Life raft on a rib

[Poly]

Originally Posted by codprawn

NEITHER - after having spoke to a few people and reading quite a bit on the subject I would say a sat phone is better than an EPIRB. You can get them for about £300 and a prepaid card that you ONLY use in an emergency cos the calls cost a fortune!!!

Alan Priddy swears by one.....

You would want a handheld waterproof gps too. Otherwise you may not be able to report your position. I can see the advantage of a sat. phone but it wasn't really designed for distress calling. I never remember to charge my mobile so would no doubt have a similar problem...

[CJL]

I wonder if a rib did catch fire how much of it would be left behind once the petrol had burnt off??

I can't imagine the tubes or grp being highly flamable (do they not have to meet some kind of flame retardent standard or something?)

Chris

[codprawn]

Originally Posted by Polwart

You would want a handheld waterproof gps too. Otherwise you may not be able to report your position. I can see the advantage of a sat. phone but it wasn't really designed for distress calling. I never remember to charge my mobile so would no doubt have a similar problem...

Most sat phones have this built in....

[Cookee]

Originally Posted by CJL

I wonder if a rib did catch fire how much of it would be left behind once the petrol had burnt off??

I can't imagine the tubes or grp being highly flamable (do they not have to meet some kind of flame retardent standard or something?)

Chris

No flame retardent standard for tubes or GRP, and once going you wouldn't want to be anywhere near the GRP - nasty smoke!

[daveh]

Originally Posted by karlT

I did chuckle at above comment, quite amusing as we were talking about liferafts? why would you even consider getting off your boat cos you breakdown. People have taken to rafts in the past only for their vessel to be washed ashore days / weeks later.

Will no doubt see you around and will come by and say hello.

Karl T

I did my sea survival course - well worth it how ever much you think you know - may change views completely. My personal view is that I dont think a liferaft is particularly useful in a rib. I would have thought that if there is a risk of capsize, then auto righting inflation on an appropriate a-frame would be more appropriate.

On the other hand I sail aswell and I think liferafts have an very important purpose in other cases.

[DJL]

Originally Posted by Solent Ranger

The raft is not on a hydrostatic release and would need deploying manually, there is a quick release.

I thought coding requires a hydrostatic release?

i) in approved FRP containers stowed on the weather deck
or in an open space, and fitted with float free
arrangements so that the liferafts float free and inflate
automatically; or...

[Solent Ranger]

Originally Posted by DJL

I thought coding requires a hydrostatic release?

Clearly not or we would not have had got Scarlet through and she was coded at build at Ribcraft.

[musk]

Thanks for all your posts..............

It seems to me that the general concensis is that unless a raft is hydrostatic the only time a raft is of use is when a Rib is on fire......

Two questions

1) Has anyones Rib ever caught on fire ?

2) Has anyone ever needed to use a life raft or knows of anyone who has ?

Cheers

Musk

[Andy Gee]

I remember a number years ago there was an article on a Rib that caught fire off Oban I think, a diesel one I think and from what I can remember it burnt down to fek all in a very short space of time.
I'm sure some-one on here will remember a bit more detail.
Andy