Life rafts

[storm petrel]

Good Idea Bill. But could you get something big enough on the fordeck of Top Hat? I currenty throw on a little 5'6" snub nose 2 man dinghy when I am away from home base and I do not like towing a dinghy. I might measure things up again next time I am on board and think about what I could get away with. Cheers, Mark

[bornfreee]

Just a thought Mark if you put a hook on the end of the vang instead of a shackle you can hook it onto the stantion base and use it as a preventor leaving your roof clear for a seven foot dinghy it also still works as a vang works great for me

[storm petrel]

I had not thought of that, but I can see how you could do it. I have a Lamoor 7' dinghy that might work if I can get it on board without doing my back in. I might try it next time I go for an overnight stay up the river. Do you find there is a lot of windage having the dinghy up so high and does the main sheet block clear your dinghy OK? Cheers, Mark

[bornfreee]

yes mark it does fit but is tight i was thinking of a sabo which is 8ft they have full floatation and of course all the sails and mast, as for windage there would be a bit but it makes a great dodger i had the lamoore 7ft on the roof of my mrk 1 and sailed up to port stevens with it, also got caught in a storm on the way and had no problems. I think the lamoore 7ft is a great dinghy light and easy to fit on the roof one prob i found with them was the seats fill up with water and i could never find out why, which is bad news when you want it to be unsinkable maybe put a screw in hatch in seat and use for storage??? if you make tie of points front and back and tie a rope to both so it makes a loop then lift with the boom the dinghy will spin upside down fairly easy then a matter of fitting on the roof... i just pick it up and struggle with it

[storm petrel]

Hi All,

I can get my 7ft Lamoor dinghy on top but it is pain because my halyards are about 4" above the cabin top and run back to the cabin top winches - the dinghy has to sit above these.

Has anyone looked at the West Ribs Coastal life raft? It looks robust, simple and hence cheap to have serviced(2yr interval). Given that it only takes up the space of a car battery and costs $999 it seems a good solution for 'the safety conscious Hatter'. I strongly doubt I would ever need to use it, but for peace of mind I am considering putting one on my Christmas list.

Cheers,
Mark

[Shaun]

Gday Mark,
I have the same problem with the halyards on the cabin roof not running true, when the dinghy is on the cabin roof.
There are some neat brackets you could make as shown in Lyn & Larry's Capable Cruiser, pg 130 & 151, or maybe running the halyards through electrical conduit may provide a temporary solution?, & some thick rubber/foam offcuts as pads for the dinghy?
cheers
Shaun

[Phillip]

Hey Guys,

We are coastal cruisers and as such if the weather sucks we stay in harbour or behind that Island shelter.

If you look at my blogs you will see that I frequently seek shelter, just like this very moment, if the weather turns to shit .

If the weather is bad I certainly do not want to be out there. I'm a coward at heart on this point!

But, if you plan to cruise internationally I would agree with a life raft.

I note that none of us has expressed that desire lately!

If you really want to be safe put your money into an ERPIB with an internal GPS for each person onboard then you will get rescued real quick. Lifejackets needed only!

Phillip
Sheltering in the Duck Pond, Mooloolah River, Mooloolaba
from some really shitty weather!

[SeaLady]

I don't have a life raft but have 3 Epirbs.

When out as sea especially solo.
Have the 2 personal epribs on me, or if with crew one on each of us and an inflatable life jacket.
Especially in bad weather.

Have a water activated one for the boat.

So far have not sailed very far. Just short trips up and down the coast.

I really like the reccomendations with the epribs.
And I always log in and off with marine rescue and let my 3 contacts on land. Who are also registered withthe epirb people know when and where I am going and when I am due back.
I also keep my mobile phone on me in a water tight container.

Also am harnessed on when solo in the ocean.

Thankfully no emergency has happened.
And I have no intention of it happening.

Re life Jackets.
Really good idea to have a crotch strap otherwise you can slip out of them.

[Wild Rose]

Hi All,
Thanks for all the input on "should I or should I not".

Safety is a strange thing, if you spend all your life and not need it, you have it!
But safety is planning for things you dont plan for. Confused yet?

Well its like this.. I fly light aircraft, I plan never to hit anything or have any thing go wrong with any of my aircraft. However I wear a parrachute. I treat it as a $2000 seat cushion, I NEVER want to use it. So why have it??? Well, If something, I could not plan for, WAS to happen, a foam seat cushion would not help me.
As with life vests, harness's, EPIRBs and good boat under you, a life raft is just another layer of safety which we all hope NEVER to need.
Risk and Safety play hand in hand. cost should not be.
Oh dear! I sound like my mum!

Cheers
Dave