9/20/2023 0 Comments 2 man inshort fishing boatThey often come with an un-insulated single-layer floor, smaller ballast bags, a canopy and a boarding ladder (usually webbing). Hypothermia can kill anyone immersed in 50° water in just two hours, and will quickly render you unable to function.Ĭoastal or near shore rafts are designed to protect boaters in inshore or warmer coastal waters for up to 24 hours. With colder climates-the Northeast, Great Lakes, Pacific Northwest and Northern California, for example-you should strongly consider carrying a rescue platform, coastal or near shore raft to keep you and your crew out of the water when operating in frigid temperatures. In warm-water environments, you might not need a raft at all, but you might instead consider having an inflatable or rigid dinghy available for rapid deployment. They’re for inshore use, including locations typically up to 15 miles from shore, within VHF radio or cell phone range, and in close proximity to Search and Rescue (SAR) assets from the Coast Guard or other agencies. These flat discs include virtually no gear, a minimal ballast bag system and often no canopy or other type of cover. They’ll keep your crew out of the water and reduce your risk of hypothermia while waiting for rescue. Rescue platforms are the smallest and most inexpensive rescue buoyancy aids, bridging the gap between life jackets and full-featured life rafts. We’ll begin with the most sheltered environment: Inshore boating. To reduce the confusion, we’ll look at the functional classes of rafts, let you know the type of boating they’re intended for and offer the group of standards each class meets. Others are designed to meet ISO 9650 guidelines, which were put in place in 2005 after the 1998 Sydney to Hobart Race, which was one of the most notorious disasters in offshore racing history. Some were built to older Offshore Racing Council (ORC) requirements. Life rafts we offer come from several suppliers, and are certified by different agencies using older or newer standards. Consider how far from help you will be and choose accordingly. Is it likely that you’ll be rescued in less than 24 hours? Many rafts offer a choice between a “less than 24 hours” or a “more than 24 hours” equipment pack. How long you’re likely to wait for the Coast Guard or other rescue assets is one of the key variables in choosing a life raft. The raft weighs about 16 pounds, and most of that weight is in the inflating cylinder.Ī good choice for the coastal fishing boat. A sudden sinking or out-of-control fire would make you glad to have this platform. Revere Supply's Coastal Compact Life Raft is a calm-water, inland solution, for four people, and is better than jumping in the drink with your life vest on. Board your raft only when there are no other options left. There are tragic accounts of boaters who perished in their relatively tiny and unsheltered rafts after abandoning damaged vessels that were later found adrift, afloat and uninhabited. These plans include, when all efforts have failed, gathering crewmembers together and deploying the life raft.Ībandoning ship into the raft should always be the choice of last resort, hence the axiom that you should always STEP UP from the boat into the raft. Prudent offshore boaters prepare for these types of worst-case situations and create standard operating procedures (SOPs) to overcome emergencies. This article will help you choose the right one for you and your boat.Īn onboard fire started by a short in the electrical system or flammables materials in the engine room or a collision with a floating object such as a shipping cargo container or large marine mammal are the most likely scenarios where you’ll need to rapidly get off your boat. While life rafts provide minimal environmental protection, they keep your crew out of the water and create a larger visual and radar target for rescuers. It’s the most important piece of equipment on your boat that you hope you’ll never use. You need the protection supplied by a life raft.Ī life raft is designed to keep the crew of a sunk, capsized, burned or otherwise uninhabitable boat alive until they can be rescued. They seldom sink or catch fire, but if they do the ocean, or even your local inland lake, is an inhospitable environment to be thrown into. This four-person Ocean ISO Life Raft is a tiny shelter, but it’s better than being in the water!Īre you departing on a cruising voyage, heading offshore for fishing, competing in an offshore sailing race or taking part in a cruising rally? If so, you may be considering buying or renting a life raft.
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