Life Rafts

Inquiry*** for those of you that venture off shore, do you carry a valise type life raft, or do you rely on your dinghy?******* KJ

I know you're asking people who do venture off-shore. We don't and have no intention of doing so. But if we did, we'd carry a purpose-built survival raft of some sort. We would not rely on our dinghy. I did a lot of fishing in Hawaii off the north shore of Oahu through the 1970s. We'd go some 20 or 30 miles out, and even on a nice day, the swells and wind waves on top of them would reduce the lifeboat value of something like the Livingston dinghy on our GB today to mere minutes. An inflatable or RIB would fare better but if it had a decent size outboard on it I wouldn't be surprised if it swamped quickly over the transom or even flipped.*

If you're boating in cold water like we have here you need something that will keep you out of the water.* Being in the water and hanging onto an overturned dinghy or sitting in a swamped dinghy is not a good way to ensure a particularly long life unless you're in a survival suit.


-- Edited by Marin on Monday 31st of January 2011 02:40:21 AM

I venture offshore a fair bit but don't carry a liferaft.
My tender is aluminium with side floats.( Aerofloats). They keep my dingy afloat even when it is chock a block full of water.
The outboard is always on it along with a full can of fuel.
May not be there if situation was a total disaster, but mostly you could count on it.
It is released from the cabin top of boat so along with escape bag all should be good.

Benn

-- Edited by Tidahapah on Monday 31st of January 2011 05:04:02 AM

Yes, carry a Winslow extended offshore LR. Also have a separate ditch bag and a 406 Mhz GPIRB.

We have a valise type life raft (I can't remember which make) and an epirb... Hopefully we will never need to use either!

what is considered off-shore?

would love to see life raft type equipment reviewed by members?
we have an inflatable which will get you off a sinking or burning boat but thats about it..

Off shore.

*If you can't see the shore.

*It is to far to swim.
*
If the swells are taller than your boat.

You know when one moment you can see for miles the next all you see is walls of water and sky.

SD




-- Edited by skipperdude on Monday 31st of January 2011 03:50:08 PM

Our offshore runs in NJ are usually lazy Summer cruises from inlet to inlet up*or down the beach.**This is probably not really offshore but it is the Atlantic Ocean, always have the inflatable dinghy ready to go, but no real life raft.* JohnP

JohnP wrote:

Our offshore runs in NJ are usually lazy Summer cruises from inlet to inlet up*or down the beach.**This is probably not really offshore but it is the Atlantic Ocean, always have the inflatable dinghy ready to go, but no real life raft.* JohnP

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John:

Do you tow your dinghy or stow it aboard? We have towed ours for years behind the* two boats we have had w/o problems. However, with thoughts of future cruising farther afield in mind, where marinas and locks might be in play, are perusing the options.

*

dwhatty wrote:


JohnP wrote:

Our offshore runs in NJ are usually lazy Summer cruises from inlet to inlet up*or down the beach.**This is probably not really offshore but it is the Atlantic Ocean, always have the inflatable dinghy ready to go, but no real life raft.* JohnP

Click to expand...

John:

Do you tow your dinghy or stow it aboard? We have towed ours for years behind the* two boats we have had w/o problems. However, with thoughts of future cruising farther afield in mind, where marinas and locks might be in play, are perusing the options.

*
We have a 9.something'* West Marine inflatable by Zodiac. And a 6 hp OB.** I carry it on the swimplatform, I tie it off to the rails and it is very secure.*** Being shorter than the transom width it does not stick out either side.* So no docking, locking , issues.


I carry it in the way it makes the most sense for the intended use.


If we are just going gunkholeing locally I may tow it. I would never tow it thru an inlet.

If we are ranging out and have to run down the coast I will lash it on the swimplatform.

If we are cruising inland and will have access to docks I*usually put it away and stow it beneath the aft deck.

