Avon dinghy turned in Life raft ?

[crisadee]

Hi everybody,
I found an old inflatable dinghy in a barn in SW of France, it’s a Red Start Avon in wonderful shape though its age, with it a passing red roof and a possible built in inflating CO2 cartridge system
Has anybody heard about a life raft prototype made on Avon dinghy maybe in thé 70th?
If you have some tracks or informations…
Thanks in advance

[JPA Cate]

Yes, for a while, there were various attempts at modifying dinghies to liferafts. The Tinker people made one that even had a sailing rig.

The hypalon in the one you found should still be good, and possibly the glue, as well.

Ann

[RaymondR]

You used to be able to buy conversion kits from some of the manufacturers.

I once read a survival book by a young man whose yacht was sunk during the night hours. He just managed to launch the inflatable life raft before the parent vessel sunk and then started a marathon survival incident whilst the raft drifted across the Atlantic ocean to the West Indies. He was almost dead from starvation and exposure and would probably not have survived a few more days on the water.

On of the conclusion he arrived at because of his experience was that had he been able to actually navigate the life raft in a direction he chose to at even one knot he would have survived without any serious damage to his health. He decided that in future he would not carry an inflatable life raft but fit out his inflatable dingy with covers and a sail.

[JAFO]

Originally Posted by RaymondR

I once read a survival book by a young man whose yacht was sunk during the night hours. He just managed to launch the inflatable life raft before the parent vessel sunk and then started a marathon survival incident whilst the raft drifted across the Atlantic ocean to the West Indies. He was almost dead from starvation and exposure and would probably not have survived a few more days on the water.

On of the conclusion he arrived at because of his experience was that had he been able to actually navigate the life raft in a direction he chose to at even one knot he would have survived without any serious damage to his health. He decided that in future he would not carry an inflatable life raft but fit out his inflatable dingy with covers and a sail.

That would be Steve Callahan's book; Adrift: Seventy-Six Days Lost at Sea.

His story (and others) has shaped much of my own thinking on the subject of survival at sea.

There are several excellent documentary/re-enactment videos of his story available online. Here are a couple of them.

https://www.dailymotion.com/video/x7gykjk

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=A2WXawMmwCo

And here is an excellent (long) interview/podcast with him. (Sorry that the thumbnail is the same as the one above.. the forum software is confused. Trust me, it IS a different video!)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=doyhLBmOAyk

[goboatingnow]

Carry an epirb. Tbd longest time at sea waiting to be rescued these days is normally three days

[JPA Cate]

^^^^^

In Europe.

Ann

[goboatingnow]

Originally Posted by JPA Cate

^^^^^

In Europe.

Ann

GMDSS aims at this figure worldwide including transatlantic. Largely it hits it.

The whole rescue system is completely different under GMDSS. There is now no expectation of long delays in life rafts as ships will be diverted to your epirb position a modern ship will travel a long way in 3 days.

In Europe thd waiting time is measured in hours. Greece new fleet hits 55 knots. !!!

[goboatingnow]

Oh and don’t buy anything with the Avon brand on it!

[RaymondR]

If I get stuck in a dingy for three days waiting to be rescued I'd like to be able to take the occasional nap, have something to drink and be able to keep the burning sun, cold rain and nasty salt spray off me and something to nibble occasionally on would be nice. A TV and some videos would be too much to ask for although internet on the mobile as a distraction would be nice.

[goboatingnow]

Originally Posted by RaymondR

If I get stuck in a dingy for three days waiting to be rescued I'd like to be able to take the occasional nap, have something to drink and be able to keep the burning sun, cold rain and nasty salt spray off me and something to nibble occasionally on would be nice. A TV and some videos would be too much to ask for although internet on the mobile as a distraction would be nice.

Electric blanket would be good too. Plus a nexprresso machine

[RaymondR]

Originally Posted by goboatingnow

Electric blanket would be good too. Plus a nexprresso machine

Right in mate.

The rugged individual thing might be OK when you're a young bloke and look forward to when you can brag in the bar that after 7 days of drinking your own urine you got to enjoy it so much that you've drunk nothing but beer and urine ever since, but once ones matured a little and pragmatism comes to over rule ego one needs the little luxuries even when stranded in a life raft.

[goboatingnow]

Originally Posted by RaymondR

Right in mate.



The rugged individual thing might be OK when you're a young bloke and look forward to when you can brag in the bar that after 7 days of drinking your own urine you got to enjoy it so much that you've drunk nothing but beer and urine ever since, but once ones matured a little and pragmatism comes to over rule ego one needs the little luxuries even when stranded in a life raft.

Personally I just want GMDSS to work and rescue me within the 3 day design window. It usually does thankfully