Liferaft vs. dinghy

[davidphillips]

I am going to be crossing the channel for the first time at the end of this month (total of four people) and would appreciate advice as to whether I should take a liferaft or if an inflatable dinghy would be sufficient. I imagine that in the case of a disaster, the dinghy would offer as much space as a life raft but without the covering.

 

[Guest]

That's an interesting question. My own preference would be a life raft because of the time taken to blow up the dingy, if say, you had the extreme misfortune to get whacked in the fog in the shipping channels and thus started to sink v. fast. But if you could store the dingy inflated then perhaps I wouldn't bother with the l/r.

Chris Enstone, Rival Spirit

 

[Guest]

It is a matter of relative security - there is unfortunately no such thing as absolute security.

In this situation I agee with Chris that a good dinghy, even partially inflated, provides sufficient relative security for a channel crossing. Perhaps more important is what you have ready to take with you in the dinghy in the event catastrophy strikes. Assuming that aid is never too far away, I would want a hand held VHF, possibly GPS, and the current chart with last position, as well as the usual moderate supply of water and nourishment, protective clothing and a dinghy pump. A small grapnel anchor and rode might also be useful, as well as oars, something to bail with and spare fuel if you have an outboard. This is how I prepare for channel crossings - without a life raft. For longer and further offshore passages (when I get around to making them) I will hire/buy a liferaft.

Have a safe and enjoyable crossing, and enjoy the food/prices when you get there! The feeling of accomplishment of that first time will last for years.

 

[robp]

Another thing you might want to consider, apart from the common sense advice already posted. You will plan on crossing in good weather. But if it turned nasty, a Life-raft would be much more stable and protective in the unhappy event of needing it. I mostly take an inflated dinghy but you need to be sure that it's securely held down on deck. Otherwise it can become a liability if it starts to break free in high wind. You could rent a valise L/R for your first time and then make your own mind up after that. About £40 -£50 for a week.

Enjoy

 

[billmacfarlane]

Most of the advice here is eminently sensible. I always carried a Tinker Tramp tender , not with the liferaft package but with the emergency gas cylinders as a means of inflating it quickly. A grab bag with handheld vhf, water and flares would be a help.

 

[andrewhopkins]

View from above

One thing to consider is that if you did take to a dinghy, rescue services might find it hard to see you, especially if its the usual grey colour. Flares would help but these could run out/not work.

A liferaft roof is luminous red and easy to see.

Also, hypothermia is a real problem and if you are wet and there is a cold wind/night time, the covering of a liferaft will help keep you alive longer

 

[Guest]

Re: View from above

I agree with all of the above,but you must remember that a dinghy is a dinghy and a liferaft is just that! It is purpose made to help save your life should you need it and bye the way just getting into it dry will increase your survival time by a factor of 3. I don't think you would stay very dry on a wet night in the channel sitting in a dinghy

 

[davidhand]

If you are going to use a dingy consider an EPIRB as well it would cut down the time you should have to wait for rescue.
A 406 would give your position and let people know who you are. They aint cheap but cheaper than a liferaft.

 

[Mirelle]

Hire a valise liferaft

You will find this an instructive experience. Where to stow it? Stuff it down the quarterberth is the usual solution - taking out one useable sea berth.....

Being shipmates with a liferaft for a week or two will allow you to come to your own conclusion about whether the sense of security is real and worth the effort or not.

 

[davel]

I crossed for the first time last year and hired a liferaft for the occassion. Happily I didn't need it, but I considered it relatively cheap insurance. My crossing was not at all rough, in daylight and in good conditions, but it was clear enough to me that I wouldn't want to be out there in a dinghy. I came home safe and sound but didn't regret my "insurance premium" one bit.

Hire one for your first crossing then you'll be better placed to evaluate the risks for subsequent trips.

BTW - the fourman valaise raft I hired took up considerably less space than an exuivalent dinghy.

 

[Guest]

I recently went through the same questions, in the last week in June we went across the channel from Devon to Cherbourg with the dinghy semi-inflated on the foredeck.
Very uneventfull crossing and the dinghy provided a comfortable seat to watch for shipping during the night, wearing lifejacket and attached to hardpoints via strop, when we returned home out of curiousity we threw the dinghy overboard and inflated, just to see how it would have worked in an emergency, and it took 10 minutes to have it fully inflated in a choppy wind over tide estuary.

In the end the decision has to be yours and also the crew you are sailing wiith, how much comfort / reassurance a life raft would give.

Enjoy your crossing, its not as daunting as you imagine, and the French marinas are clean and cheap.

Good luck

Exe cruising

 

[PhilipStapleton]

The only times you're likely to abandon the boat are in the case of fire or sinking. For a fire you wouldn't have time to launch even a partially inflated dinghy and if you're sinking the wind/sea are likely to make it totally useless.

It's a liferaft or nothing, really.

 

[alanhanson]

i fuly agree with the above , as a responsible skipper i think you have to consider your crew & you may want to take the risk, but I dont know of many informed crew who would. consider how you would feel if something did go pear shaped & also the potential critisism this could bring upon you & pleasure boating in general.
hire, buy, borrow or steel one <only joking >but certainly if others are involved get a liferaft .
maybe you could do a deal with someone who is not using there boat at the same time to borrow there raft .i would let someone use mine on the understanding that they put something in the servicing kitty & paid for if it was used .
best of luck alan
p.s i thought it really strange i spent a thousand pounds on something i really hope i will never use !

 

[Guest]

An inflatable dinghy is stronger than a liferaft and if big enough and left inflated ready for use that is where I would like to be! A dinghy if launched with your grab bag and water perhaps a poly tarp and blankets would offer much more comfort at the end of the day. If you still like the idea of liferafts read "Survive the Raging Sea" their liferaft started breaking up very quickly. A professional mariner friend of mine who has sailed the world in massive super yachts since the war does not even wear a lifejacket strangely out of the fear of living - think about it - you might hang on for 30 minutes freezing to death ultimately rather than drowning in two minutes!! Abit drastic but these things are to be considered. The RYA says tow your dinghy in fog for safety, perhaps it should be towed all the way across to France ready for use. As long as you use a harness and at least two tow lines use bungy for snubbing the lines - sounds ok to me. By the way, don't abandon ship - let the ship abandon you first - they rarely do in practice. ref: the Fastnet Race Disaster.