Liferafts - Which one is now the 'best'

[WYLMAW]

We are doing a mini re-fit to get the boat ready for our trip to the Med next year. Amongst (many) other things we have to get we need a liferaft. I have been searching for any gear tests on what is on the market at the moment but I can't see anything more current than 2009. I suspect 2009 was a pretty dire year in yachtie circles as every mag, man and dog did a survey then, but I can't find anything mroe recent. Does anyone know where I can get the data to make an objective choice? Failing that can anyone share how they made the choice for the liferaft they bought?

 

[duncan99210]

We have a Seago Offshore, which we thought a reasonable compromise between an ISO one and a very cheapo one. One thing, we discussed liferafts with a number of people and manufacturers; most agreed that you should carry a raft aimed at the usual number of people on board, not the maximum you might carry. The reasoning was that in a larger, under occupied raft, it is more difficult to avoid being thrown about in a rough sea.

We also have a grab bag with additional kit ready to hand to supliment what is stowed on board the raft. Hoepfully, we can grab it before needing to take to the raft.

 

[trevorr]

We went through the same process a couple of years ago, and after reading various reviews in the mags and online we went for the VIKING Liferaft, 4 persons RescYou™ Pro .

Just before ordering it, we did the sea survival course, At this point we changed the spec and went for the self righting version.

http://www.viking-life.com/viking.n...ocument&listing=Liferafts=Liferafts,@Yachting

Best of Luck

Trev

 

[Borden]

Viking for us

I agree with the choice of VIKING Liferaft, 4 persons RescYou™ Pro .
Before our purchase from Viking my wife did a 'degree' in liferafts. The Ocean Safety and Viking ranges are generally reckoned to be the best in the surveys. There are cheaper leferafts but we decided that in extremis we would regret not spending the extra money.
Colin

 

[GrahamM376]

One thing to check is the service situation wherever you will be sailing. Agents for some makes such as Seago are few and far between and repacking by an unathorised service centre will invalidate warranty, as well as them not being notified of potential problems and modifications.

 

[BobnLesley]

"...repacking by an unathorised service centre will invalidate warranty..."

Does that matter much? The liferaft either works at the moment of truth or it doesn't and being serviced by somebody commpetent, whether 'authorised' by the OM or not surely makes them more likely to work; if it doesn't work, you're unlikely to be in a position to go back and make a claim on your warranty.

By the way, ours is an Ocean safety; I can't comment on how good it is at its job, but the blue bag it's in looks very pretty.

 

[GrahamM376]

"...repacking by an unathorised service centre will invalidate warranty..."

Does that matter much? The liferaft either works at the moment of truth or it doesn't and being serviced by somebody commpetent, whether 'authorised' by the OM or not surely makes them more likely to work; if it doesn't work, you're unlikely to be in a position to go back and make a claim on your warranty.

By the way, ours is an Ocean safety; I can't comment on how good it is at its job, but the blue bag it's in looks very pretty.

I think it matters, there are sometimes product recalls or modified parts to be fitted at service which only agents are aware of.

 

[Roberto]

Failing that can anyone share how they made the choice for the liferaft they bought?

Another Viking for us.

Re servicing, the servicing station told me Viking requires a lot more things to be replaced with regards to other manufacturers, FWIW a regular servicing here costs 4-500euro, a Viking one around 700.


I once translated an article about liferafts and RIB written by the technical director of a big (possibly the biggest) manufacturer of inflatable boats and structures for civil and military clients, the original in French has disappeared from the original site,
http://www.hisse-et-oh.com/articles/article.php?article=952

the Italian language version is here
http://sybrancaleone.blogspot.fr/2010/04/autogonfiabili-e-gommoni.html

I put it into google translate into English and looks understandable, but it exceeds the word count limit of YBW messages so I cannot post it here, should you wish I can send it by email.

 

[Roberto]

"...repacking by an unathorised service centre will invalidate warranty..."

Does that matter much? The liferaft either works at the moment of truth or it doesn't and being serviced by somebody commpetent, whether 'authorised' by the OM or not surely makes them more likely to work; if it doesn't work, you're unlikely to be in a position to go back and make a claim on your warranty.

By the way, ours is an Ocean safety; I can't comment on how good it is at its job, but the blue bag it's in looks very pretty.

