Life Raft Discussion.... Yes or No?

[Kenomac]

I know a couple who absolutely froze up mentally when their 56ft blue water cruising boat lost engine power inside a calm harbor on a sunny day (zero wind) and needed to be "rescued," it never occurred to them to drop their anchor. Another time, they panicked then their freshwater system sprang a leak and they thought they were sinking.

Panic is not a good trait to have in your quiver.

[Dockhead]

Originally Posted by Kenomac

I know a couple who absolutely froze up mentally when their 56ft blue water cruising boat lost engine power inside a calm harbor on a sunny day (zero wind) and needed to be "rescued," it never occurred to them to drop their anchor. Another time, they panicked then their freshwater system sprang a leak and they thought they were sinking.

Panic is not a good trait to have in your quiver.

There but for the grace of God . . .


I would be absolutely sure that I would never freeze up, but it actually happened to me one time. I was being shot at with a machine gun. I didn't experience anything which felt like panic, but I just -- froze for a few seconds, when I should have been diving for the gutter. I didn't know what to do, and my brain wasn't even processing any options of what to do -- it just went blank. I was lucky to have survived that.

I have never frozen up or panicked in any other tense situation, and certainly not at sea, although I've been in some hairy situations over the years, and not only at sea.

But I would caution everyone against assuming that it can't happen you. Like with so many things . . .

[s/v Moondancer]

The difference between a life raft and a dinghy is as different as life and death.
Life rafts provide protection from the elements. Are designed to make it as easy as possible in heavy conditions to board the raft. Many Self deploy, contain life sustaining equipment and most auto transmit from their on board Epirb.
I am a very experienced off shore sailor and I would never consider going off shore without a current and well positioned life raft. Keep in mind, it has to be installed in a location where it can successfully auto deploy. If they want good crew, they should expect high standards. They can rent one if money is an issue.

[Arclight]

You’re dingy it will be a little use in serious storm conditions.

[dcruz99801]

Not sure if it was mentioned in the previous (16 pages!) posts but the only dinghy I would consider a suitable substitute for an offshore raft is the Portland Pudgy. It is double-walled like an ice chest, deep draft and self-righting; it has options for a tarp/shade and sailing rig and has a small water-tight storage bin.

Of course, it also costs $5k or so in that configuration but at least you'll get some other use out of it.

[Kenomac]

Originally Posted by dcruz99801

Not sure if it was mentioned in the previous (16 pages!) posts but the only dinghy I would consider a suitable substitute for an offshore raft is the Portland Pudgy. It is double-walled like an ice chest, deep draft and self-righting; it has options for a tarp/shade and sailing rig and has a small water-tight storage bin.

Of course, it also costs $5k or so in that configuration but at least you'll get some other use out of it.

Four people in one of those, you’re joking of course. Right?

There’s no way that thing is as stable as a life raft or our dinghy.

[Cadence]

Originally Posted by Kenomac

I know a couple who absolutely froze up mentally when their 56ft blue water cruising boat lost engine power inside a calm harbor on a sunny day (zero wind) and needed to be "rescued," it never occurred to them to drop their anchor. Another time, they panicked then their freshwater system sprang a leak and they thought they were sinking.

Panic is not a good trait to have in your quiver.

And more so in a dicy situation.

[kmacdonald]

Originally Posted by Arclight

You’re dingy it will be a little use in serious storm conditions.

I avoid serious storms. My $20 sevylor will do fine if needed.

[northerncole]

This has got to be the stupidest thread ever on this forum. I mean really......yes or no?? Please say you started this thread just to poke the bear. You have an Oyster that size without a life raft? And someone sold you that? This has to be a wind up or cruising has come to an all time low.

[Nicholson58]

Living aboard in the Caribbean. Only the megayachts and commercial vessels have them. The discussion nearly always ends with - I use my dinghy all the time. I trust it. I keep it repaired. Who knows what is in that raft canister?

I inspected, pressure tested cleaned and repacked our AVON 8-man. We flopped around in it in our pool. I would still rather be in my Caribe.

[Dockhead]

Originally Posted by Nicholson58

Living aboard in the Caribbean. Only the megayachts and commercial vessels have them. The discussion nearly always ends with - I use my dinghy all the time. I trust it. I keep it repaired. Who knows what is in that raft canister?

I inspected, pressure tested cleaned and repacked our AVON 8-man. We flopped around in it in our pool. I would still rather be in my Caribe.

Sure. The Caribe is what it is. 20 years cruising around Florida and the Caribbean, I never felt the need for a raft either.

But the OP is crossing the Atlantic the wrong way -- West to East at fairly high latitudes. In cold water. That is an utterly and absolutely different use case, than island hopping in the Caribe.

[Dockhead]

Originally Posted by kmacdonald

I avoid serious storms. My $20 sevylor will do fine if needed.

And likewise, sailing around the bay in a day sailer is also a totally different use case, from that of the OP. Who carries a life raft on a day sailer? How hard is it to "avoid serious storms", if you never get out of sight of land? This experience does not translate at all to what the OP is doing.

[icemate]

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.

My Yachtsaver package came in two carry bags with color coded lines to identify locations to be deployed. Without being installed like airbags in a vehicle it cost me around $5000. Making your vessel unsinkable is worth the money.

[jkindredpdx]

Wow Ken,
That's a lot of posts in 7 days, and still going strong... clearly a good question.

I chose to buy a new inflatable dinghy, EPIRB, strobes etc. I'm only coastal cruising, which I believe is different than blue water, but I'm questioning whether to continue carrying my old liferaft that is 8 years out of date.

[meirriba]

Originally Posted by Nicholson58

Living aboard in the Caribbean. Only the megayachts and commercial vessels have them. The discussion nearly always ends with - I use my dinghy all the time. I trust it. I keep it repaired. Who knows what is in that raft canister?

I inspected, pressure tested cleaned and repacked our AVON 8-man. We flopped around in it in our pool. I would still rather be in my Caribe.

Well, as you plan that you will sink in your pool, you are certainly better off with the dinghy.
BUT, if you prepare your boat for N. Atlantic, you are advised, at least, to consider and evaluate the various opinions here of people who has real cruising experience. Not Caribbean pottering.