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I have had the same concerns, Mike, although take some comfort from the following:
1. Many if not most offshore certified rafts are either equipped with, or designed to use a sea anchor - surely the stresses of that upon the attachment point at the liferaft would also be quite significant.
2. Inflatables can be hoisted and towed from rings attached to them at significant speed and under significant pressure for significant periods without failure.
3. Using 4 (or 8, if the lines are doubled-up) attachment points on the raft and nylon line should keep the stresses at acceptable levels; regardless, regular inspections for chafe/failure would enable you to do exactly what you suggest, if there are any signs of imminent failure.
4. Once things calm down, the inverted bridgedeck/hulls should provide a reasonably stable platform.
Here are some other potential advantages to this strategy:
1. Liferafts can and do capsize with the potential for injury to occupants; I would suggest that the risk of an inverted multihull doing the same would be substantially less.
2. Having a solid deck with jacklines in conjunction with the liferaft would make searching for ships/aircraft, fishing, firing off flares etc. much more comfortable and safe. Indeed, it would permit the opportunity to actually stretch your legs, something that is impossible in a liferaft.
3. A liferaft on an inverted bridgedeck should be much easier to spot by aircraft than a raft alone (and I have left the underside of my bridgedeck the original white gelcoat so that there would be significant contrast with the liferaft, when deployed).
4. Finally, ingress/egress from the liferaft should be much easier/safer when inflated on the bridgedeck.
Have I ever had the opportunity to test this out? No, and for obvious reasons I hope to never have the opportunity. Still, I am firm in my belief that we must all develop strategies in order to cope with worst case scenarios before they arise. This is mine.
Brad
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