Liferafts

[Mister E]

If I where to purchase a Liferaft it would be because I considered fire to be the biggest problem. If so I think I would want the canister type as you would need to be quick in launching.
For the type of sailing I/we do towing the tender does.

 

[robertj]

I’m just waiting for someone to post who has used one and can share their views . I don’t propose to practice by staying overnight on my current version though.

I have used one and deployed it on many occasions for training.
All but 2 of the training deployments were in flat calm weather which is no problem to fit, strong people.
Now the others were in lively f5-6 conditions one of those in a nasty easterly ( abandoned and repositioned after first deployment) which changed the whole situation.
The old saying ‘you step up into a life raft’ is so true.
righting a a life raft is exceptionally hard which when young you have the strength to accomplish it, older or like most of us ‘old gits’ would be nigh on impossible.
the bailing is unbelievable in rough conditions as they do ship water easily until you’re all battened down inside. Once inside that’s when the nausea takes over.
it’s not a pleasant experience at all.
The other of free swimming without one is not an exceptable option in my view.
As already posted it’s better for coastal/channel hopping to buy cheaper and invest in location devices but ocean crossing you’re raft might be your home for quite a while before rescue.

 

[robertj]

Practicing being rescued from one by an imaginary helicopter was fun though .

The training centre played engine and rotor noises at us through speakers, ran a big fan, and then lowered a helicopter strop into the raft on an electric hoist from the pool roof. One by one we got winched up to a balcony and then directed to walk back down the stairs.

Pete

my first training lift to a seaking was quite enlightening. Knowing the drill helped but someone in a real situation I can imagine being completely frightening. The divers brief you when lined in then away you go.There is no elasticity in the cable so every shock is transferred to ones armpits.

 

[PilotWolf]

Consider renting if you want one.

That way in general all you pay is rental.

The boat I worked on a good few years ago moved down from owning to renting, they replaced our 12 man raft with a rental unit. The one we traded in was condemned - I can't remember how much it would have cost us to refurb/buy new but I think it was quit a lot of rum!

I think a years rental was way less than replacement

W.

 

[PilotWolf]

Practicing being rescued from one by an imaginary helicopter was fun though .

The training centre played engine and rotor noises at us through speakers, ran a big fan, and then lowered a helicopter strop into the raft on an electric hoist from the pool roof. One by one we got winched up to a balcony and then directed to walk back down the stairs.

Pete

RNLI pool?

W.

 

[awol]

I am certainly not a hard-core racer but I do take part (except this year) in a couple of races that require a liferaft. It used to be "offshore" but now ISO9650-1 and, of course, has to be in-date. About £2200 for 12 years - not much when compared with parking! But, like flares, EPIRB, PLB, horse-shoe floats, dan buoy, lifejackets, etc., I have no intention of ever needing to use it.

 

[prv]

RNLI pool?

No, a commercial training centre mostly used by the offshore oil (and now also wind-farm) industry. It was a three day course and we also did other interesting stuff like smoke escape, firefighting, the helicopter dunker, being lowered to the water in a davit-launched enclosed lifeboat, and going down a "Norwegian" escape chute. I've never actually been to an oil platform or a wind turbine, but for a work project a few years ago the customer required us to have the training paperwork just in case.

Pete

 

[Robin]

My thoughts were concentrated when living aboard in USA because a) their costs were eye watering b) servicing costs were off the galaxy. Most opted for ever ready tenders stowed or towed. I decided that a decent RIB stowed on deck with a launching 'davit or on stern davits was a suitable option when we were mostly coastal/ ICW and even twixt Florida and Bahamas would never be more than 30 mls from land and in VHF range. On our liveaboard trawler motor yacht the RIB sat on the sundeck hard top lifted up/down bya motoriseddavit crane . Later after a stroke and when not permanent liveaboards we bought a centre cockpit Benny Oceanis 36 and put a 10ft RIB on stern davits. In both cases the RIBs had 10hp outboards and at 20kts 2 -up could get us to dry land quick if not in a hurricane. Now back in UK and living on a mobo again, we have a valise liferaft, inherited and overdue service, but first choice again would be our 10ft RIB hanging in davits. I should add I cannot envisage abandoning to a plastic paddling pool except for fire or catestrophic collision, not a South Atlantic storm. We no longer sail in gales (she told me years bac)

