Safety at Sea: Installing a 4-Person Offshore Liferaft

  1. Emergency Evacuation: If the sailboat becomes unseaworthy or poses a risk to crew safety, evacuating to a liferaft provides a stable platform for survival until rescue arrives.
  2. Protection from Elements: Offshore liferafts are equipped with insulated floors and canopies to shield occupants from harsh weather conditions.
  3. Visibility and Signaling: Most liferafts feature bright colors and reflective materials for enhanced visibility.  This makes it easier for search and rescue teams to locate them, especially in low light or adverse weather.
  4. Essential Supplies: Liferafts come equipped with survival essentials.  Food rations, water, first aid kits, signaling devices, and flares are included, providing the means to sustain occupants until help arrives.

Sailing is an exhilarating adventure, but it’s essential to prioritize safety, especially when voyaging offshore where help may be far away. One critical component of offshore safety equipment is a liferaft.  Liferafts provide a vital means of survival in emergencies such as abandoning ship. In this blog post, we’ll discuss the importance of having a liferaft on board and provide our reasons for adding a 4-person offshore liferaft to your sailboat.

WHY A LIFERAFT?

While sailboats are designed for resilience, unforeseen circumstances such as severe weather, equipment failure, or collision can necessitate abandoning ship. In such situations, having a properly equipped and readily accessible liferaft can mean the difference between life and death. Here’s why a liferaft was a good addition to our safety equipment:

Liferaft Install1

Choosing the Right Liferaft

Selecting the appropriate liferaft for your sailboat involves considering several factors.  Boat oat size, crew capacity, risk tolerance and intended usage all come into play. Here are some of our key considerations:

  1. Capacity: Liferafts are available in various sizes to accommodate different crew numbers. Our boat is on the small side so we opted for a 4-person liferaft.  This ensures ample space and provisions for our crew size.
  2. Offshore Certification: We chose a liferaft certified for offshore use.  It meets international standards such as ISO 9650 or ISO 9650-1.  This ensures the raft’s durability and performance in challenging conditions.
  3. Pack Type: Liferafts come in either valise (soft pack) or canister (hard pack) configurations. Valise packs are more compact and lightweight. But they may be susceptible to damage.  Canister packs offer better protection but require adequate mounting space on deck or in a dedicated locker.
  4. Automatic Inflation: Consider a liferaft equipped with automatic inflation mechanisms, activated upon immersion in water, for rapid deployment in emergencies.

Installation and Deployment

Installing a liferaft on our sailboat involved several steps to ensure accessibility and readiness:

  1. Location: Choose a secure and easily accessible location on deck or in a dedicated locker for mounting the liferaft. Ensure the area is clear of obstructions and easily reachable in an emergency.
  2. Secure Mounting: We bought a cradle designed specifically for our liferaft to secure the raft in place. 
  3. Accessibility: Ensure crew members can quickly access the liferaft in an emergency by keeping the area clear and providing clear instructions for deployment.
  4. Regular Inspection: Perform routine inspections of the liferaft and its mounting system to check for signs of damage, corrosion, or wear. Replace any expired components such as flares or food rations and service the liferaft according to the manufacturer’s recommendations.

Adding a 4-person offshore liferaft to our sailboat was a crucial step in enhancing safety and preparedness for our upcoming offshore voyages. By selecting a high-quality liferaft, ensuring proper installation, and conducting regular maintenance, we can mitigate risks and increase the likelihood of survival in emergencies. Prioritizing safety equipment like liferafts underscores the commitment to responsible seamanship and ensures peace of mind for us and our crew during offshore adventures.

Share this:

Youtube Instagram Facebook