Liferaft: Yes or No

[jackdale]

Originally Posted by sctpc

The most resent wast of money for a liferaft http://www.cruisersforum.com/forums/...tml#post806701
"The reporting source said that the crew all had life jackets on, but their life raft had washed overboard."

Anyone know how to secure a liferaft (maybe with some trucker's hitches) or store it in the liferaft locker?

[Jimbo485]

Store it in your shoreside garage and flog it off on ebay.

[psneeld]

Originally Posted by Jimbo485

It is not so much complacency as escape. Check out the Queens Birthday action off NZ, the '79 Fastnet, Syd-Hob etc etc etc.

I am not trying to convince you to change what you already do, just explaining our logic. It is about removing an attractive alternative from our choices, a choice that is fatal more often than not, a choice that is often taken incorrectly due to mental stress. Your life is yours, look after it yourself, mate!

First of all I teach this stuff....so not much on here really is new or even tips the iceberg of sea survival.

Two...a couple of races...a few articles compared to hundreds of years of people at sea surviving in all kinds of apparatus when their ships went down...are you kidding me that you think a few anecdotal stories of boats being found and not their crews means liferafts are the cause of those deaths...I can only chuckle....

Part of survival is being in a position that removes that mental stress..I can EASILY argue back that HAVING a liferaft reduces my mental stress when below and feverishly trying to do damage control in frigid water.

Naaaahh...I won't go on because I know I'm not convincing anyone in this thread...but your argument about stats and people dying from having liferafts is about as far off the page as I can even believe.

[Jimbo485]

No worries, psneeld! Each to their own. May we all enjoy our time on the water and be prepared to pay all the costs that may result!

See ya out there somewhere for a beer one day. First shout is mine!

[markpierce]

One of Survivorman's adventures was in the Caribbean. As I recall, the first life raft deployed wouldn't inflate. The second did, but leaked air, so much of his time was spent keeping the raft afloat, and since it leaked, he spent nights in a dinghy to keep dry. Given in an emergency condition it isn't certain one can deploy and board a life raft during an emergency, it seems that a life raft gives one at best a 50% chance of survival after one's boat sinks, assuming one is ultimately rescured. Given the choice, I'd want a lifeboat.

[sctpc]

Originally Posted by jackdale

Anyone know how to secure a liferaft (maybe with some trucker's hitches) or store it in the liferaft locker?

Oh I read it as they inflated it and it blew away in the storm before they could get in it,

just a side note I had a commercial one in hard case up front with cutter if the boat sank ect. I got it checked it was stuffed full of mold and water still had a year till needed service. thats why I would never trust one.

[wolfenzee]

Originally Posted by barnakiel

And once the luftraft and the dutch bug are fully paid up ... let's go cruising, honey!

Errr, but should we not get a boat for that too? Uhmm, yes, a boat, a boat and an insurance - just in case the ditch raft and the life bug fail to inflate!

NAVEGARE necesse est, liferaft non necesse est!

;-)))
b.

Which is why I do not feel a life raft will make the difference as to whether or not I go. I will not wait until absolutely everyting on my boat is perfect...most stuff can be finished later.

[wolfenzee]

Until I get a liferaft I will use the space that would otherwise be dedicated to a raft for a place to sit, drink margaritas and watch the tropical sunset. Actually the only place on my boat where I could put a liferaft would be on top of my lazerette (cabin top and foredeck are impossible).....this would involve moving it any time I needed to get into the lazeratte...which doesn't really sound very practical either. Come to think of it the only way I can think of fitting a liferaft on my boat is to get a bigger boat....that is one hell of an expensive liferaft.

[zeehag]

Originally Posted by wolfenzee

Which is why I do not feel a life raft will make the difference as to whether or not I go. I will not wait until absolutely everyting on my boat is perfect...most stuff can be finished later.

yu will be surprised at the goodies you can find when not in usa and for so cheap--many usa items here are 4 times price in usa--but if you bypass that stuff, you can find good used parts and new parts in the weirdest places. works well for nearly everything. and do not let anyone tell you that you cannot find deep cycle batteries in mexico..they are here--you have to look in the correct places.
the longer you put off the adventure, the more difficult is the adventure

[wolfenzee]

I have been able to get all sorts of stuff for my boat that I would never have been able to afford new....here in the US because people wanted the latest/greatest or they realised thier dream wasn't going to happen. My favorite example is a complete (and functional) Raymarine Radar for $125 because someone wanted the latest/greatest or a Richie Globemaster compass (retail around $3000) for $300......also their is jsut alot of stuff one can do to the boat as they travel. I have done alot of cabinetry work below deck and topside, the little stuff and wood carving can be done here and there, especially wen I find bits an pieces of kewl woods.

[sailorboy1]

So in the latest issue of Cruiser's World is a article by Beth Leonard where she says to get the best life raft you can.

But I'm sure I've read on their website their reason9ing for NOT having one on thier boat.

What's up with that?

[Minggat]

Originally Posted by Sailor g

I'm not sure how hitting a container is a risk that can be managed..

That would be things like collision mats and pumps, just to start.

[sabray]

My plan for hitting a container.or getting a gaping hole in my hull is to stuff the life raft in the hole and inflate thought the crash mat was to be used as dry bedding in the event the water rises above the bunks.

[Sailor g]

Originally Posted by Minggat

That would be things like collision mats and pumps, just to start.

Hi Minggat! How ya doing?

I hope pumps & mats would be enough if I'd hit a container but I would want back up in case it didn't. I suppose we on the West Coast need to think about it since we have the Japanese tsunami debris coming our way. I wonder if insurance will cover it if I hit a house, car or tractor?

[hellosailor]

And now a word to and about our sponsors:

When I get email notifications from threads like this one, they have lately been a dog's dinner with no line breaks in them at all. Such as this gem:

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Dear hellosailor, Sailor g has just replied to a thread you have subscribed to entitled - Liferaft: Yes or No - in the Health, Safety & Related Gear forum of Cruisers & Sailing Forums. This thread is located at: http://www.cruisersforum.com/forums/showthread.php?t=69940&goto=newpost Here is the message that has just been posted: *************** ---Quote (Originally by Minggat)--- That would be things like collision mats and pumps, just to start. ---End Quote--- Hi Minggat! How ya doing? I hope pumps & mats would be enough if I'd hit a container but I would want back up in case it didn't. I suppose we on the West Coast need to think about it since we have the Japanese tsunami debris coming our way. I wonder if insurance will cover it if I hit a house, car or tractor? *************** There may also be other replies, but you will not receive any more notifications until you visit the forum again. All the best, Cruisers & Sailing Forums ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Unsubscription information: To unsubscribe from this thread, please visit this page: http://www.cruisersforum.com/forums/subscription.php?do=removesubscription&type=thread &subscriptionid=390915&auth=a0b6d3f241375980adf5e7 807ef3d2fc To unsubscribe from ALL threads, please visit this page: http://www.cruisersforum.com/forums/subscription.php?do=viewsubscription&folderid=all

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Looks like the forum(?) is using Unix style software that is sending only half of the CR+LF needed by most email software to format text?

Or it is my computer, only having the problem with THIS forum?