What make/model of life raft would you recommend?

MAFWeiss

MAFWeiss

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I am looking to buy a life raft for 8 people for my new Prestige 680. Whilst we will rarely be sailing beyond 10nm of the coast, but I would always rather account for worst case scenario for the odd occasion when we might be 100nm offshore. Given we will often be only two onboard, I have also read that it is worth considering buying two rafts for four people since they will be easier to keep balanced in rough seas and also warmer. As far as storage is concerned, there is the open space under the fly bridge bench seating, though I note that many larger yachts have them stepped to the outside of the flybridge railings. Finally, any preferences between having hard case or soft? Any advice gratefully received!
 
MAFWeiss said:
I am looking to buy a life raft for 8 people for my new Prestige 680. Whilst we will rarely be sailing beyond 10nm of the coast, but I would always rather account for worst case scenario for the odd occasion when we might be 100nm offshore. Given we will often be only two onboard, I have also read that it is worth considering buying two rafts for four people since they will be easier to keep balanced in rough seas and also warmer. As far as storage is concerned, there is the open space under the fly bridge bench seating, though I note that many larger yachts have them stepped to the outside of the flybridge railings. Finally, any preferences between having hard case or soft? Any advice gratefully received!
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An 8 person life raft is very heavy and would take some lifting out of a locker, and then you have to get it down the stairs to launch the lump.

Go for 2 x 4 man units, one hard case and one soft valise for when you are two up.

You can keep the valise raft in the cockpit locker when on the boat and easily launch it by yourself.

I have this arrangement and just lift the valise raft into the saloon for safe storage when the boat is left.
 
If you are planning to charter the boat it's better to have canister raft(s), as the servicing requirements are less onerous. It's a bit of a nonsense rule of course, as valise rafts are usually left inside in the warm and dry, whereas canisters are strapped to the deck, but I don't write the rules. Having said that I haven't checked in a while, so happy to be corrected if this rule has changed.

I have one 10 man raft, stored on the flybridge, but I have no intention of carrying it down the stairs :D
 
Nick_H said:
If you are planning to charter the boat it's better to have canister raft(s), as the servicing requirements are less onerous. It's a bit of a nonsense rule of course, as valise rafts are usually left inside in the warm and dry, whereas canisters are strapped to the deck, but I don't write the rules. Having said that I haven't checked in a while, so happy to be corrected if this rule has changed.

I have one 10 man raft, stored on the flybridge, but I have no intention of carrying it down the stairs :D
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Our boat is definitely not for chartering... its another home!
 
Look at the Plastimo life rafts.

They are well built and from new have a 5 year service interval as they are sealed in a heavy duty plastic bag.

IIrc you can get open rafts with single skin floors for coastal areas up to full covered (roof) and insulated floor jobs for the long distance ocean sailors.

I have a 12 man which I have seen blown up when serviced and the service agent who services most makes tells me they are well made.

An 8 man raft for a 6.8m boat is very large?

I originally had a valise liferaft which I kept in the cabin which I kept in the cabin, it was always in the way, weighed a ton, a ball ache to move. If I was you I would get a canister one fitted in a rack on the transom. Also a fire in the cabin or engine space you will not be keen to go in the cabin to get the liferaft.
 
Noted , I was thinking of a 22ft boat ?

I have a 48ft where a lot of people would use a 6 or 8 man life raft we mainly are two or 4 people very occasionally more, I would not want to choose who got in the life raft and who did not.

Look for canister in a cradle with a canopy and Plastimo. Ps their cradles are crap do as I did and have one made so it is effectively self launching an 8 man life raft is a ball breaker.
 
