To get back to the original question, we don't have a liferaft and we have crossed the Channel without one but with an inflated dinghy. Whilst crossing, we wore our lifejackets all the time we were in the cockpit and clipped on with safety harnesses any time either of us had to go forward.

We have a personal EPIRB, a handheld VHF and mobile phones kept in the grab bag whilst on longer passages - if you can't call for help (and get it fast) in the Solent, chances are you wouldn't have made it into the liferaft either.

That said, it is just the two of us (plus dog, who doesn't get a vote

) and we have discussed it and agreed that we are both happy with the decision not to have a liferaft. If we had children or were regularly taking other people on longer passages, we might reconsider.