Liferaft Failures

[Woods Designs]

In the "Sink or Swim" thread on the Multihull forum two experienced sailors recounted their experiences of liferafts that did not inflate.

As many people rely on these as a last resort, how many other people can relate similar stories???


Richard Woods of Woods Designs


Woods Designs Sailing Catamarans

[hellosailor]

"how many other people can relate similar stories???"

With life rafts, as with parachutes, there are few people around to complain when it didn't work. More people complain about parachutes failing, simply because there are often other people WITHIN SIGHT OF THE FAILURE.

[sneuman]

I can't say, but I have heard (anecodotally) of a number of such failures. *Apparently* it's all too common.

[Hiracer]

"First, liferafts, like much of the available 'safety equipment', especially the single purpose 'sealed magic boxes' do not work very well. In NZ about 20 cruising boats got together to get their rafts repacked. Before repacking they all pulled their inflation cords and about 1/3 did not inflate, 1/3 inflated but promptly deflated and only 1/3 inflated and stayed inflated (this after the rafts were on average only two years at sea)."

Seamanship.

[nautical62]

I also have no personal experiences but have read many such instances. In addition to inflation failure, I've read of rafts getting severely torn when inflated or blowing away. I read one book where the family escaped with their dink and liferaft and eventually ended up having to abandon the life raft in favor of the dinghy.

Reading so many such tales certainly makes me think differently about the role of a life raft in terms of survival. I also think the reliability of 406 Epirbs which haven't been around all that long can change one's survival strategies.

[Hiracer]

Originally Posted by nautical62

I also have no personal experiences but have read many such instances. In addition to inflation failure, I've read of rafts getting severely torn when inflated or blowing away. I read one book where the family escaped with their dink and liferaft and eventually ended up having to abandon the life raft in favor of the dinghy.

Reading so many such tales certainly makes me think differently about the role of a life raft in terms of survival. I also think the reliability of 406 Epirbs which haven't been around all that long can change one's survival strategies.

How many sailing stories have I read where it went something like, "And then we got pitchpoled and the liferaft was swepted off, never to be seen again."

Or, "We got knockdown and the liferaft surprisingly inflated and then got blown off the boat."

Lots.

There's a moderator on SSCA who witnessed a company rep do a demonstration of his company's liferaft at a boat show--only it didn't inflate. My goodness! The company itself can't get it to work all the time on dry land in perfect conditions.

Sure, a liferaft is better than nothing, but the lingering question is how much better than nothing?

Good thread. This topic needs more coverage, IMO.

[sailorboy1]

My "new" boat came with a life raft that needs new cert. and was listed that way on the survey. So of course the insurance company put it on my list of things needing fixed in 30 days. But from my reading it is just a false security due to the problems and think I'll just get rid of it. Doesn't seem many (none that I've read) stories where someone used their life raft, were recused, AND their boat went down. Seems the stories are they were or weren't recused from the life raft, and/but the boat was found afloat.

[hellosailor]

" Before repacking they all pulled their inflation cords and about 1/3 did not inflate, 1/3 inflated but promptly deflated and only 1/3 inflated and stayed inflated (this after the rafts were on average only two years at sea)."
That's still misleadingly incomplete information. How old were the rafts? Who last repacked them, how and when?
As for the rafts coming apart...That's why the French government requires rafts to be condemnded at ten years of age, and Zodiac won't repack them once they reach that age--even with a waiver and instructions from the owner. Apparently "glued" rafts have endemic problems that "welded" ones don't.

[bstreep]

Originally Posted by Don Lucas

So of course the insurance company put it on my list of things needing fixed in 30 days.

Ours said the same thing - then I made the point that they had the BOAT insured, not us. If we stepped up into a liferaft, at that point they no longer had anything to insure...

I also heard a story this weekend about the couple who had a liferaft recertified in Europe, and crossed back to the US. At some point, they needed it recertified again, and when the canister was opened, the one thing it did NOT contain, was a liferaft...

[sailorboy1]

sounds like a weight savings, guess they thought that if you needed it and it wasn't there odds are no one was going to be around to complain, sad

but that probably means you saved with the boat and lived

[Hiracer]

Originally Posted by hellosailor

That's still misleadingly incomplete information. How old were the rafts? Who last repacked them, how and when?

If you have better information, let's hear it. Fact is, I haven't found a better example of testing these things. Good or bad results. I think Evans Starzinger and Beth Leonard were entirely correct to post that ancedote on their website.

Seems to me the expectation is that we sailors are supposed to accept the manufacturor's performance allegations at face value without any critical inquiry of their actual efficacy. The only evidence, good or bad, is completely ancedotal.

That it itself should be a hint. Let's put the shoe on the other foot. If these things are so good, where's the proof that they work? Why are we limited to only ancedotal evidence? Why hasn't some manufacturor sponsored a third party test so they can tout their horn? I don't see anything like that. At all. Instead, all I see is marketing to the baser instincts, i.e., fear marketing.

Fear marketing and an ever growing body of ancedotal evidence that these things don't work nearly as well as we've been led to believe. I think sailors need to be a little more skeptical about manufacturor claims, because as best as I can tell right now all we got are manufacturor claims and ancedotal evidence--and the two don't jib too well.

[Equinox]

We were in St.Lucia in 2007 and a friend wanted to get his 1989 raft certified. This was the first time for the raft and the raft had been submerged in a dock box during a hurricane a few years before. We went with them and when they pulled the cord the raft inflated and stayed inflated. We were all surprised. The other contents of the raft such as the flairs and the paddles needed to be replaced.

[sailorboy1]

My wife just told me she recently watched a "Cheers" show were they were boating. They had to use the life raft and when they pulled the cord a sign came out saying "if pulled this you are already screwed" and no raft came out. So it seems even TV knows the story here. So I'm with Hiracer, lets seem some proof other than fear for an expensive item!

[Woods Designs]

An interesting thread already.

I think the main thing was that some clever marketing guy called it a "liferaft" when they were first introduced

They all look more like childrens paddling pools to me.

The puzzle is that the authorities (where Coastguard or race organisers) don't allow one to use a "lifeboat" which can be seen to be in working condition and can also be used for other purposes.

There is, however, a change in thinking from the old days - especially amongst ship owners.

Nowadays people are encouraged to stay where they are and await rescue, as the EPIRB gives the position to the Coastguard. There is no need to seek help yourself by sailing towards land or shipping lanes. This can cause psychological problems. We all know self help increases morale.

I await more replies with interest

Richard Woods of Woods Designs

Woods Designs Sailing Catamarans

[Hud3]

On the other hand, Steve Callahan drifted for 76 days in his life raft, all the way across the Atlantic, and he's alive to tell the tale. Amazon.com: Adrift: Seventy-six Days Lost at Sea: Steven Callahan: Books