on the deck while in a storm

bag pros:
lighter
it won't bother you on the deck, and you won't have to think where to install it on the deck (don't worry, it will always be on the way anyway)
no risk it ends up in the water in case a bolt or fastener corrodes
cheaper
being inside the boat, it's protected against shocks and sun heat
I prefer to handle a soft case in case of an incident in heavy weather

bag cons:
well, one more thingie inside the boat
if you have to use the liferaft with the capsized boat and you in the water, you're screwed...

This said, I'm inclined to go for the bag, let alone the above pros, because I intend to store it in a cockpit locker (so in case of a fire, I will be able to use it from outside the cabin), because anyway in case of a problem I'll have to fetch a grab bag which is in a cockpit locker too....(and I've never met anyone who stores the grab bag on the deck...), because chances that I ever use a liferaft are mini mini minimal....(I don't know about you, but none of my sailing acquaintances up to 82 years old have ever used a liferaft)

What is your opinion?
 
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Personal thoughts

10 years of canister life raft on deck, under boom. Never used, of course. About to replace it with valise version. Get my deck space back, lose weight in wrong place, does not get bashed and easier to handle for winter store etc. Can organise protective extra cover and suitable space for it to be. I have always understood that you are catering for "planned" evacuation with time to deploy the raft and get your grab bag. Not likely to meet seas where the hydrostatic release is needed. Delusional?
 
On my last boat I had an on deck canister for 15 years, never used, serviced regularly and obviously readily accessible.
But .... very heavy and not easy to get on or off at beginning and end of season, also took up a lot of deck space.
On my new boat I’m seriously considering going for a valise version, I will loose some accessability and a small bit of cabin stowage but the added deck area and easier handling on and off is attractive, the capsize element is one to consider, but I think the odds on a capsize are probably fairly long.
 
Valise rafts are quite big heavy awkward things.
I'm not sure I'd want to be wrestling one up the companionway in a crisis.
Bearing in mind one of the possible reasons to be abandoning ship is that the cabin's on fire.
Cockpit locker stowage seems a good option, but modern rafts with double floors don't fit in the lockers in some older boats.
Maybe a valise under the helm seat is a good compromise?
A canister on the transom also has a lot going for it.
But not everything works for every boat.
 
We had this dilemma when we bought our boat. It came with a life raft than had 6 months left until its next service.
It was in a valise and was kept in the cockpit locker which is very deep. I couldn't believe how heavy and awkward it was to handle. Checking the specifications showed that it weighed 27kgs. I can manage that weight but many others may struggle.
My main concern was that if I was incapacitated and the life raft was needed could my wife manage to pull it out of the locker and then launch it. Definitely not.
So, when its service was due I had it installed in a canister and it is now deck mounted.
Being on the coach roof means it is higher up so a tad easier to launch in a hurry. It is central so doesn't affect trim.
It doesn't take up space in the locker.
 
The new to me boat was sold with a nearly out of date valise life raft. As I live near to them, I took it to Seago and found out that it was more economic to buy new than have the old one serviced once year for the next two years.
The valise had been in an under berth locker. It was so heavy I had to struggle to get it out of the locker and up the companionway steps. I am quite sure that had I been at sea, tired and fatigued, panicked with crew suffering mall de mere, even injured, I would not want to be getting my life saving raft out from down below.
The Seago staff gave their personal opinion that for many the only sensible option would be a canister raft secured on deck which in an emergency would be readily available for use. I agree and bought a canister raft.
Now all I have to do is decide where to fit it, in front of the hatch garage, on the pushpit or the quarterdeck. Nowhere on deck is ideal but better to put it in a place where I can launch it when needed than put it where I would struggle to even get it out on deck.
 
Ours is bagged below decks; chosen because there was a better stowage spot, just by the companionway than anything above decks, I could get to there faster than to the main deck.
I'd do choose the same again, but for a different reason: What I hadn't considered at the time was UV protection, in both the Med and Caribbean we've come across several boats who've had relatively new deck-mounted valise liferafts condemned when they went to be serviced due to UV, or perhaps more likely 'heat' damage. It must be blooming hot sat in that box in the full sun and the glue between tubes/floor seems to deteriorate and let-go; we see many with pretty Sunbrella covers over that valises which'd probably help if it's UV, but I suspect makes the internal temperature of that valise-box even higher?
 
I have a canister mounted vertically in a custom made stainless cradle fixed to the transom. My reason is that the pull cord to inflate it is attached to a strong point just below the cradle. In emergency I can launch it by releasing its two holding straps and just pushing it overboard before pulling the cord to inflate it. No lifting required.
 
We have had a valise for a few years which on last boat when cross channel etc nestled in front of single steering binnacle and formed a useful foot rest . Now on new boat sits under the floor quite easily between the wheels in its own raft locker . It is quite heavy but I manage to bring it home and carry up to the loft each winter but it's only a small one . I have seen some canisters which resemble mini oil drums when lashed on deck . Clearly choice is dependent on budget and boat space but I'm am quite happy for cross channel use to have a valise and keep the rail clear and not have the expensive risk of accidental launches from the stern pushpin rail .
 
I agree with the OP about no more stuff IN the boat but then nothing says you can’t mount it ON the boat. I am more inclined to canister models, mounted on the outside of the transom/swim platform , another mounting position i have seen on many offshore fishing boats is on the bow decking and even on the roof of the cabin. All these positions allow easy deployment yet keep the canister away and reduce the risk of bumping into it.
My boat is small so a bag is just a compromise, if wishes where horses then I will opt for a canister anyday.
 
Our life raft was attached in a container on the outside of the aft guardrail with a line attached to it to deploy it, the reason we had that was in case we needed to deploy it fast, the grab bag was under the steps to the hatch.
 
Good thread. I've had both types on my Javelin30 and both stored either "on deck" or "below".

My views are that there isn't a 100% perfect solution, for the reasons outlined in the posts above.

When I did my long trip (twelve weeks away) a valise was lashed afore the canopy to the cabin-top handrails with strong, tight (but not too tight) bungees.
Undo any one bungee and valise is launchable.

I initially had a canister mounted there but it was even more of a restriction when mainsail/boom work was required.
My pushpit is curved and can't easily accept a cradle, so I've gone for a valise "down below", to be brought on deck if things are looking really bad (Never yet, fortunately).

Even so, the valise is heavy, my companionway is restricted - and in a sudden fire down below I'd be stuffed.
I'm not sure that on my boat (30ft, narrow side decks, solar panels atop the lazarette) there is a "one size fits all" solution.
And fortunately, or otherwise, extreme heat and UV is not a problem up here :rolleyes:

The valise with its hand-straps is certainly somewhat easier to move about than a slippery, even heavier plastic canister.
 
Are there any statistics about the number of lives saved by liferafts per year and relating to leisure boats ?
I am wondering if a liferaft is in fact necessary for most people who perhaps do not go far from the sight of land?
 
MartynG said:
Are there any statistics about the number of lives saved by liferafts per year and relating to leisure boats ?
I am wondering if a liferaft is in fact necessary for most people who perhaps do not go far from the sight of land?
Click to expand...
I have often pondered that scenario - but even a mile off-shore in cold weather and/or rough seas, especially in less frequented waters, then I'd be readily prepared to deploy a life-raft rather than resort to a life-jacket.
I can service or buy a new life-raft.:chargrined:
I can't buy a new life :(

It's a pain to have to shift it about, find space for it, secure it, pay for service etc etc, but I feel happier with it somewhere aboard. Besides, I may not be the only one going into the water, so I owe it to any crew I might have aboard.

Like yourself, I'd be interested to see any statistics - just out of curiosity
 
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