Life raft on a rib

musk · 28 March 2006, 08:45

Hi

I am currently buying my first Rib , a Ribeye 750 with two Yahama 115 engines.

As I live in Jersey I intend to island hop and go to France, maximum distance of journey 20 miles.

I'm told I should buy a life raft on a Rib this size yet I have never seen a life raft on a rib...................which seems to me like putting a life raft on a life raft................advice will be greatly appreciated !

Musk

karlT · 28 March 2006, 09:55

Hello Musk,

I am also based in Jersey. We have a 12 man liferaft for charter work and it is a pain!.

Realistically, look at the furthest offshore you are likely to be, not distance to places, and also weather you are realistically going offshore in??

Jersey St Malo - 8 miles from french or Jersey coast / minquiers

Jersey - Cart / portbail 5 miles Ecrehous in the Middle

Guernsey - 10 miles

Most likely need for a liferaft on a Rib is FIRE!! whether caused by electronics or engines. Also need to think how many people you need the liferaft for.

hope this helps a little

regards
Karlt

donutsina911 · 28 March 2006, 09:58

Depending on your budget, you could buy a liferaft in a valise (bag) that can be stowed fairly easily on a RIB for about £500 - check out www.messengermarine.co.uk for hire/buy options - Gary will be able to offer some good advice..

codprawn · 28 March 2006, 12:06

I really wouldn't bother for private use. Capsize is my biggest concern and if you are upside down a liferaft is as well.

Commercial operators now have to carry them because the proffessional boaters association complained and said - if we have to carry them then so do ribs - pathetic!!!

donutsina911 · 28 March 2006, 12:39

each to their own codders and not 100% correct - if your rib is upside down and the liferaft is set up correctly it will deploy upright as normal. As an aside, if your going to be out in conditions where you think your prosport may capsize, I would think it prudent to carry one...

roycruse · 28 March 2006, 12:42

Do life rafts have echomax radar reflectors on them ?

According to some people on this forum they are the only ones that work and I would have thought that the one time when you need a radar reflector is when you are in a tiny inflatable with no power.

musk · 28 March 2006, 13:11

Thanks for the advise,

As Karlt points out I will only ever be 8 miles or so from land and I only intend to be a fair weather ribber........if the weather looks crap I simply won't go out.

My Rib lacks storage space and to have a raft for 8 people will take up valuable space.

I have also got 2 engines which must reduce the probability of breakdown.

Unless anyone suggests differently I am unaware of any non commercal ribs which have liferafts........for my type of useage, although I hope I will be corrected if this is not the case !

Thanks

Musk

P.s. Hope to see you out Karlt

Jimbob · 28 March 2006, 15:55

Hi

Liferafts have to be carried for charter for local/MCA coding. And to be honest Codders if you are paying then you should have this facility to keep them warm.

depending on what it is e.g SOLAS then there is a radar reflector. In al cases i think there need to be a grab bag for all theose little things like a handhel VHF , spare batteries.....

Solent Ranger · 28 March 2006, 16:54

We have an 8 man raft. Fits nicely!

Need it to comply with coding requirements

Dino · 28 March 2006, 16:57

Quote:

Originally Posted by roycruse

Do life rafts have echomax radar reflectors on them ?

According to some people on this forum they are the only ones that work and I would have thought that the one time when you need a radar reflector is when you are in a tiny inflatable with no power.

Musk
You will love that Ribeye mate

Paul · 28 March 2006, 18:00

I managed to fit a liferaft on a 4 metre RIB with little difficulty.Maybe a bit over the top but even if you were a couple of miles offshore and you had a fire you would be in serious danger without one if there were no other boats in the vicinity

codprawn · 28 March 2006, 18:34

Quote:

Originally Posted by donutsina911

each to their own codders and not 100% correct - if your rib is upside down and the liferaft is set up correctly it will deploy upright as normal. As an aside, if your going to be out in conditions where you think your prosport may capsize, I would think it prudent to carry one...

So people keep telling me and yet accident reports I have read say that although the ribs capsized the liferafts failed to deploy despite being properly mounted.

I think the problem is that a RIB bounces around so much the raft must be very secure - just what you don't want when you flip over!!!

I know there are hydrostatic releases but they only work when the boat is quite a few feet underwater!!!