I would get an Italian brand for ease of local service -collect /del in the Napes area .
The papers for mine are on the boat -bare with me I,ll drop in over Easter and find out exactly what it is .
Boat was a ex chater /water taxi from Naples to a fancy hotel on Capri.
I would also get an ERIPB -assuming you are getting all concerned re safety in respect of a sinking boat .Put it in or near a grab bag ,so some one can enter the liferaft carrying it .
One thing is jumping into it ( liferaft ) as the boat sinks ,another is the rescue services coming to find you -think Costa Concordia ,the reassuring sound of Italian Helicopters

Storage
A bag Under a cockpit seat is the most discrete -which auto goes off .Perhaps at build you can liaise with Prestige ? -on it's location -I suspect they will have a space for one bag -in a cut out or under a seat ?
Ours is pretty big it's ether an 8 person can,t remember or bigger ?
Here,s a pic it sits on that engine hatch ( one of two hatches )
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L shaped insert with a cushion covers it up neatly ,but loosely .

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We have Two ERIPB one auto -goes off -supposedly ? -came with the boat -and another -mine - in the grab bag for manual set off .
 
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Its also wise to have the right size raft for the number of people you would have normally on board. The idea of two life-rafts rather than one big one makes a lot of sense.
Beside the obvious problems of weight with one large life- raft, a large raft with only two people or four people in it is extremely unstable in a big sea. They are designed that the people in it provide the right balance and stability.
Dont just buy a life-raft book a sea survival course and experience using one. Its a real eye opener to how difficult they are to get into unless you are young and fit. I did mine probably 20 years ago when I was a lot stronger and fitter and struggled to get from the water into the raft and that was in a swimming pool without the fear motion and cold of a real emergency.
 
As regards brand, I like ocean safety but there are several top quality makes so you might want to get dimensions that suit your storage location. I'd get a canister type so there is several years of no servicing

As regards size I would get big rather than small. I get the point that they are more stable with the correct number of people but they're also incredibly cramped. With your sort of med boating you're going to be getting into thr LR not because of a force 12 storm with mountainous seas, but because of a hole in the hull or a fire. And only then if you can't deploy the tender fast enough. While you're waiting to be rescued you might as well have a bit of space, frankly.

My philosophy is to have a decent tender, keep it fueled to a level that will get you to land (1/4 full is ok for coastal cruising; fill it for long offshore trips) have proper comms and gps/plotter on it, big drogue, and that is your first choice of life raft if the mother ship is holed or sets on fire. I'd only choose the official LR in a massive storm. Top preference is to get in the tender with life raft canister on board perhaps, or if you have 8 pax then launch the tender plus one LR

I have 2x8 man ocean safety canister LRs because I need that capacity but you might want to consider a 4 and a 6 man. The 8 man canisters are seriously heavy. I would always have two LRs: tcm on here can tell the story of launching his and the canister didn't even open. It sank like a brick.

While we're sort of on the topic, I'd also take as much gear as you can to stop you ever using the LR. Apart from the obvious things I would suggest (as discussed recently on mjf's thread) a fire system that tells you WHERE the fire is; a 2mx3m cringled piece of sunbrella cloth with long lines, to patch over a hole in the hull (never tried it but it feels like a good idea); the biggest 230v electric pump you can carry with a rolled up hose 1/2 length of boat, so you can keep up with the inflow from a decent hole (I don't buy the idea of using the engine cooling pumps; their flow rate ain't huge); a set of scuba gear of course to free the props; and a tow line properly ready to deploy.
 
jfm said:
tcm on here can tell the story of launching his and the canister didn't even open. It sank like a brick.
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Wow. Makes me wonder if the contents actually were bricks (it's happened, after "servicing" in some parts of the world). Even with a faulty valve preventing inflation, liferafts in their valises or canisters float!

Pete
 
Just taken the life raft in for a service off the new boat and been told that they were recalled in 2010 because they dont inflate. Exchange life raft on the way thanks to Universal Safety. Great guys and great service.
 
I'm with JFM on this. The tender is the primary escape device. Prepped ready to go with the kill cord already fitted, painter attached to the bathing platform, straps can be cut away in a hurry. Much faster to launch, and easier to get into than the life raft. clearly for travelling further afield, the life raft is the right option, but we are coastal cruisers at the moment.
 
Hi Anders, - yup, i did a bit of investigative comparisons and arrived at that brand as well. How about the question of skipping service intervals when in the Pacific?
 
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