Life Rafts

Jono Garton · 18 January 2006, 11:23

Im looking for a 8/10 man raft for our new coded humber, who best at the minute?

I was looking at Viking at the show who quoted me £1233.24 for an iso 9650, i understand this wont need servicing for 3 years instead of the previously yearly servicing. It seems at these prices its not worth renting.With a IS0 9650 does it need to be self righting and i need an solas b grab pack for the coding?

Jono

Jimbob · 18 January 2006, 12:26

Jono

When i got mine coded last year, it needed to be solas b or liferaft(OSR/ISAF) +grapbag to solas b....nothing about self righting in the book i had and was never mentioned

section 13.2.3, mgn 280 (m)

Doug Stormforce · 18 January 2006, 17:03

Quote:

Originally Posted by Jono Garton

I was looking at Viking at the show who quoted me £1233.24 for an iso 9650, i understand this wont need servicing for 3 years instead of the previously yearly servicing. It seems at these prices its not worth renting.With a IS0 9650 does it need to be self righting and i need an solas b grab pack for the coding?

Jono I think you will find that the three yearly service is due to the expiry date on the flares. If you are using the boat commercially you wil probabally have to still service annually for coding requirements. Im not a 100% sure of the top of my head but you should check it out.

codprawn · 18 January 2006, 17:47

Talking of liferafts how the hell are you supposed to mount them? Probably the greatest risk in a RIB is capsize - how do you deploy the liferaft then???

Jono Garton · 18 January 2006, 18:19

Hi Doug

I think

under the new code you have to have it serviced with manufactuers reccomendation, instead of the yearly intervals with the current code?

fred bolton · 18 January 2006, 18:37

Quote:

Originally Posted by codprawn

Talking of liferafts how the hell are you supposed to mount them? Probably the greatest risk in a RIB is capsize - how do you deploy the liferaft then???

Perhaps the liferaft self inflating will right the rib

Jono Garton · 18 January 2006, 18:49

Quote:

Originally Posted by fred bolton

Perhaps the liferaft self inflating will right the rib

I wouldnt know about these type of things

codprawn · 18 January 2006, 18:52

Quote:

Originally Posted by fred bolton

Perhaps the liferaft self inflating will right the rib

Jono would have found that quite useful - moving swiftly on.....

Seriosuly though how are most liferafts secured? In the event of a capsize I would have thought they are pretty useless unless mounted right.

I thought of having one each side of the A frame - almost resting on the tubes - that way in the event of a capsize it should be possible to inflate them - is this a good idea???

Rogue Wave · 18 January 2006, 23:13

Codprawn

NO not really! You are putting a lot of weight on the arse end of the boat also in the case of a capsize you may well be fkkd up (hopefully not) so deployment of the raft is out of your hands

I take it you are going to code your bote and operate it as a commercial skipper?

If so you will need to go on a sea survival course and on this they explain in quite detail the theory behind life raft operation. At a later point you will get in the pool and practice getting in to de slipery wett fing. big hint don't get your lifejacket buckle caught in the rope ladder of the life raft it can be exhausting!

.

The rafts are held on to the boat with Hamar releases and they automaticlly cut the hold on to the cardle after a bit of a soaking. The liferaft is thrown overband it is held on to the boat buy a cord known as the weaklink so called as it is designed to break when the vessel sinks below a certain depth usually 2 metres but until that time it secures the liferaft to the boat so it doesn't float away and you can get in it!

The liferaft when inflated is easy enough to turn over (if upside down ) having little footholds to assist the operator to do this. You then get in and tie the liferafts together by now I imagine one larger liferaft may be desirable! Once everybody is in you cut the weaklink.

Don't forget when you are getting into the liferaft for real you are in the shit and if running day charters with several people you don't know and can't trust in an emergency it needs to be a relatively easy process . and should be touched on in your customer safety briefing.

You'd have to do this course anyway so why not do it before the boat is delivered. It's actually good fun and could well save your life. 80 quid or so
Warsah maritime centre run em
Atlantic college may well do them
And I would thing somewhere around Milford would.

Also you can get a surprisingly large amount of Liferaft info from the Plastimo catalogue log into the website and order one if you want.

Perhaps we should organise a ribnet away day to Warsash for us Solenteers.

On an up note you would rarely get into a situation that would require deployment of the liferaft but you never know your luck so be ready

E&OE

If you are not going to code your boat then ignore this and go on the course anyway

IWISHIHADAWESITE.oc.ku

Doug Stormforce · 18 January 2006, 23:24

Jono

I stand corrected

Our RIBs are not MCA coded, only the yachts, is this 3yr relevenat to Cat 1 and 2 as well??