Not withstanding the above, when we cruised a 41ft Sun Legende in all weathers and occasionally raced, we carried a 6 man (sorry , person) cannister raft in a cradle mounted on the pushpit, it was too heavy to lift launch from on deck but could be manually released singlehanded to drop free from it's pushpit cradle. We had the same arrangement, but Plastimo raft, on our previous W33 ketch

This is very much a personal risk assessment choice/situation and what suits one may be seen as totally crazy, or OTT by another.

 

[PilotWolf]

No, a commercial training centre mostly used by the offshore oil (and now also wind-farm) industry. It was a three day course and we also did other interesting stuff like smoke escape, firefighting, the helicopter dunker, being lowered to the water in a davit-launched enclosed lifeboat, and going down a "Norwegian" escape chute. I've never actually been to an oil platform or a wind turbine, but for a work project a few years ago the customer required us to have the training paperwork just in case.

Pete

OK. Just they have the same set up,

I enjoyed firefighting in the UK at least.

The dunker still gives me nightmares!

W.

 

[rogerthebodger]

I have a Viking 6 man canister on my boat in a cradle mounted on the stern rail with quick release clips that I can padlock closed when not on passage.

At the first service I and SWMBO watched the operation of the life raft so we could see what would happen if used .

I also did a STCW cause which included life raft entry and as it happened we use a viking which had an inflatable entry steps that made entry from the water easy.

If I wish to sail over 40 nm offshore I must have a life raft so I have no choice.

I sail in much warmer waters than the UK but have less SAR stations especially north from my home port. We also have fish with very big teeth swimming around.

I view a life raft like insurance I have it incase but hope I will never need to use it.

Mine is currently 9 years old and had it second service last year. Yes the cost is high bit what price is piece of mind.

The important thing is to wait until you need to step UP to get in your life raft as your boat is a much better life raft than a rubber boat in open sea.

Also don't forget a grab bag and a 5 lit plastic can part filled with fresh water tied to your life raft.

 

[Praxinoscope]

On my last boat I had a Canister RFD liferaft fitted on the deck just aft of the mast, this was a convenient position for it and I believe a better position than fwd of the mast where one often sees them fitted. On my present boat I have now gone for a valise Seago liferaft stored in the cabin but just to one side of the hatch for easy access.
I decided upon this option for the following reasons, 1. There just did not seem to be a practical place on the deck to mount a canister unit, 2. After some 50 years of sailing I have never even got the point of even considering activating the l/r so decided 3. My sailing has changed in that I no longer undertake blue water passages, coastal sailing and the occasional trip across the Irish Sea or up to the Isle of Man now being my longest trips, (maybe a bit concerned by the comment in #17 re 8 days in a l/r in the Irish Sea, but as I carry an EPIRB hopefully not likely).
I have done the RYA survival at sea course and am aware of the difficulties of accessing a l/r so would certainly hope that if I had to use one in anger that I would have the presence of mind to wait until the last minute and 'step up' into it.
My new Seago l/r has yet to reach its first service so I haven't actually seen it inflated yet, but I will do the same as I did with my RFD and ask the service centre to arrange a time for the service that I can be there when they inflate it so I can see it out of its valise and inflated. How many things do you pay a reasonably large amount of cash for and never actually see what you have bought apart from it's packaging?

 

[prv]

maybe a bit concerned by the comment in #17 re 8 days in a l/r in the Irish Sea, but as I carry an EPIRB hopefully not likely).

