Locating survival rafts after sinking

[hanami2]

Originally Posted by dannobee

One other note: What are you going to store all of this stuff in?

Ziplock bags are far from waterproof (I know this first hand).

Some stuff will fit in an Otter Box, which is rated to a depth of 100 ft. Pelican cases aren't. Dry bags are also an option.

I'd hate to have the unthinkable happen only to find that your electronics and batteries are soaked in salt water.

A water proof container, it is like a small barel with a cover screwed on, is what I use. very convenient. All items inside are packed separately in freezer bags, the one you use for meet or fish.

[goboatingnow]

Originally Posted by hanami2

A BIB is a word sometime used by UK folks for survival raft. I suppose it is an acronym but don't know what it stands for.
Won't use it any more.
Thx

Im involved with the RNLI and Ive never heard the term !

[HopCar]

These are the folks that make the Rescue Laser.
Greatland Laser

[skipmac]

Originally Posted by rebel heart

Anyone's who's worn night vision goggles knows what a strobe looks like. It really stands out especially when you're looking at something like the ocean or an open field. Did either of these guys have a VHF? I'm a little leery of saying everyone should have $10K worth of hardware in their ditch bags considering that $10K is some people's entire budget.

Packing up the handheld with some spare batteries and a gps receiver with the same sounds pretty easy. A few strobes with batteries and you're only out a few hundred bucks.

This was my first thought. I certainly don't have an extra $10K in the budget to build this for a ditch bag.

I think hand held VHF, GPS and bright lights (strobe, flashlights) with a bag full of spare batteries plus flares and a mirror should get you found pretty well.

[goboatingnow]

The average wait these days and the predication that GMDSS is based on is 4 days in a liferaft. That should inform your choices.

dave

[K_V_B]

Originally Posted by hanami2

A BIB is a word sometime used by UK folks for survival raft. I suppose it is an acronym but don't know what it stands for.
Won't use it any more.
Thx

I've only heard the word used during my cruises with Les Glenans, so I do think it's a French thing. I remember the term was used to refer to the dinghy, which at Les Glenans also doubled as liferaft. It had a CO2 bottle attached so you could inflated it instantly if needed, but normally we just pumped it up...
"Gonfler le bib". Took me a few moments to figure it out, as high school French was all I had at that time.

[sestina]

Old CDs make good heliographs

[hanami2]

Could be, and being french I should have known it ... I never use that word in fact, don't know why I used it here.
Thanks.

[RUSTYNAIL]

I call life rafts "Stealth rafts", I only knew of one company that had some radar reflective material in their canopy. My first piece of equipment that isn't supplied in the raft's equipment bag would be an EPIRB or PLB that floats with a strobe, and sends it's gps position. I have looked for sailboats with a radar, and asked them to hold up a frying pan, and they showed up like an aircraft carrier. If you have to get into the raft, bring your radar reflector so merchant vessels will have something to look for. The life raft has a tiny single cell light on the top and a flash light with spare batteries, a small strobe would really help at night. You can have your life raft packed with a PLB. Radios, AIS, and all the other stuff mentioned are great, but from my experience in real life situations, you may just have enough time to dive into the raft. There is nothing more painful than having a ship or aircraft pass you by when they are looking for you.
SURVIVAL RULES
1.Distress Alerting
2.Position Indicating
3.Active Signaling
4.Surviving the environment
The EPIRB with gps will take care of the first three items.

[Salted]

Originally Posted by hanami2

Could be, and being french I should have known it ... I never use that word in fact, don't know why I used it here.
Thanks.

Perhaps you meant BOB, as in Bug Out Bag?
Bug-out bag - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

[hanami2]

Originally Posted by RUSTYNAIL

I have looked for sailboats with a radar, and asked them to hold up a frying pan, and they showed up like an aircraft carrier. If you have to get into the raft, bring your radar reflector so merchant vessels will have something to look for. [/B]

I never thought of this one but having a SART transponder that is part of the GMDSS equipment seems an even better solution despite the price...
The benefits of the frying pan if we were in a cartoon could be 2: (1)you can use it to bang people on the head and (2) second you can use it as a paddle

[RUSTYNAIL]

I investigated all of the U.S. territory EPIRB cases for 10 years, and it was hard to believe how many people watched aircraft and ships pass them by. Fortunately the U.S. Coast Guard aircraft now have new French built direction finders and can easily pick up an EPIRB's 406 MHz 1/2 second strong pulse.... The biggest problem is getting a good signal or radar signature out for merchant ships that can't pick up the 121.5 or 406 MHz signal from your EPIRB if you are way offshore. Merchant ships do have AIS capability, and the SARTs can transmit an AIS signal. EPIRB companies are now working on EPIRBs with AIS instead of the 121.5 homing signal. That will be a huge improvement. I think one company already has one for sale.