Surely not warranty, but repacking is -statistically- a potentially very invalidating operation.
A very good servicing keeps the liferaft similar to its original conditions, an average servicing usually gives back a liferaft with a lower standard of operation, namely due to incorrect folding, incorrect packing (moisture content, etc).
During the first four years, its efficiency appears to remain intact, which is good for the initial buyer of the liferaft.

An interesting document about servicing intervals here (sorry I have the French language link but the document is available in English too)

http://data.tc.gc.ca/archive/fra/innovation/cdt-projets-maritime-d-9269-1240.htm

 

[MASH]

The "best" is the one you never have to use.

There is so little practical and subjective study on liferaft performance that the question is frankly meaningless.

The seakeeping or survival attributes of one liferaft against another is impossible to quantify realistically. The contents and equipment might make an interesting study but WTF? Are you going to be relying on it for survival in the Pacific for 40 days, or in the channel for 4 hours in which case water sachets are utterly irrelevant...just as they are for 40 days in the Pacific...

A liferaft that inflates when required, stays inflated and remains upright is surely all that is required. Supplies, pyros, water, SARBEs, champagne and hot and cold running women are up to the operator to provide.
Bear in mind that the 6 man raft you bought for your boat's max capacity is likely (a euphemism for "almost certainly") to be dangerously unstable with only one or two people on board in a blow...

You decide. You buy. You use your skill and judgement to avoid using them cos the correct name for these dam things is "death (NOT life) rafts".

They're a last resort - the absolute, utterly and very last resort and if you use one for real you've thrown out every single solitary last chance that God gave you and irrevocably committed your soul to the Old Grey Widowmaker in one of the least likely vessels ever contrived to carry people on the Poole Park boating lake, let alone in an ocean storm. Caveat Emptor, buddy! In it's most literal sense.

Avoid like the very plague, but have your "in extremis" plan well developed (thought through) , well practiced, well briefed and well understood.

Bon Chance!


Just use your skills so you never have to go there. "Life" rafts are killers.

 

[Tranona]

Wash your mouth out! How dare you question liferafts? - But I agree with you. What little data their is available about their use for real does not fill one with confidence. The difficulties encountered are firstly failure to inflate, sometimes because of poor servicing, Inflating upside down, difficulty in boarding and falling apart. All of these occur with rafts across the "quality" spectrum, and also in controlled tests.

You have to recognise that their use for real is in extreme conditions and it is unrealistic to expect such a flimsy thing to be a secure as you would like. However there will always be situations where there is no alternative and the key thing is for it to inflate reliably, be easy to board and be stable. Modern communications are such that rescue is likely to be quick or not at all.

There have been many recent improvements relating particularly to boarding and stability, so maybe when you are choosing your raft it is more important to look at how easy it is to use, and if you are serious about someday needing to use it go on the survival course. After that you will no doubt be much clearer about what you need rather than trying to work out what is the "best" in an abstract way.

One thing is for sure - once you have done the survival course you will ensure you do everything in your power to avoid having to use a liferaft for real.

 

[charles_reed]

Wash your mouth out! How dare you question liferafts? - But I agree with you. What little data their is available about their use for real does not fill one with confidence. The difficulties encountered are firstly failure to inflate, sometimes because of poor servicing, Inflating upside down, difficulty in boarding and falling apart. All of these occur with rafts across the "quality" spectrum, and also in controlled tests.

You have to recognise that their use for real is in extreme conditions and it is unrealistic to expect such a flimsy thing to be a secure as you would like. However there will always be situations where there is no alternative and the key thing is for it to inflate reliably, be easy to board and be stable. Modern communications are such that rescue is likely to be quick or not at all.

There have been many recent improvements relating particularly to boarding and stability, so maybe when you are choosing your raft it is more important to look at how easy it is to use, and if you are serious about someday needing to use it go on the survival course. After that you will no doubt be much clearer about what you need rather than trying to work out what is the "best" in an abstract way.

One thing is for sure - once you have done the survival course you will ensure you do everything in your power to avoid having to use a liferaft for real.

Tranona's attitude is similar to mine.

Having spent some time in a liferaft (a training exercise that went awry) I think I'd prefer to drown quickly rather than slowly in a raft.