Have a read of the Irish accident investigation; it seems to have been a bit of catalogue of disaster from the get-go. They only had the liferaft, bought that morning, because someone in authority told them they had to - and presumably saved their life.

They ended up drifting in the raft because they had no way of calling for help. The VHF didn’t work, and of course EPIRBs and PLBs were less common in 2004. They sprinkled petrol in the wheelhouse and set fire to it as they abandoned ship, as an attempt at a distress signal, but succeeded only in burning the skipper and blowing him back out the doorway.

Pete

 

[dulls]

Practicing being rescued from one by an imaginary helicopter was fun though .

The training centre played engine and rotor noises at us through speakers, ran a big fan, and then lowered a helicopter strop into the raft on an electric hoist from the pool roof. One by one we got winched up to a balcony and then directed to walk back down the stairs.

Pete

Was that at Warsash?

A raft is a comfort to have if you sail off shore. I didn't bother with one until I started going across Biscay. If you want one for peace of mind and only do two or three trips across the Channel a year, then you would be better off hireing one. If the majority of your sailing is local coastal, then I wouldn't bother replaceing, I would self service and keep what you have.

The problem with life rafts as they age is that the glues perish so there is a lifetime to them. They are not built to the quality of say an avon dinghy. mind you the glues have also improved as well so i may be a tad out of date with that. We often used time expired life rafts for the training and one did literally come apart at the seams as it inflated.

 

[prv]

Was that at Warsash?

Nope - up near Newcastle somewhere.

Pete

 

[Pete7]

I personally would get the cheapest one you can and also look at the servicing costs.

Our Seago 4 man service was about £260, 18 months ago and that included the cylinder test which would have expired before the next 3 years were up. Arranged through Arthur's Chandlery in Gosport who we originally bought it from. They sent it to Seago on the van for the service and back in about 3 weeks during the winter.

The main reason we have a raft is a possible fire on board mid channel.

 

[[163233]]

Valise rafts have a shorter service interval than the canister ones. Adec marine do a good value iso raft.

 

[dulls]

Our Seago 4 man service was about £260, 18 months ago and that included the cylinder test which would have expired before the next 3 years were up. Arranged through Arthur's Chandlery in Gosport who we originally bought it from. They sent it to Seago on the van for the service and back in about 3 weeks during the winter.

The main reason we have a raft is a possible fire on board mid channel.

You can pick up a new liferaft for between 550 and 700 quid. Maybe no service and buy a new one every 9 years? Similar costs assuming a 3 year service interval.

 

[Beneteau381]

I personally would get the cheapest one you can and also look at the servicing costs.

I started doing an article on them, it would appear, doing the recommended manufacturer servicing over the recommended life span, paying for carriage etc that it is cheaper to buy a new one every service time and flog the old one on ebay!

 

[dulls]

I started doing an article on them, it would appear, doing the recommended manufacturer servicing over the recommended life span, paying for carriage etc that it is cheaper to buy a new one every service time and flog the old one on ebay!

You might be right. After selling the second hand one against the balance of the service you could be onto something.

 

[Buck Turgidson]

Practicing being rescued from one by an imaginary helicopter was fun though .

The training centre played engine and rotor noises at us through speakers, ran a big fan, and then lowered a helicopter strop into the raft on an electric hoist from the pool roof. One by one we got winched up to a balcony and then directed to walk back down the stairs.

Pete

I used to fly nimrods. We did a yearly life raft drill in the moray firth. MS10 was thrown in and we all jumped off the back off a boat. 1st man to right the life raft as it was always flipped inverted first last man had fake injury so someone from the raft had to swim out and rescue.
A couple of hours sitting getting sea sick as the boat created as much chop as they could and then we got lifted by Helicopter and taken back to base for a tot of rum.

All good fun but not really testing as far as survival goes.

On the job most of the calls I went on were to fishing boats with serious injuries on board. But there were a few downed Aircraft too. Never in my time to an abandoned yacht. I guess they were all inshore and didn't need us.