Liferaft on a small boat?

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dbewick

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I sail a 21' Corribee that came complete with a liferaft when I bought it. You probably know that space is at as premium on Corribees and the liferaft needs servicing so I am contemplating whether to do away with it. I might invest in an EPIRB, instead. I only use the boat for coastal sailing and I have all the usual safety gear on board.

What do you think, folks?
 
It's a difficult one. I bought a boat that had a 6 man canister offshore raft that I couldn't pick up. As it was due for a service I part-exchanged it for a new 4 man valise - no money changed hands. Perhaps you could p/x it for EPIRB - try ADEC Marine.

I stayed with a liferaft because there was one there and I wanted to cross the North Sea etc. For coastal sailing I don't think that I would have bothered if there had not been one.
 
I think it is not a question of "replacing" a liferaft with an EPIRB. They perform different functions.

The EPIRB will tell S&R that you are in trouble and need help; the liferaft will replace the boat if she sinks, but will not notify anyone - for which you need flares or some form of radio comms.

If space is that much of a premium, do you carry an inflatable dinghy ? Could you use that as a sort of liferaft ? Or if only solo, then an immersion suit ?

The number of times a LR is used, as a proportion of the number of times that people hit some form of trouble is pretty low (see the forum passim.


Even if you think you are "only " going coastal, there's some evidence that most accidents happen within sight of land (probably due to most boats keeping within sight of land /forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif).

Your question needs additional circumstances; how many (max) people will be on board; what level of skills do you have; how well maintained is the yacht; are you risk averse or risk tolerant; can you envisage an accident on board happening slowly (when you might be able to call for help) or is it more likely to happen quickly (Ouzo-style) when - Gods forbid - NOTHING is likely to prevent a disaster.

FWIW, I used to sail a 24 ftr with no LR, as a callow yoof. Some forty years on, I now have two liferafts - but then I use belt, braces, and a piece of string for my trousers.
 
Have a look on the Jester Forum. Roger Taylor (MingMing) has a corribee and I am pretty sure he has done away with the liferaft as he has made her unsinkable. Dont quote me on that, Im pretty sure it is correct, but some of the journey's Roger has done have been impressive to say the least.

And as has been said, the two bits of kit do very very different things. Almost pointless havbing one without the other if you are going way offshore (unless you have a non-sinkable corribee of course !).
 
FWIW, We sailed both our Wayfarer dinghy(16ft), then our Redfox (20ft) out of sight of land sans LR. We had a small 'doughnut' Avon on the RF which would have served like a WWII aircraft dinghy, if we had time to inflate it.
Some W cruising folk had inflatable 2 man canoes as tenders.

Now we've got Tringa, with sons/family/friends coming out with us, we've got a 4 seater Seago LR because we cannot risk assess their lives as we would our own.
Also, Our tenders are the Avon and an old Tinker, which came with the LR cover and gas bottles- but those cannot be recharged/used now.
Why not go down the road of a half inflated round tail with pump,oars and a sea anchor tied in, lashed down on the cabin roof as folk used to do before LRs were affordable.
With an LJ and ex helicopter immersion suit(often adverts in back of PBO) that would give you a chance in the case of fire/ slow catastrophe and let you row ashore from a mooring etc as well. Or an ex RAF fighter LR, if they sell them?
Definitely recommend a waterproof h/held VHF anyway+ spare AA battery pack for small boat work- keep handy in cockpit. Even if you have got a fixedVHF already.f you can afford a small EPirb- circa £299 for last generation stuff as well, great.

It's a hard sum sub 7m, whichever way you do it. /forums/images/graemlins/frown.gif
 
Now that the winter racing has started and the summer (what???) pottering finished, the first thing that gets thrown off the boat is the liferaft, closely followed by the Avon, the O/B, the flares, the charts etc.

I mount the liferaft in summer because I have it. Dont feel the need for it in coastal sailing.

Would suggest a DSC radio if you havent got one and a PLB attached to lifejacket together with strobe. If you can afford an Epirb as well, so much the better. The reality is that you are way more likely to need rescuing from your boat than after you have abandoned it.
 
My boat is slightly larger but I have done away with the liferaft. I made the decision after seeing liferafts opened up and not inflating and also being disappointed with the overall build quality.

