Cruisers Forum
 


Reply
 
Thread Tools Search this Thread Rate Thread Display Modes
Old 13-01-2015, 00:08   #1
Moderator
 
carstenb's Avatar

Community Sponsor
Cruisers Forum Supporter

Join Date: May 2012
Location: At sea somewhere in the Pacific
Boat: Jeanneau Sun Fast 40.3
Posts: 6,350
Images: 1
What's It Really Like in a Liferaft?

Here's and interesting article from Yachting Monthly. They tested what it is like to abandon ship and be in a liferaft in force 6-7 conditions in the Biscay bay.

One point I especially noted is that your raft really should be stored in a holder mounted on your rail/targa bar. Ours is currently in the starboard cockpit locker, but we are mounting it on the rail this summer. I've had a holder made with hinges and a strap to keep it in place along with a knife to cut the strap. Should the need occur, we'll cut the strap, and the outer part of the holder falls down on its hinges and the raft deploys.

Good reading

Life in a liferaft
__________________


https://www.amazon.co.uk/s?k=carsten...ref=nb_sb_noss

Our books have gotten 5 star reviews on Amazon. Several readers have written "I never thought I would go on a circumnavigation, but when I read these books, I was right there in the cockpit with Vinni and Carsten"
carstenb is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 13-01-2015, 03:52   #2
Registered User
 
bletso's Avatar

Join Date: Nov 2013
Location: Louisville, KY
Boat: Globe, cutter/ketch,38
Posts: 724
Re: What's It Really Like in a Liferaft?

That was indeed interesting. Thanks for the post.
__________________
www.sailboatvigah.com Boats don't like being neglected, but then neither do significant others!
bletso is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 13-01-2015, 06:13   #3
Long Range Cruiser
 
MarkJ's Avatar

Join Date: Dec 2007
Location: Australian living on "Sea Life" currently in England.
Boat: Beneteau 393 "Sea Life"
Posts: 12,822
Images: 25
Re: What's It Really Like in a Liferaft?

Good article with good information.


They look very small. One would need rocks in their head to get into one from a still floating 40 footer.
__________________
Notes on a Circumnavigation.
OurLifeAtSea.com

Somalia Pirates and our Convoy
MarkJ is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 13-01-2015, 06:43   #4
Registered User

Join Date: Aug 2008
Location: New Bern, NC
Boat: Holman & Pye Red Admiral 36
Posts: 512
Re: What's It Really Like in a Liferaft?

It was a very interesting and informative "real world" article.

I have talked with people that have had to take to a liferaft in real life one of the major problems that they all mention is that of sharks.

In warm waters - Pacific and Gulf Stream - sharks will smash into the bottom of the raft in their attempt to eat the little fish that "hide" in the shadow of the liferaft. This can go on for hours and days at a time, so the physical and mental effects can be very brutal on the human body. The impact of the shark was described to me like being hit with a baseball bat.

On a trip from Puerto Rico back to North Carolina where our boat speed was just 1 to 3-knots (no wind - we were basically drifting with the Gulf stream) I had a 8-ft shark "attack" under the stern of our boat by the rudder area as it was trying to eat the small fish hiding there. You could easily hear and feel the impact of his body on the fiberglass hull. This went on for over 5-hours before he finally left the area. It would have been horrible in a fabric liferaft.

Something else to be mentally prepared for if you have to take to a raft.

Safe sailing,

Doug Brown
Doug Brown is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 13-01-2015, 07:09   #5
Registered User
 
ryon's Avatar

Join Date: Feb 2013
Location: Southern California
Posts: 588
Re: What's It Really Like in a Liferaft?

Quote:
Originally Posted by Doug Brown View Post

In warm waters - Pacific and Gulf Stream - sharks will smash into the bottom of the raft in their attempt to eat the little fish that "hide" in the shadow of the liferaft. This can go on for hours and days at a time, so the physical and mental effects can be very brutal on the human body. The impact of the shark was described to me like being hit with a baseball bat.
It all sounds like a Big Adventure until you mention that.
ryon is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 13-01-2015, 07:19   #6
Registered User
 
mf70's Avatar

Join Date: Oct 2014
Posts: 48
Re: What's It Really Like in a Liferaft?

I talked with one person that NEEDED the life raft. They were sailing / racing to Bermuda, and smashed head-on into something, flooding the vessel inside of a minute. He about lived the adage "Never get into a life raft until you need to step UP to get into it."
__________________
"Sanderling" 32' Sharpie Ketch
mf70 is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 13-01-2015, 07:34   #7
Registered User
 
NOLA_sailing's Avatar

Join Date: Sep 2008
Location: New Orleans, LA
Boat: Catalina 30 Tall Rig
Posts: 234
Re: What's It Really Like in a Liferaft?

Quote:
Originally Posted by Doug Brown View Post
In warm waters - Pacific and Gulf Stream - sharks will smash into the bottom of the raft in their attempt to eat the little fish that "hide" in the shadow of the liferaft. This can go on for hours and days at a time, so the physical and mental effects can be very brutal on the human body. The impact of the shark was described to me like being hit with a baseball bat.
What an incredible form of torture this must be on an already stressed out crew. I'd probably wind up destroying the floor of the raft playing "whack-a-mole(shark)" with my paddle. Of course the noise and afflicted wounds will probably attract more sharks...
NOLA_sailing is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 13-01-2015, 07:40   #8
Registered User
 
Tortuga's Lie's Avatar

Join Date: Oct 2007
Location: Urbanna, Virginia
Boat: Tartan 4100
Posts: 697
Re: What's It Really Like in a Liferaft?