Looking at Roycruise's example it looks really neat and he HAS to have it but how much use would it REALLY be???

I know there is a slim chance of fire but an electrical cutoff and an extinguisher should be quicker!!!

musk · 28 March 2006, 20:38

Sorry for appearing like a land- lover but does the thing Solent Ranger has on his rib suddenly open up with contact with the water ?

I can see the point of a liferaft if there is sufficient time to read the instructions and make it sea worthy .............although I can't think of such a senario, but in the case of a real emergency such as capsize , crash ,hostil attack,fire etc surely the liferaft can't be prepared on time ..............of course if one does have time to launch the raft isn't the hull of the rib which can't sink better to cling onto than a inflatable dingy thingy...............again I apologise for my total lack of knowledge in this respect .............but isn't this a case of the health and safty bollocks affecting us all on dry land ?

Musk-

Solent Ranger · 28 March 2006, 21:32

Quote:

Originally Posted by musk

Sorry for appearing like a land- lover but does the thing Solent Ranger has on his rib suddenly open up with contact with the water ?

I can see the point of a liferaft if there is sufficient time to read the instructions and make it sea worthy .............although I can't think of such a senario, but in the case of a real emergency such as capsize , crash ,hostil attack,fire etc surely the liferaft can't be prepared on time ..............of course if one does have time to launch the raft isn't the hull of the rib which can't sink better to cling onto than a inflatable dingy thingy...............again I apologise for my total lack of knowledge in this respect .............but isn't this a case of the health and safty bollocks affecting us all on dry land ?

Musk-

A lot of what you say is correct. The last thing I'd look to do is leap into a liferaft and in fact unless the boat was on fire, I'd stay with the rib in preference. To comply with the regulations a liferaft is a prerequisite. Those of us with coded boats have no choice in the matter. We don't make the rules.

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

Poly · 28 March 2006, 21:53

Quote:

Originally Posted by Solent Ranger

The last thing I'd look to do is leap into a liferaft and in fact unless the boat was on fire, I'd stay with the rib in preference. The raft is not on a hydrostatic release and would need deploying manually, there is a quick release.

The life raft does offer one advantatage over the boat though in that it provides some degree of shelter from the elements which you don't get on an open rib. (Also keeps you out the water if you have a "Big Yellow" type experience and the hull breaks up). If the boat is on fire or sinks (its unlikely but surely not impossible with a rib). You can always keep it tethered alongside your boat if its not on fire. Then you have the advantages of both.

As for releasing it - if its your boat you can familiarise yourself with it in advance - but they are designed to be deployed quickly in an emergency. The one thing to bear in mind is that an 8-man raft is pretty heavy to lift over the side of the boat - not impossible but suspect my wife might struggle.

I wonder what other people think - if you had £500 to spend on a safety item - would you buy an GPS linked EPIRB or a Liferaft? I think I would go for the former.

Solent Ranger · 28 March 2006, 22:16

The problem with this sort of debate is that much of it is academic until one finds oneself in a "live" situation. Here training comes into play. To a lot of people, the use of a liferaft is seen as a panacea, even a comfort blanket. Yet for this who have done a sea survival course attitudes change.

I helped run a sea survival course at the weekend. At the end, the attitudes of those on the course had changed totally. They realised the folly of not having crotch straps, one guy's like jacket went off and blew the plastic off around the cylinder, other's found out how hard it was to get into a raft even in a swimming pool! And a lot more beside.

In reality, i don't have an answer to hypothetical situations - all I know is that having had the training, I know how it would kick in at the time.

codprawn · 29 March 2006, 00:27

Quote:

Originally Posted by Polwart

.

I wonder what other people think - if you had £500 to spend on a safety item - would you buy an GPS linked EPIRB or a Liferaft? I think I would go for the former.

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.....

John Kennett · 29 March 2006, 08:17

Quote:

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.

I'm not sure that anyone makes a waterproof one though.

John

codprawn · 29 March 2006, 11:25

Quote:

Originally Posted by John Kennett

I'm not sure that anyone makes a waterproof one though.

John

Nice gap in the market there!!! Those aqua bag things are pretty good though.

karlT · 29 March 2006, 11:44

Quote:

Originally Posted by musk

Thanks for the advise,

I have also got 2 engines which must reduce the probability of breakdown.

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