Liferafts?

[D3B]

with the new boat imminent and the plan of doing lots of sea hours i have decided to have my own liferaft rather than hire one when going on long trips.
One of the boat mags did a feature on liferafts recently and i have thrown away my copy.
is it available online? where?
any other help/advise from the vast knowledge of the forumites.
thanks

Doug

 

[Wiggo]

Think it was in MBM, so not online, but they'll sell you a reprint. I'll summarise later.

 

[Peppermint]

Re: If you\'ve not done it

Get you of for a sea survival course. It's good fun and the instructor will give you chapter and verse on liferafts and all the other safety kit.

 

[D3B]

Thanks Wiggo

i was beginning to think no-one had LR on board

i will look forward to your knowledgable reply

 

[D3B]

Re: If you\'ve not done it

How many courses do i need to do /forums/images/graemlins/confused.gif
day skipper
radio
engine.....

does the lis ever end?

 

[kindredspirit]

If I was going to buy one, I'd buy a self righting one because its a big difference between tipping it over in a swimming pool and tipping it right way up in real life in a possibly awesome sea.



I think the article was in MBM. You'd have to buy a back copy unless someone here will kindly post you one.

 

[Wiggo]

Not knowledgeable at all, just what MBM thort. Anyway, just cos we don't meet your SLA targets doesn't mean we don't take things seriously...

Best Buy - Lifeguard Forties B, 6 man valise, £1255
Recommended - Plastimo Cruiser ORC, 6 man canister, £1085

Verdict: substantial differences in what you get for the money - Plastimo was a quality all-rounder, Lifeguard better if you can afford it and plan to do longer passages, Seago did the job at a very attractive price.

Watch me get sued by the copyright folks at IPC...

 

[Gludy]

Go for a well buil;t one that is self righting like the Viking - no rope ladders that simply do not work - proper steps you can crawl into and there is a 50% chance of other inflating upside down!

 

[steverow]

As others have said, go for a decent one.
The difference in Price between a self righting ILR like the Viking and something like a Plastimo or a Seago, is about 700 quid.
You have to calculate how much your life is worth...is it worth the extra 700 quid??.

I'm not saying that the cheap ones will not work...but they are not "guaranteed" to launch the right way up, and righting a liferaft in a rough sea when suffering from fatigue, shock and possibly hypothermia is not probably a do-able thing.
Unless it has a proper step, it can be difficult to drag yourself into it, with wet clothing.

Go for the most expensive you can afford.
And dont forget the grab bag with spare charged handheld, Water, torch, food,
extra woolies...etc etc etc.
The MBM article was in the Jan 2005 issue, and specifically tested budget liferafts.

Steve

 

[Gludy]

I think the price difference is a but less than that.

Frankly a lot of liferafts I have seen are not much better than airbeds.

How you are meant to enter then via a little rope ladder defies beleive - as soon as you put a foot on it, it goes horizontal!

The only time you will ever come to need a liferaft I guarantee you that you would have wished you had got a good one.

Make sure it has a double insulated floor as well.

 

[Piers]

Try calling John at Nationwide. He's always been v helpful to me and other forumites. Good advice, will deliver to the door (marina) and do the servicing as well.

01925 245 788 or 07885 631 066

Piers

 

[D3B]

To all

thanks very much. advise worth listening to.

its gonna be more expensive than i first thought but then my life is worth "loads o money" /forums/images/graemlins/cool.gif

 

[Admiral_P_Brain]

Does anyone know which ones can be used for chartering ie. up to the MCA code??

 

[Wiggo]

Think the new standard is ISAF, but could be wrong... Seago do an ISAF one, but it's more than twice the price of their non-compliant one. Still, if it's for charter, you have no choice.

 

[Gludy]

I think the chartering code is not too concerend with the liferaft itself just want equipment is with it. afew years ago it was just SOLAS kit and you were OK.