Its not a perfect system but it works for us.* JohnP

*




*

We have a Givens 8 man in a hard shell that is currently installed on the sailboat we took to Hawaii/ did ocean races on.* We intend to get a smaller valise style for our trawler before we venture offshore.*

If you decide to carry a liferaft, make sure it is serviced/repacked as per manufacturers instructions. To delay service is to sail with a false sense of security. The downside of liferafts are the maint costs. For inland and coastwise service , I would forego the liferaft for a purpose built hard skiff life saving appliance. See Phil Bolgers "Fast Brick" or full floatation boats designed for the task. There is another boat built in Maine, whose name escapes me. It is roto molded.Pricey
but suitable for intended service.

We carry a Tinker sailing inflatable with a survival canopy when going 'deep blue'.* The logic is that plopping down in a liferaft that only goes where the current takes you seems like a good way to spend a month drinking your own urine.* The Tinker can take you where you want to go, Captain Bligh style, but is sadly not manufactured anymore. It is one heck of a piece of equipment, though.* Typical British invention - just crazy enough to work, like the aircraft carrier made out of frozen sawdust.

Watertight bulkheads, a 300 gpm dewatering pump and steel hull hopefully means that unless we take a torpedo we have a fighting chance never to use a liferaft.

http://www.tinkerowners.org.uk/p03.htm

-- Edited by Delfin on Monday 31st of January 2011 07:59:06 PM

Do you*carry an EPIRB on either your life raft or your boat?

KJ wrote:

Do you*carry an EPIRB on either your life raft or your boat?

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Yup.

*

KJ wrote:
Do you*carry an EPIRB on either your life raft or your boat?



Yes


-- Edited by Delia Rosa on Monday 31st of January 2011 08:18:05 PM

KJ wrote:

Do you*carry an EPIRB on either your life raft or your boat?

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No.

*

KJ wrote:

Do you*carry an EPIRB on either your life raft or your boat?

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******** No.*

2 to 2***

KJ wrote:

2 to 2

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If you can yell for help and someone will hear you, why carry an EBIRB?

*

In Australia if you are going more than 1 nautical Mile off shore it is compulsory to carry an EPIRB.
Mine is the last bit of equipment I would grab as I depart my vessel as it is not already in my escape grab bag.

Benn

Delfin wrote:


KJ wrote:

2 to 2

Click to expand...

If you can yell for help and someone will hear you, why carry an EBIRB?

*


EPIRB--Yes.* Life raft--No.* RIB on the platform.

Gulf Stream currents are very strong.* You are a moving target out there.

*

We still have to get some sort of life raft and EBIRB before we throw off the lines.* Not sure what to get as I dont want just a life raft used for emergency but something that can be used for other purposes.* I bought a 12 ft high gunnels Livingston that is very stable that a canvas cover will be added to enclose for protection.* We also have dry suits and/or wet suits that will offer some protection and floatation.* I will be talking to Rob, Dave, Jeff and others that frequents Alaska and Canadian waters.* However, a life raft and EBIRB is on the want list.*

KJ wrote:

Do you*carry an EPIRB on either your life raft or your boat?

Click to expand...

when we get to the point we need to buy the life raft for the trawler, we will get an eprib as well and have it in our ditch bag.*

*

Those solid floats are known as Carley floats and if you can stack one on the top deck or some where they are good to have.
Not the best thing for off shore but better than bugger all.

Benn

WE don't go that far out anymore , to lazy for passagemaking so need mostly inshore survival.

We use a Grumman sailing aluminum dink with flotation and 2 survival suits.

If only 20 -50 miles out we could sail in faster than the Coasties could get to us.

Have EPIRB. Sorry to say no raft

Like FF, I don't go that far out anymore and do not carry a life raft. I will say, however, that even if you are only 1 mile offshore, a raft would be a welcome piece of gear to have on-board. My problem with having one is that the "repacking" that is required is really expensive and the time between repacks is not all that long. If you are in somewhat protected waters, a towed dinghy might be a better option and is certainly more useful.

We don't carry a life raft but would rely on our RIB if needed. We aren't crossing oceans any more and are typically with in 100 miles of shore, cruising in high commercial traffic areas. We do have an EPIRB and a ditch bag plus 6 gallons of water secured in the RIB. Our SSB/Ham radio is DSC equipped.

Larry/Lena
Hobo KK42
Huatulco, Oaxaco, MX