Has anyone seen the movie "Unbroken" ?
About a quarter of the movie takes place in a life raft and yes, there are sharks.....................
Great book by the way and the movie does do it justice.
Tortuga's Lie is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 13-01-2015, 08:30   #9
Marine Service Provider
 
Steadman Uhlich's Avatar

Cruisers Forum Supporter

Join Date: Jul 2014
Posts: 6,103
Re: What's It Really Like in a Liferaft?

Good share of a good article.

Carsten mentioned the location of the raft mounting and I found that interesting. As the article mentions, the testers had difficulty in handling the raft canister while the boat was pitching and rocking prior to deployment of the raft.

I think it was also good that the writer mentioned the disabling effect of seasickness on his two companions in the raft, one of them was mentioned as a person who had done this raft experience before (he works for the raft manufacturer).

In particular, the writer emphasizes the feeling of "apathy" and the inability to do simple tasks, if the crew is seasick, and that the seasickness affected them very quickly, especially when the raft canopy was closed. Seasoned sailors do sometimes get seasick, as this article shows, and the raft environment (close, no visible horizon, motion) precipitated the motion sickness. That the seasickness brought about "apathy" in sailors who were aware that rescue was nearby (observing their raft), shows something too.
___________

I also like Doug Brown's point about being mentally prepared for things like the potential for sharks to poke the raft.

Being "mentally prepared" is often the key to survival.
Steadman Uhlich is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 13-01-2015, 11:41   #10
Registered User

Join Date: Sep 2010
Location: Boat in Greece
Boat: Lagoon 400
Posts: 1,430
Re: What's It Really Like in a Liferaft?

Quote:
Originally Posted by carstenb View Post
Here's and interesting article from Yachting Monthly. They tested what it is like to abandon ship and be in a liferaft in force 6-7 conditions in the Biscay bay.

........
Good reading

Life in a liferaft
Here's my story:
I have abandoned a boat into a liferaft with five friends, after our boat took water and sank within something like 10 minutes in the entrance to the Gulf of Akaba (AKA Eilat Gulf).
The raft was in a s/s rail on top of the cabin and brought back by two of the crew and deployed over the stern (there was no bathing platform).
Luckily we have spent only short time in the raft as there were friendly boats nearby. Several points might be of interest:
Our skipper dismantled the grab-bag on the morning of the accident, thinking that as we are closing home (in Eilat, hundred miles to the north) the grab-bag is not needed anymore - obvious mistake.
Some sociology:
6 persons on board: 3 (skipper and two persons with considerable blue water experience) operated fast and efficiently, deploying the raft, collecting stuff from the boat like pyrotechnics, handheld VHF, water, personal documents, etc.
1 - no previous sea experience, remained totally calm and followed directions of the skipper.
1 - some sea experience, was in partial shock, but still operated as instructed.
1 - some sea experience, went hysterical, but turned to apathetic after some harsh comment, did not help but stopped interfering.
Nobody got seasick in the raft (6pax raft - very cosy for six survivors, no room to move) - the sea was around 8-10 feet with about 30kn wind. Not a storm but not calm sea either.

We were taken aboard a yacht - not an easy exercise, as the yacht is going up and down and the raft dances alongside. It could be easier if the rescue boat had a bathing platform where you can bring the raft close. As it happened, we had to climb the topsides. It may be very difficult for an exhausted crew. It is much easier to transfer into a RIB (I know from experience - did it during STCW survival course).
__________________
Mark, S/Y Bat-Yam
meirriba is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 13-01-2015, 12:03   #11
Registered User

Join Date: Sep 2012
Posts: 5,983
Re: What's It Really Like in a Liferaft?

Good reading, enjoyed it!
robert sailor is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 13-01-2015, 12:04   #12
RTB
Registered User
 
RTB's Avatar

Join Date: Nov 2008
Location: Home port Kemah, TX Currently in Brunswick Georgia
Boat: Hunter 36
Posts: 1,524
Images: 2
Re: What's It Really Like in a Liferaft?

I saw All Is Lost. No way I'm getting into one of those things. Not sure if my 9' dink is going to be looking so good if my boat actually does sink.

Ralph
RTB is offline   Reply With Quote
Reply

Tags
liferaft

Thread Tools Search this Thread
Search this Thread:

Advanced Search
Display Modes Rate This Thread
Rate This Thread:

Posting Rules
You may not post new threads
You may not post replies
You may not post attachments
You may not edit your posts

BB code is On
Smilies are On
[IMG] code is On
HTML code is Off
Trackbacks are Off
Pingbacks are Off
Refbacks are Off


Similar Threads
Thread Thread Starter Forum Replies Last Post
Too good to be true? Really, really cheap BlueCharts skipmac Navigation 2 22-12-2014 19:09
Some Ads Are Really Really Slow . . . Catamount Forum Tech Support & Site Help 3 15-01-2011 10:05
For Sale: Zodiac Offshore Liferaft - Like New svHyLyte Classifieds Archive 2 11-12-2010 04:30
Really Stupid Question: What’s Food Shopping Like in the Caribbean? bloodhunter Cooking and Provisioning: Food & Drink 7 15-03-2010 07:45
i'm Really a Tiller Guy, because i Like the Responsiveness of a Multihull... Pipeline Multihull Sailboats 2 08-01-2010 07:32

Advertise Here


All times are GMT -7. The time now is 03:24.


Google+
Powered by vBulletin® Version 3.8.8 Beta 1
Copyright ©2000 - 2024, vBulletin Solutions, Inc.
Social Knowledge Networks
Powered by vBulletin® Version 3.8.8 Beta 1
Copyright ©2000 - 2024, vBulletin Solutions, Inc.

ShowCase vBulletin Plugins by Drive Thru Online, Inc.