Liferaft Video Poll

[Gludy]

With over 800 viewing of the liferaft video since yeterday i would like to know if it had any effect on boaters views.

 

[Alistairr]

But i have nothing to compare it too, I had never seen a liferaft, self righting or not, working before i viewed your video yesterday!

Surely a liferaft of any sorts is better than no liferaft at all.
Sorry, but i am unable to poll.

Cheers

Al.

 

[DAKA]

Before I vote please can you answer two queries

( please excuse my ignorance if these issues have been addressed, I watched the video with great interest but havent had time to read the thread)


Once the liftraft was deployed there was such a huge lapse between

Large life raft easy to jump onto

and roof then popped up to dispel any boarders

I am sure if I was in 'oh @hit mode' I would jump on to the roof of the liferaft before the magical roof threw me back into the water.



And my second query, again requested from blissful ignorance, I thought my existing cheapo life raft also has an inflatable roof designed to inflate the thing upright ?

 

[fluffc]

How long have you been in the employ of Viking?? /forums/images/graemlins/tongue.gif

 

[EddieA]

It looked great self righting, but noticed there was no one inside it when it did.....

 

[Gludy]

Alistair
Yes any life raft is better than none but that is not the question.
/forums/images/graemlins/smile.gif

 

[Gludy]

DAKA
1. It takes a little time for the raft to right itself and it would throw you back in the water if you jumped to early .... you just have to understand that you only jump into asmy raft when you can see what you ar jumping into.

"And my second query, again requested from blissful ignorance, I thought my existing cheapo life raft also has an inflatable roof designed to inflate the thing upright ? "

Nope - your cheapo has a 50% chance of staying upside down when inflated. Very few pleasure boat life rafts are self righting - in fact hardly nay. All commercial passenagr ships are by law after a major loss of life was caused by hafl a sinking boats life rafts inflating upside down.

 

[Gludy]

"It looked great self righting, but noticed there was no one inside it when it did..... "

All life rafts inflate without someone inside them!!!!

If you are inside and it gets knocked over it will still self right.

 

[EddieA]

And there's me thinking that its supposed to right itself if for whatever reason it flips when your in it...doh

 

[Gludy]

"How long have you been in the employ of Viking?? "

I was employed as their new marketing manager only last week and thought it was best to get some free publicity as a start to my job.


......... on the other hand, I find leg pulling still attractive as a past time.

Sorry - I do not make nor have ever made a penny out of any life rafts but I have helped people get good prices on some as a favour.

I never will make any money out of any life rafts ..... period.

The self righting bit is a hobby horse of mine and I am into a lot of video catching up at present in my boatless, or almost boatless state.

 

[DAKA]

I reckon I can buy three cheap rafts for the cost of a Viking.

I already have one cheap one so my plan is


Throw lift raft 1 overboard............upside down, sod it, send swmbo in to see if she can right it........oh well 3 left

Throw liftraft 2 overboard.............wayhey for the law of averages , I got a winner

Put lift raft 3 and 4 into liferaft 2 just in case things really start to go wrong .........oh @hit they are swmbo keeps harping on about the coast guard getting the weather right ......time to deploy the remaining liferafts for some peace and quiet /forums/images/graemlins/smile.gif

 

[mjf]

Gludy you are wrong Im afraid to tell you

"you just have to understand that you only jump into asmy raft when you can see what you ar jumping into".

Rule one - you jump into the water if you jump into the raft you may 1. Hit someone 2. bounce off

Better into the water then right the raft if inverted and haul yourself in and get ready to help others in.

By the way Viking are not the only peeps to make self righting gear

 

[Gludy]

I disagree - the best and the latest advice is to step into the liferaft and try to avoid entering the water at all.

I was only using the word jump in the contect of the point being made but one thing you avoid at all costs is what you are saying - getting into the water and then the raft.

"Better into the water then right the raft if inverted "

That is often impossible to do in real life conditions with wind and waves - a swimming pool is simply not the same and it would be far better to have a self righting raft and avoid the problem all together.

Entering the water near a boat trying to right a raft can pose many dangers including the boat hitting you.

So we totally disagree and the RNLI agrees that dry evacuation into the raft is the best way to go..... so I am not alone.

I fully appreciate that Viking are not alone in self righting rafts I also know of some far east rip offs that are nowhere near the quality.

 

[Gludy]

I wonder why 3 people reckon that the video has lowered their opinion of Viking?

 

[DAKA]

Not sure, I voted for, despite my comments but behind the daft comments is a valid point, you cant hype up something without also advising of the low points or people will turn against it.

I did look at Viking but more than one issue prevented me from purchasing


Availability
cost
weight
dimensions of canister
glued seams as apposed to heat sealed
Hyperlon that does perish as apposed to PVC that lasts longer and does not need re inflation through out the night !



NB
edit

This is my experience of an Avon Hyperlon dinghy, I know others think it is better than PVC because it costs more /forums/images/graemlins/confused.gif

 

[Gludy]

Daka - Viking are easily the best built rafts around - they are available and cost no more than other top makes - which make did you go for?

 

[mjf]

My dear chap - thats fine if you can step into it - ie its alongside and floating nicely by your swim platform, so of course you step in.

You said jump. Which is completely wrong IMHO

On big ships you you will not have that luxury which is why you proceed as I suggest.

 

[DAKA]

I went for the seago, as that was on the shelf.

It has an insulated floor.

I could handle it as lets face it the first priority is to pick it up and lob it overboard !

The Vikings are not readily available

I was offered an 8 person liferaft as that was in stock , they didnt want to carry a full range due to cost, so just keep one 8 person one in and sell it weather suitable or not.



edit

is hyperlon better for a liferaft /forums/images/graemlins/confused.gif

Have viking invested in heat sealing equipment for pvc or do they still hand glue /forums/images/graemlins/ooo.gif ?

Paul
I would also like to make it clear my decision was based on my understanding after research and my understanding could be wrong and anyone else should make their own mind up.
You seamed keen to learn how joe public thought and I answered as joe public.
Cheers
Pete

 

[Gludy]

We are not talking about large ships here but about getting into a raft from your own boat and that is exactly as I stated and not as you stated - jump into the water.

I was responding to a rthaer light hearted point bwhen I responded in the same manner but let us be vertu clear about this.

I would always jump into a raft from a few feet away (like from the boats we boat in not the QE2 where by the way you step in and get lowered into the water)) than jump into the water first.

Straight question - do you agree or not?

Do you a\gree that your advice about entering the water and righting the raft was once taught but has now been changed to dry evacuation whenever possible?

Do you agree that its almost impossible to right say a 6 man raft in any sort of decent sea/wind?

 

[npf1]

FYI - I understnad that the Viking should right itself with people inside. But if it doesn't, there's a breathing 'device' in the base. It's also easier to get into that any other raft I've seen - many others are very difficult unless you're very fit. If anyone is interested in why these features are important, may I suggest browsing the 1998 Sydney Hobart coroner's report. Viking seem to be the only company that has reacted to the recommendations contained in that report. Pretty much all other liferaft manufactuers have cashcowed their products and not updated their designs very much since the recommendations from the 79 Fastnet - that's nearly 30 years ago!

Oh ... jump into raft - not many situations where that should happen surely??? Stepping up is preferable!