I now depend on a Valiant 270 Rib which is either towed or on the foredeck depending on conditions and where I am. For those who scoff at towing it is still possible to split open a wooden boat in a flat calm if you hit the wrong thing. I also have a very well stocked grab bag with everything I would need to survive including H/H GPS and VHF.

An EPIRB - in ANY boat, IMO is essential. However, the important principle is to stay with your boat for as long as possible. If I had a Coribee I would be looking at methods of ensuring it's survivability through the addition of floatation chambers.
 
Think ouzo!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Get it serviced find a space and then buy an EPIRB pref. with GPS what price on your life and the crew you sail with.
 
Corribees have a reputation as tough seaworthy boats. I suggest you look at the integrity of your hull and rig. For instance, have you a strong washboard for the companionway? Do the forehatch and cockpit lockers seal and have secure fastenings? Are the seacocks and skin fittings new? Did you replace the rigging wires? If you can say yes to these, then I would suggest you need neither liferaft nor EPIRB. Your boat will not sink and will always bring you home!

Neil
 
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Have a look on the Jester Forum. Roger Taylor (MingMing) has a corribee and I am pretty sure he has done away with the liferaft as he has made her unsinkable...

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This, and other similar suggestions regarding seaworthiness, misses one important point: fire. Although as unlikely as sinking in statistical terms, out of range of immediate rescue I wouldn't fancy my chances having to abandon ship directly to cold water.

The four-person liferaft on our 27 footer is a bit of a nuisance (now mounted in chocks just for'd of the mast, originally packed in a soft case and kept below), but I wouldn't be comfortable asking others to sail with me without it.
 
i have the same problem on my boat but think a life raft is well worth the space it fills what happens if you hit a shipping container just under the sufrace of the water?? i also carry a personal epirb as well.
 
You don't need a liferaft on a Corribee. With a bit of creativity you can make the unsinkable. Where the battery is, under the cockpit sole, you can fill with foam. Make the stern locker watertight, seal the anchor locker with some kind of water tight hatch, then optionally, seal up the under seat lockers in the same fashion, or fill with foam. That should be just about enough to make the whole boat float with a 2 foot hole in the side.

Mine will be getting that treatment next spring.

Google for "mingming", Mr T has done it to his.
 
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Think ouzo!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[/ QUOTE ]If you plan to get run down by a RoRo you'd be better off with strong religious convictions than a liferaft. Or better nav lights.
 
I think to a large degree a smaller boat has more hull strength and less mass (so less inertia) so that even hitting a sunken container or reef will not penetrate the hull. So I think the unsinkable mods is the ay to go.
The best place to make air tanks is by sealing the under bunk storage areas. This gives bouyancy down low and at the sides to maintain stability and keep the hull high. (so maintaining sailing ability). A small boat is like an egg almost indestructable even though the crew may not be able to bare being shaken up. olewill
 
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Slightly off subject but once your in a liferaft would you call a mayday or panpan?

[/ QUOTE ]Mayday. You are only in the liferaft because you were in distress and in any case, in a liferaft is a dangerous place to be!!
 
[ QUOTE ]
You don't need a liferaft on a Corribee. With a bit of creativity you can make the unsinkable.

[/ QUOTE ]

Where have I read that before? Can anyone think of any famous "unsinkable" ships? /forums/images/graemlins/smile.gif
 
[ QUOTE ]

The best place to make air tanks is by sealing the under bunk storage areas. This gives bouyancy down low and at the sides to maintain stability and keep the hull high. (so maintaining sailing ability). olewill

[/ QUOTE ]

This is not what I was told by Julian Everett (the designer)when I was adding foam to my eboat to make it positively buoyant.

His view was to add as much foam as possible just under the deck at the bow and the stern and at the area of maximum beam also just under the decks.

Doing this makes the swamped craft more stable when swamped. If too much foam is added in the centre and low down then when swamped it will tend to invert. Or bury it's bow or stern in.

I cannot find a copy of the article I wrote but it was published by the eboat association quite a few years ago. Someone else has tried swamping an eboat with buoyancy fitted and written an article about doing it.(again a few years ago)

My boat was only used for racing so interior space was of minimal importance.

I was prompted to add the buoyancy when I saw an eboat (without the washboards in) capsise and sink within 100 yards of me.

Iain
 
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