Life Raft Discussion.... Yes or No?

[kmacdonald]

The old sayings "the captain always goes down with the ship" and "never step down to a life raft" are there for a reason. Lots of non-professional boaters didn't heed that age old advice and paid the ultimate price. If you feel you need a life raft, you and your boat probable aren't ready for the voyage. Just my opinion, YMMV. Unfortunately there are plenty of examples to support my position.

[Exile]

Originally Posted by kmacdonald

The old sayings "the captain always goes down with the ship" and "never step down to a life raft" are there for a reason. Lots of non-professional boaters didn't heed that age old advice and paid the ultimate price. If you feel you need a life raft, you and your boat probable aren't ready for the voyage. Just my opinion, YMMV. Unfortunately there are plenty of examples to support my position.

And several examples pointed out in this very thread that plainly don't support your position! But as you suggest, it's a personal choice.

[kmacdonald]

Originally Posted by Exile

And several examples pointed out in this very thread that plainly don't support your position! But as you suggest, it's a personal choice.

I don't doubt that people have been rescued in life rafts but that's not to say they would have died without one. Lots of people have abandoned their boats in terror only to have the boat found later with little to no damage. An EPIRB and life jacket when all else fails. Gumby suit in cold water.

[DotDun]

Originally Posted by kmacdonald

I don't doubt that people have been rescued in life rafts but that's not to say they would have died without one. Lots of people have abandoned their boats in terror only to have the boat found later with little to no damage. An EPIRB and life jacket when all else fails. Gumby suit in cold water.

Lots of people have never been found, nor their boat.

Gumby suit in cold water? For how many days do you believe you could survive?

[kmacdonald]

Originally Posted by DotDun

Lots of people have never been found, nor their boat.

Or the life raft they carried.

[kmacdonald]

Originally Posted by DotDun

Gumby suit in cold water? For how many days do you believe you could survive?

Depends on what they are wearing underneath but longer than in a life raft without a Gumby. With an EPIRB, it won't take days to get rescued in most cases.

[Boatguy30]

If i had a boat that could sink, I would have a liferaft!

But hey, if you're after a Darwin award. Ken, you have my vote!

[kmacdonald]

Originally Posted by Boatguy30

But hey, if you're after a Darwin award. Ken, you have my vote!

Better left to the cat owners!

[DotDun]

Originally Posted by kmacdonald

Or the life raft they carried.

Links? Or is this more of your imagination?

[DotDun]

Originally Posted by kmacdonald

Depends on what they are wearing underneath but longer than in a life raft without a Gumby. With an EPIRB, it won't take days to get rescued in most cases.

Pure BS. Offshore life rafts provide protection and have days worth of fresh water and nourishment.

If you never sail out of sight of land, you may be right.

[Uricanejack]

Originally Posted by Kenomac

On our Oyster 53 which is presently for sale in Italy.... We’ve always had an eight person Avon life raft which has never been used, and I now question the need to have one.

Three weeks from now, four of us will embark on a trans Atlantic sail across to Gibraltar with a stopover in the Azores on our new Oyster 62 which does not presently have a life raft, so I’d like to discuss if there is in fact an actual need to have one.

Here’s what we do have:

1. EPIRB
2. Sat phone
3. Survival suits and/or dry suit
4. Personal EPIRB
5. Brand new 11ft aluminum bottom PVC dinghy
6. Tethers and inflatable life vests
7. Multiple handheld waterproof VHF
8. Fully equipped ditch bag

The plan is to keep the dinghy inflated on the foredeck tied down or on the afterdeck tied down if the conditions were to become concerning. We also plan to use a professional weather routing service out of Boston to keep us in the good weather. The boat can easily crank out 200+ miles per day which should also help keep us in the good weather.

Is a life raft really a necessity? My thoughts are no it’s not... with my rational being that I’d always prefer to remain on the mothership until the need to climb UP onto the dinghy should occure, and that the dinghy is actually constructed well enough to have a 15hp motor attached and driven to speeds exceeding 20mph. So I’d much rather board a dinghy instead of the life raft anyway. Another issue... the dinghy is already inflated, whereas I’d need to count on an automatic inflation device working with the life raft.

I’d like to hear some forum feedback while I’m still trying to decide on whether or not to purchase another life raft that’ll most likely just get in the way over the next 15 years.

Lets see.
Cost of a 62ft Oyster compared to cost of a decent ocean going life raft or rafts for all persons on board. Must be relatively minimal. But still a cost for an item you hopefully will never need.
Space available on a 62ft oyster? Surely not a problem.

If in the unlikely event you had to abandon the vessel(has this ever happened to an Oyster?)

You seriously think a half inflated tender would be a better place to be than a life raft. Hmm.

Your boat, Your Family, Your Friends, Your Crew. Your Choice.

You choose to set of without the life raft.
If you are looking for crew. I wouldn't apply. You might have a nice boat be a nice guy. I wouldn't sail with you. I would not want anyone I cared about to sail with you.
You probably don't care what I think.
I would be wondering about what other safety precautions you are skimping on don't care about.

Odds are almost certainly you will never need it. Or a fire extinguisher or an engine compartment fire system. Why waste the money on an EPIRB. You wont need it. You and your crew will probably kick the bucket before help arrives.

So the question for you.

Do you respect and value the lives of the crew who sail with you enough to provide a place in a life raft for them. Or not.

[kmacdonald]

Originally Posted by DotDun

Pure BS. Offshore life rafts provide protection and have days worth of fresh water and nourishment.

If you never sail out of sight of land, you may be right.

You really need to familiarize yourself with the basics of the topic before you speak out. Google "life raft failures". 545,000 results returned.
One of the life raft manufacturers backed out of a five day raft test saying rescue isn't more that two days away. The number of life rafts inflated and blown away before anyone could get in is astonishing.
I could go on for days but it won't help your condition.

[kmacdonald]

Originally Posted by DotDun

Links? Or is this more of your imagination?

It's more your lack of knowledge. I don't offer spoon feedings. Try and take the initiative and look it up yourself. Google is your friend here.

[DotDun]

Originally Posted by kmacdonald

It's more your lack of knowledge. I don't offer spoon feedings. Try and take the initiative and look it up yourself. Google is your friend here.

Spoken like a person who never leaves sight of shore.....

[Kenomac]

Originally Posted by Uricanejack

Lets see.
Cost of a 62ft Oyster compared to cost of a decent ocean going life raft or rafts for all persons on board. Must be relatively minimal. But still a cost for an item you hopefully will never need.
Space available on a 62ft oyster? Surely not a problem.

If in the unlikely event you had to abandon the vessel(has this ever happened to an Oyster?)

You seriously think a half inflated tender would be a better place to be than a life raft. Hmm.

Your boat, Your Family, Your Friends, Your Crew. Your Choice.

You choose to set of without the life raft.
If you are looking for crew. I wouldn't apply. You might have a nice boat be a nice guy. I wouldn't sail with you. I would not want anyone I cared about to sail with you.
You probably don't care what I think.
I would be wondering about what other safety precautions you are skimping on don't care about.

Odds are almost certainly you will never need it. Or a fire extinguisher or an engine compartment fire system. Why waste the money on an EPIRB. You wont need it. You and your crew will probably kick the bucket before help arrives.

So the question for you.

Do you respect and value the lives of the crew who sail with you enough to provide a place in a life raft for them. Or not.

You’re right... you wouldn't be happy on our boat. Besides, all crew positions for the trans Atlantic voyage are now filled.