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 Post subject: Need for and Installation of Life Rafts
PostPosted: 28 Feb 2016 12:44 
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Rail Meat

Joined: 03 Nov 2010 12:23
Posts: 21
I have wondered about the desirability of life rafts, what types and how they should be installed on a Tartan 37. For limited off-shore cruising (two or three full days) I wonder if there is a need for permanent life rafts or whether one should simply rent a soft valise life raft for those occasions. I have read that because of the need to have them serviced frequently and the expense for doing so, that rental is a better solution for those few times when needed. Also I wondered if a permanent life raft where to be chosen, where and how would it be installed. Also, what variety and capacity would be appropriate.

I would like to know what the experience of the Tartan 37 cruisers has been on this topic. Thanks.

J.P. Anderson
Tartan Hull #486


 
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 Post subject: Re: Need for and Installation of Life Rafts
PostPosted: 28 Feb 2016 13:41 
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Skipper

Joined: 21 Jan 2010 12:57
Posts: 168
I opted to buy a four man /valiise(sp?) and carry it below decks. I figure if I ever need to deploy it that there'll be enough adrenaline pumping to get it above decks. Getting a rental back to where one rented it seems like a hassle.


 
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 Post subject: Re: Need for and Installation of Life Rafts
PostPosted: 29 Feb 2016 18:54 
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Skipper

Joined: 29 Dec 2006 09:38
Posts: 656
You will probably get some spirited disagreement about this. I carry a valise below as has been mentioned and did so on my 2 year cruise from San Francisco to Maine via Panama. Obviously, I had no need to use it, but I had some snotty weather with some beam and bow waves that swept the deck a few times. I would not want a hard case, hydrostatic release type on deck in those conditions. You also need one you can push over the life lines or through the gate if the boat is rolling.
I highly recommend that you see you life raft inflated and get inside it. My raft guy made me come to see and get in my raft when he inspected it prior to my trip. I have to say it was enlightening. The features of how it works and problems are not intuitive and he was helpful.

Ray


 
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 Post subject: Re: Need for and Installation of Life Rafts
PostPosted: 01 Mar 2016 11:11 
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Rail Meat

Joined: 03 Nov 2010 12:23
Posts: 21
Thanks for the thoughts on life rafts. With the soft valise rafts where do you store it while going off-shore: on the cabin sole; in the sail locker or tied down to the coach roof. Also, what size rafts did you purchase: 4 man; 6 man?

Thanks.


 
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 Post subject: Re: Need for and Installation of Life Rafts
PostPosted: 03 Mar 2016 08:02 
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Skipper

Joined: 29 Dec 2006 09:38
Posts: 656
I think my liferaft is a 4 person, but I do not recall. I do recall that "bigger is not better" if you have to use it according to my liferaft guy. You want the size for the crew you generally have. If it is too big, my raft guy said that you will be rolled in wind and seas and if you are there for any length of time, you need to not have a lot of surface to lose heat to, even in the tropics. If you read the accounts of folks who have used them, hypothermia is a big risk as is being rolled by wind and waves can be a problem for personal injury and damage to the raft. I think some of this has been mitigated by the fact that most of us are carrying GPS enabled EPIRBs that speed recovery.
I carry mine in the quarter berth with my abandon ship bag. All the stuff is in one place and I am confident that I could get it tied on deck quickly---( you need to think this through on your boat and I have practiced it--tie it before you take it topsides) before you toss it overboard to inflate it. I would not recommend carrying it on deck. As I mentioned before, I have had a couple waves offshore in my years there that could have taken the raft with them. Those might be the conditions where you find yourself needing a life raft.
Offshore I have carried my partially inflated inflatable upside down on the deck as a backup, but I would not substitute this arrangement for a true life raft. I also am not so sure this is safe---I definitely do not think davits or towing a dinghy is a good idea offshore.
If you have the opportunity to take an offshore safety class, I can tell you that they are worth the effort. Seeing what it takes to get a raft launched and actually getting inside can challenge your view of the process. It is harder than it looks.


 
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 Post subject: Re: Need for and Installation of Life Rafts
PostPosted: 04 Mar 2016 07:08 
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Skipper

Joined: 09 Jul 2008 12:51
Posts: 251
If you're just going offshore for 2/3 days I'd opt for the valise. If you can rent it, that's great... the vendor should have it's inspection up-to-date. I read an article once that quoted just how many life rafts failed to open... I can't remember the number but it was very high. The hard shell case types are bulky and heavy but are rigged to deploy automatically if she goes under.

In the end, the only way I would use one of those things is if I had to "step up" into it. IT'S ABSOLUTELY THE LAST RESORT IF EVERYTHING ELSE FAILS.

You can safe guard your boat when it takes on water by installing a tee switch on your engine water intake; the hose going into the bilge. Be sure to have a screen on the end of the hose if you have to use it. So, if your boat starts to take on water and your bilge pump cannot keep up, turn on your engine and switch the intake. I was taking a boat to the BVI's last year and the owner had this already rigged up.... we started taking on water from the leaking rudder post stuffing box.. a lot of water then our bilge pump failed. We couldn't use the manual bilge fast enough to keep up with what was coming in plus it was absolutely physically exhausting. The engine took care of it pretty good. We used it about every three hours to keep the water below the cabin floor. I had a buddy that did the same thing when the engine stuffing box failed on a boat. It's going to be stressful but you'll stay afloat !!

Another boat I work on actually has a separate crash pump for just this reason.... it really moves the water when we test it prior to passages.

I'll ditto Velera.... I have also used a partially inflated dinghy as a backup and strapped down on the bow...


 
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