Fireball
regular
Reged: 15/11/2004
Posts: 7179
Loc: Chichester
|
|
I would've thought GC1 would be more appropriate!
--------------------
Don't be sad boy, people die all the time, just like that, why you could wake up dead tomorrow. - Homer Simpson
|
DavenHelen
regular
Reged: 06/09/2005
Posts: 516
Loc: UK, Lancashire
|
|
Quote:
LR is there (for those that have them) as a last resort - not a "Get out of danger free" card ...
A Life Raft is part of a risk mitigation exercise and I am sure most here would agree it is there as a last resort. The obvious question is, without a Life Raft, what is the last resort (apart from Drowning).
--------------------
Dave
"There are 10 types of people in the world - those who understand binary, and those who don't".
|
Tranona
regular
Reged: 10/11/2007
Posts: 1084
|
|
Jack When would you ever take your family into any conditions where a boat like yours would be in danger of being overwhelmed? And when would you ever get anywhere near a big ship that might hit you? And how many cases are there of a Beneteau like yours suffering a structural failure that caused it to sink? If the answer to these questions is No then you don't need a liferaft.
And if you think that a raft is going to be effective in saving your family in the millions to one chance that one of these things does happen to you, read the reports and go on a survival course including going into a raft with your family. Then ask them if they would like to do it for real or would they prefer to rely on your skill and knowledge in avoiding such situations.
Bet they would choose the last option and THAT is where your responsibility lies.
|
Fireball
regular
Reged: 15/11/2004
Posts: 7179
Loc: Chichester
|
|
The obvious answer is LJs ... but as I'd posted above (and don't intend to repeat) - you can do a lot more to prevent needing a LR in the first place - at which point you have to ask yourself if it is worth the expense - which will depend on your circumstances.
There is no one right answer to everything. (except 42 of course, which is the answer to life, the universe and everything)
--------------------
Don't be sad boy, people die all the time, just like that, why you could wake up dead tomorrow. - Homer Simpson
|
Fireball
regular
Reged: 15/11/2004
Posts: 7179
Loc: Chichester
|
|
I'm going to have to disagree with you a little there ...
In Jacks situation, we are aware that conditions can change - if he's south coast UK and northern france, then that includes CI's where fog is a common occurrence ...
Whilst Jack will (I hope) do everything in his power to avoid the need for a LR, events can get out of control - in which case I think the family would prefer both options (I certainly would).
The OP was asking about UK Coastal sailing ... which I took to exclude trips across any of the channels ...
--------------------
Don't be sad boy, people die all the time, just like that, why you could wake up dead tomorrow. - Homer Simpson
|
QuestGirl
regular
Reged: 15/04/2008
Posts: 55
|
|
Quote:
My liferaft will cost half of new to service, instead of buying new thought I would rent for next trip across English channel and not bother to buy one for coastal cruising, what do you all do ? I`d be very interested to know.
RGH
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.
|
WindFinder
regular
Reged: 03/03/2008
Posts: 291
|
|
Quote:
Jack When would you ever take your family into any conditions where a boat like yours would be in danger of being overwhelmed? And when would you ever get anywhere near a big ship that might hit you? And how many cases are there of a Beneteau like yours suffering a structural failure that caused it to sink? If the answer to these questions is No then you don't need a liferaft.
I'd have to have some sympathy with that view.
Would a liferaft survive a fire or a collision? How likely is total loss of a boat anyway?
People have survived all sorts of weather in open boats and if you've got a sensible way to summon help you'll usually be rescued in the the Channel within a couple of hours.
If a LR is so essential why do people risk taking only one? Would it not be wiser to have one on the bow and one on the stern where they are more likely to survive an incident.
I'd want to see some figures on the occurance of total losses of yachts followed by a lengthy time in the water before I could support a view that LR were essential.
Mind you, hard to think of a reason apart from cost and weight not to have one (or two!).
When I consider the risk of the drive to the marina I find it hard to get excited about the miniscule additional risk of not carrying a LR.
Let's not forget a dinghy has significant advantages over a LR as well as the disadvantages.
|
Tranona
regular
Reged: 10/11/2007
Posts: 1084
|
|
The data is all there in the MAIB and MCIB reports I refer to. There is only one case in the Channel where a yacht was hit in the fog, and the report suggested that better radar procedures could have prevented it.
There are absolutely no cases of a family cruiser with family on board foundering in a way that would require a lferaft. Having one is an emotional not rational decision - as suggested by the language used to justify the decision.
As I have already stated, with the possible exception of collision all cases are either in extreme conditions we are unlikely ever to experience or the result of a catastrophic failure and therefore unlikely to happen to a responsible family skipper in a well found yacht.
|
jordanbasset
regular
Reged: 31/12/2007
Posts: 176
Loc: Shropshire
|
|
You are right, certainly statisctically you are in far more danger driving on the road than sailing, with or without a life raft. What you should do is take the train or fly whnever possible, costs a lot more normally, but what price safety? But most people don't, including me, the car is convenient and often quicker over short distances. In fact it could be argued if you want to keep your family safe, don't drive but go sailing with or without said life raft.
Even so if I had my family on board I would probably let my illogical and emotional side win and have a life raft. Just in case of that one in a million or ten million chance happened and I was left wondering if only I got one.
Edited by jordanbasset (13/05/2008 20:45)
|
alant
regular
Reged: 30/05/2001
Posts: 1863
Loc: UK - Solent region
|
|
Whilst Jack will (I hope) do everything in his power to avoid the need for a LR, events can get out of control - in which case I think the family would prefer both options (I certainly would).
------------------------------------------------------------------------
Make up your mind!
How does any of your earlier stuff match
"I think the family would prefer both options (I certainly would)."?
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
"events can get out of control "
Surely not -
"My Priorities are ensuring that our vessel and crew DO NOT encounter a situation where a liferaft is required."
------------------------------------------------------------------------
"Whilst Jack will (I hope) do everything in his power to avoid the need for a LR, events can get out of control -"
I'm sure that Jack will get much reassurance from this statement.
|
Previous
Index
Next
Threaded
[Re: 
Edit
Reply
Quote