DOUG

codprawn · 19 January 2006, 00:59

Quote:

Originally Posted by Rogue Wave

The rafts are held on to the boat with Hamar releases and they automaticlly cut the hold on to the cardle after a bit of a soaking. The liferaft is thrown overband it is held on to the boat buy a cord known as the weaklink so called as it is designed to break when the vessel sinks below a certain depth usually 2 metres but until that time it secures the liferaft to the boat so it doesn't float away and you can get in it!

IWISHIHADAWESITE.oc.ku

Thanks for all the info - yes I will be doing the sea survival course - did one quite a few years ago through my father with BP but was not official.

I do hope to get the boat coded for commercial use.

I originally intended to put the liferaft on the foredeck/sunbed to balance out the boat better but I still can't see how it would deploy from there if the boat capsized.

If it is securely fixed to resist wave jumping and then the boat flips won't it just inflate UNDER the boat???

To be honest I wonder if some sort of scramble net would be a good idea to get everyone onto the upturned hull.

Rogue Wave · 19 January 2006, 12:38

The real trick is not to capsize the boat in the first place!

Your buddies in Pembroke were lucky with their capsize (no real injuries) and the fact that a second boat was on scene.

If the boat is capsized the Hamar will release the raft from it's cradle. I think this will sink and then the liferafts Hamar will activate and the raft deploys and surfaces. The currents should take the raft away which will be still tethered by the weaklink. I am not too sure of this but I am going to see my buddies in Ocean safety this afternoon so I'll ask em.

scramble net to gain access to the upturned hull is a nono to hard to hold on to in te rough weather. Don't forget as you get near to drowning you loose your grip reflex, I think your hands could get tired after a few hours. Under those circumstances the best place to be is in the liferaft.
I am presuming the capsize would be caused by extreme conditions .

I think they have been fitting Hamars for about 7 years so you may have attended the cours before then. If you are still connected with BP try and get on their courses....their safety attitood is excellent and they run good courses. I work mostly for BP in de Norf C and have been most impressed

It might well be worth talking to Tim Griffin about this as he has gone a long way down the safety road and is very active in lifesaving

Jono · 19 January 2006, 13:03

Quote:

Originally Posted by Rogue Wave

........ BP ......their safety attitood is excellent and .....

'cept if you live in the vicinity of Graingmouth... *BANG*.. "what was that?" .. you may not believe that.......

Andy Gee · 19 January 2006, 14:46

My understanding is that:
1. yer boat sinks.
2. At around 3m of water pressure the Hammar pops.
3. Providing you have followed the fitting instructions the raft floats to the surface.
4. Upon the painter being fully pulled (the painter length is usally marked on the raft) by the sinking boat the raft deploys, if your boats is in water shallower than the length of the painter you deploy it yourself.
5. If your boat sinks in water deeper than the painter then the bouyancy in the raft will break the "weak link" , if not depending on the sea conditions you either cut the painter or sit tied onto your wreck........handy for future diving

.
6. You sit and eat the Kendal mint cake hoping your insurance is up to date.

I'm not sure how all this would work on an inverted Rib. I don't think there would be enough water pressure to pop the hammar, so a bit of dooking would be required to set it free.
Any ideas?
Andy

Jono Garton · 19 January 2006, 15:02

Andy

You should get a job writing instructions for life rafts!

Jono (The kind of Welsh One)

Andy Moore · 19 January 2006, 15:23

Quote:

Originally Posted by codprawn

I thought of having one each side of the A frame - almost resting on the tubes - that way in the event of a capsize it should be possible to inflate them - is this a good idea???

I wouldn't have thought so. Our (yacht) one is blooming heavy.

codprawn · 19 January 2006, 18:08

Quote:

Originally Posted by Andy Moore

I wouldn't have thought so. Our (yacht) one is blooming heavy.

I am still concerned though that when upside down the thing just wouldnt be able to be used!!!

Apparently the ONLY reason RIBs have to carry them is that the proffessional boaters lot or whatever they are called said it wasn't fair that they needed to carrying them and RIBs didn't - childish sods!!!

Yes there is a risk of fire I suppose but with 500L of petrol on board I think a fast exit would be called for!!!

Rogue Wave · 19 January 2006, 18:32

liferaft will sink

fast exit yes good idea for the passengers but you have a duty to make sure they are safe bobbing about 30 miles off shore in a lifejacket aint safe.

The liferaft may not save you but it does a lot better job than nothing

Jono

re BP i said attitood not aptitood

Jimbob · 19 January 2006, 18:48

Mr Cod

I felt the same way when i started coding about liferafts, but to be honest the rules have been harmonised into one boak, so it not just ribs it effects.

And to be honest, as people have said this is an improvement over the old rules, i think the people paying are far happier now that before