Life raft regulations, Australia, New Zealand, South Pacific.

[JPA Cate]

Originally Posted by El Pinguino

I see they also have a service agent near Novaya Zemlya.... I suspect their map just shows a selection of random dots..... bit of a worry.... what else have they just made up....?

However I am quite sure their rafts are very very good.....

Just a tad off the beaten path, there.

@ GILow, What, they'll install a seat belt for you? What on earth was the fellow thinking? he should have to get into one, when it's blowing 35 or so, and experience "sitting in the middle!"



Ann

[Tillsbury]

Originally Posted by JPA Cate

Just a tad off the beaten path, there.

@ GILow, What, they'll install a seat belt for you? What on earth was the fellow thinking? he should have to get into one, when it's blowing 35 or so, and experience "sitting in the middle!"



Ann

Indeed! If you’ve ever been in one in any kind of seaway you’ll know you usually alternate sitting on one side of the raft to the other every few seconds...

[GILow]

Originally Posted by JPA Cate

Just a tad off the beaten path, there.

@ GILow, What, they'll install a seat belt for you? What on earth was the fellow thinking? he should have to get into one, when it's blowing 35 or so, and experience "sitting in the middle!"



Ann

Well, we kinda agreed that it was unlikely we'd be abandoning a Swanson 42 in favour of the life raft at those sorts of gentle breezes.

The dimensions of the four person raft are such that I could easily brace myself near the middle, at only 1.4 meters diameter it's an easy reach. They also boast "interior grab lines", which appear to be be strung around the interior perimeter from the photos, not sure how much help they'd be.

I think his point about staying (or trying to stay) near the middle was to do with minimising the chance of an edge standing up and getting the wind underneath. Feels logical to me, and I think I'd instinctively go the middle just for stability.

Here's to hoping I never have to test the theory.

[rhonda1960]

You are better off to go straight to the source and call them. Saves the guess work and lack of knowledge....😀

[dstraton]

I recommend that you check which ones can be conveniently serviced and recertified wherever you are likely to need it. I bought one and later discovered it was impossible economically to service it. This matters if you are trying to meet regulations.

[GILow]

Originally Posted by rhonda1960

You are better off to go straight to the source and call them. Saves the guess work and lack of knowledge....[emoji3]

See post #42. Saves putting your foot in it. [emoji6]

[GILow]

Originally Posted by dstraton

I recommend that you check which ones can be conveniently serviced and recertified wherever you are likely to need it. I bought one and later discovered it was impossible economically to service it. This matters if you are trying to meet regulations.

Good point. As noted by El Pinguino the brand I am considering appears to have a number of agents world wide. The service costs and intervals are also quoted on their web site. Both seemed reasonable to my untrained eye.

[El Pinguino]

Originally Posted by GILow

Good point. As noted by El Pinguino the brand I am considering appears to have a number of agents world wide. The service costs and intervals are also quoted on their web site. Both seemed reasonable to my untrained eye.

I would ask for more info re their service agents... I think that map is just a lot of random dots... Arica? North Russia?... I don't think so...

[GILow]

Originally Posted by El Pinguino

I would ask for more info re their service agents... I think that map is just a lot of random dots... Arica? North Russia?... I don't think so...

Yes, I’m planning to ask them about that when I place my order. I’m ok because they are “local” to my likely sailing destinations, unless my navigation goes seriously awry.

[Buzzman]

As the anniversary of the 1998 Sydney-Hobart is this year, and the race is only a few weeks off, a doco recently aired on TV in which one of the surviving Winston Churchill crewmen reported the whole in the raft floor was cut after the raft overturned, so they could get air, then later the raft righted, with obvious consequence.
So it was the raft re-righting itself after the whole was cut in the floor that was the problem, not the cutting of the hole per se.

[GILow]

I hear you, but the raft guy I spoke to claims the raft they were using was dependent on the floor to maintain its shape and they were left clinging to a squashed hoop.

He didn’t sound like he was full of hot air to me and he had nothing to gain from making the assertion.

Who knows?

I have noticed that the story from the Winston Churchill seems to change slightly depending on who is doing the interview. Nothing sinister, questions asked sometimes define the answer given, and time does change memories. (Read the excellent “Diving for Seahorses” for an understanding of the phenomenon of time and memories).

[Buzzman]

Yeah, that makes sense. My guess is the small hole 'for air' rapidly tore itself larger once re-righted, leaving them clinging to the collapsing inflated outer ring.
Bottom line is, don't cut holes your liferaft!

[GILow]

Originally Posted by Buzzman

...
Bottom line is, don't cut holes your liferaft!

Sounds like wisdom to me. [emoji106]

[belizesailor]

For another point of reference: Ive never had any country in Caribbean (E, NW or SW) even ask.

[GILow]

Originally Posted by belizesailor

For another point of reference: Ive never had any country in Caribbean (E, NW or SW) even ask.

Thank you. Very relevant to the original question which I admit I had kinda lost track of in all this. [emoji846]