A better way to secure the liferaft

[msponer]

Nylon webbing tends to fray and get weak in the sun for me. It also doesn't seem very chafe resistant, sucks to tie knots in, and is so boingy and stretchy that it is hard to make tight.

If you want something flat, then just pull the core out of an old dacron double braid halyard. If you want the better aesthetics of eye splices, I feel it's better to do a mobius splice on old dacron rope than to sew loops in webbing. I don't have a lot of confidence in sewn webbing loops. The most recent issue of Practical Sailor did some pull tests on webbing loops and found some science in how to do them properly. My take is that it's a lot of work and touchiness for nothing -- splicing rope is so easy to get right, and stronger.

I would not use any special hardware or buckles or levers. I would just lash it and use knots. Or, if you want to be more fancy, make soft shackles out of dacron rope. Dacron is easier to cut with a normal knife than dyneema. And make it tight with the 'drum wraps' -- I don't know the technical term for this, but it's the way you can use a perpendicular lashing to draw two parallel ropes together and make them super tight. It's in the Riggers Apprentice as a way to lash down a dinghy (that book is great, but it's starting to feel a bit out of date since it's 'pre-dyneema').

Lots of ways will work fine. That's just the overall vibe of how I would do it.

PS -- I agree with what other people say about keeping the raft dry. All but one of my rafts has been totaled because they got wet inside their case. Maybe the new 'vacuum bagged' rafts are more resilient, I don't know.

[Anduril]

I have mounted a Viking canister in using the rail mount kit, but added extra lashings with a knife staged near by to cut them free. Cut the cords and pull the release cord and it plops overboard right behind the boat.

[b_rodwell]

I just used marine quality straps. The straps go around the case twice. The buckles are stainless. I have a knife nearby to cut the straps if I can't release the buckles quickly. It was all pretty simple.

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Brian

[hellosailor]

Monte-
If you use nylon strapping, be aware that it stretches when wet. When we use nylon web straps to secure scuba tanks, they MUST be pre-soaked and pre-stretched before the cam is thrown, or else they loosen up after going in the water.


The various straps and hooks are all nice, but there's a school of thought that says "Any life raft which is kept on deck, no matter how it is secured, will be swept away in a bad storm." A number have been lost that way, fortunately on vessels that did not need to use them. I give great credit to the few vessels that have a dedicated protected storage area under the helm seat or in the bridge deck in front of the companionway, for that exact purpose.
Assuming you have a good sheath knife, or there is one firmly attached to the life raft, it should only take one "press" against a taught line to part it. No sawing, just one press. So if it takes thirty seconds or a minute to cut four lines and free a life raft canister? Four "presses" with a knife is about the same time as four "releases" with handles, isn't it?

[UNCIVILIZED]

For anyone fretting about a knife being near the raft, in any capacity (especially emergencies & rough seas). Look up/buy some variety of emergency para-cord cutter or J-hook knife. That, or some version of an emergency seat belt cutter.

The built in safety feature with them all is that the cutting edge is on the inside recess of a J or U shaped blade/handle. So zero protruding sharp edges to poke holes in things with.

[meirriba]

Hi monte
I prefer straps with no buckles or such. Lashing and knife (one on the railing near helmsman seat and one on the railing near the raft).
I will post pictures later.

[Terra Nova]

Didn't see any mention of liferaft security from thieves. Fabric straps can be easily cut.

[hellosailor]

Anything on deck is a target for thieves. If they'll cut steel cables and padlocks to get your dink or outboard, what more can you put on a liferaft canister? Besides a wading pool with a live hungry 'gator in it?


"Secure for port" is what you do for antitheft. Anything that can be moved below, gets moved below. Anything that can be secured, gets secured. Including all hatches and the companionway. And why boats, which so often cost so much more than cars, don't bother to use even commodity-grade automobile alarm systems and decent locks, I gave up asking a long time ago.


Any mule driver can tell you how to snug down a pack, or canister. With line or web. To tighten lines for longer-term security, you "frap" the lashings. It is called "frapping", and when you cut the primary lines, they'll still burst away just as quickly.

[meirriba]

Originally Posted by Terra Nova

Didn't see any mention of liferaft security from thieves. Fabric straps can be easily cut.

As the engines are started by push buttons without keys the whole vessel can easily be sailed away by a thief (just release mooring lines and go).

[Terra Nova]

So, you're saying that, since thieves could steal the whole boat, we shouldn't secure our expensive deck gear?

[meirriba]

Liferaft installation - 1

[meirriba]

Liferaft installation - 2

[meirriba]

Liferaft - 3

[meirriba]

Originally Posted by Terra Nova

So, you're saying that, since thieves could steal the whole boat, we shouldn't secure our expensive deck gear?

Sure...
More seriously, at sea the liferaft should be easily deployed.
At port you may add any antitheft devices you like for all gear as you deem required - however the issue of this discussion is installation for sea use.

[monte]

Thanks guys. Hopefully everyone read the article posted earlier. It always good for a refresher. I think ill set up the same as Brians, but without the tensioning buckles. Although theyre good it something else to break/sieze/maintain, so ill look for some strong one piece buckles. Thanksk for the tip on wetting the webbing first HS, will do..
Thans for tie pics Meirriba!