IMHO a properly registered 406 EPIRB is far higher up the list than a liferaft.

If I were doing transoceanic passages than I might now consider a raft _ I bought mine when I was young and eager - it's a BfA 4 man and, on average, has cost €250 bi-annually to have it serviced to RORC Offshore standards.

Insulated floor - self-righting - multiple chambers, canopy are amongst the things you need - all the cheap ones miss out on one or another of those.

 

[WYLMAW]

Oh dear....

.... I seem to have stuck a stick in wasps nest!

Just to set the record straight I have been very fortunate to have completed the 5 day offshore survival course twice, including the famous ' now get out of this upside down helicopter after we have spun it round and up and down and shoved it several fathoms underwater - in the dark, and was so impressed both times I even gave my husband the RYA version of the course for a birthday present. How he laughed.

I learnt many things on the courses - both about survival and about myself including :
1) it is pretty well impossible for a weak and feeble woman like myself to right a liferaft if it is upside down - nothing to do with strength more to do with physiology - how the guys enjoyed the stories of all the women on the courses who couldn't right the things, even female Olympic sailors
2) even strong, fit young men can collapse once they get into the liferaft - presumably from shock/relief even in the training pools and need instant medial assistance which I would struggle to provide in a foul sea on my own.
3) 30 minutes in a liferaft is about enough for most people, after that I am not sure how long I would last no matter which raft I chose.

I am new to the Forum, I posed my question carefully, I know there is no 'best' liferaft, just as there is no 'best' boat or even a 'best' man. I am grateful for the views of you all and appreciate the time you took to share them with me.

Let the debate continue - play nicely though, boys.

 

[Anders_P42]

I've been looking in to life raft options, ocean safety looked a good one. But with £1500 worth loosely tied on are these stolen on a regular basis?

Anders

 

[PhilipH]

We went through the same process a couple of years ago, and after reading various reviews in the mags and online we went for the VIKING Liferaft, 4 persons RescYou™ Pro .

Just before ordering it, we did the sea survival course, At this point we changed the spec and went for the self righting version.

http://www.viking-life.com/viking.n...ocument&listing=Liferafts=Liferafts,@Yachting

Best of Luck

Trev

+1

 

[Borden]

Life rafts - stealability

Our Viking RescYou Pro lives in it's plastic container in a ss tubular cradle that's bolted to the pushpit. It has a hydrostatic release so will self launch if immersed.
When we're not at sea there is a hefty stainless arm (supplied as part of the cradle) with padlock that secures the liferaft into the cradle. When going to sea the arm is removed and stowed below. There's a simple yet clever hinge which enables the locking arm to be completely removed.
As for stealing it, it's not a lightweight so equipment will be needed (a wheelbarrow for example).
Personally I wouldn't buy a liferaft in a bag as they are more portable, that's why they're in a bag. For security get one in a plastic container and bolt it on.

 

[prv]

with £1500 worth loosely tied on are these stolen on a regular basis?

Most people lock them when the boat is not in use. Either a locking mechanism built into the cradle, or just a motorbike lock or similar applied as an afterthought. Or some people move them into the cabin, but that's awkward and anyway not really an option for a liveaboard.

In my opinion the best arrangement is a valise raft (lighter, cheaper, easier to manhandle), protected by being stored in a purpose-built locker in or near the cockpit. But this pretty much has to be designed into the boat, and is fairly rare.

Pete

 

[prv]

Our Viking RescYou Pro lives in it's plastic container in a ss tubular cradle that's bolted to the pushpit.

Seems to be increasingly common these days, and certainly easier to use than one strapped to the foredeck. But I wonder about the loads that a big liferaft imposes on the pushpit as you lurch over every wave...

Pete

 

[Tradewinds]

Viking recall

I think it matters, there are sometimes product recalls or modified parts to be fitted at service which only agents are aware of.

Found this while googling Viking RescYou Pro - think it's a 2012 notice

Faulty pressure relief valves

Some owners may be aware of the problem (or maybe not )

 

[npf1]

Found this while googling Viking RescYou Pro - think it's a 2012 notice

Faulty pressure relief valves

Some owners may be aware of the problem (or maybe not )

There was a recall in 2006/7 IIRC - this notice might be from then.