the Confusing land of life rafts

[PSutchek]

So... is there a list of approved life rafts for the single handed transpac ? i need to get on top of this one and have it for my 6 day cruise...

i ask .. nobody tells ... its like a black magic and a guess type of thing...

i am ONE person,,,shouldn't almost anything rated for crossing an ocean work ? where are the guildlines we as potential transpackers are supposed to adhere to ???

thanks , P

 

[BobJ]

The key is the certification. The SHTP SER states: "The raft shall be SOLAS, ISAF, ISO 9650-1 or ORC approved." For example, ISO 9650-1 is for offshore; ISO 9650-2 is for coastal use and won't qualify. The smallest approved rafts are 4-person and weigh 75-85 lbs, so expect that. Your main choice is the container: A valise container is soft and lighter, but less durable than a hard container which you could store on deck. On your boat, you'd probably get one in a valise and store it below.

Life rafts are expensive so most of us rent them for the SHTP. Sal's Inflatables in Alameda is the closest place to do that, and Sal will know which ones qualify. Figure out where you'll store it (write down the dimensions) and then pay a visit to Sal and look at your options.

 

[JimQuanci]

As you sort out your liferaft costs...
Maybe an uncertain option...
I have two Winslow Ultralight ORC rafts... 4 person (54 lbs) and 6 person (65 lbs)... both recently expired... repacks are a bit uncertain cost... $1200-$2000. And shipping to LA for the repack is $80 ish.
Happy to loan to anyone that wants them.
I might even split the repack cost with you.

Cheers
JimQ
415-640-4461

 

[jamottep]

So ... CaB's life raft is a Plastimo. The last service station on the West Coast stopped servicing them. It expires(d?) 11/24 so I'm without a certified life raft. I'm still exploring options.
The thing that's puzzling is that these offshore ISO life rafts go for about $1500 new in France, which was about the cost to service mine here on the West Coast in 2020. Something's fishy with the cost of life rafts up here ...

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[Critter]

I have a Revere Regatta 4-man valise raft, current until 2026. Revere's website says it weighs 64 lb; I thought it was a bit less than that. I'll lend it out for the SHTP if you make the shipping painless for me from and back here in East Podunk, SoCal.

Jim Quanci: any advice on packaging for shipping? That crate for the last SHTP was pretty slick.

Max

 

[Daydreamer]

So ... CaB's life raft is a Plastimo. The last service station on the West Coast stopped servicing them. It expires(d?) 11/24 so I'm without a certified life raft. I'm still exploring options.
The thing that's puzzling is that these offshore ISO life rafts go for about $1500 new in France, which was about the cost to service mine here on the West Coast in 2020. Something's fishy with the cost of life rafts up here ...

Survival racks - Comptoir Nautique

Survival racks ᐅ Best deals at Comptoir Nautique ⭐ Payment in 3 or 4 installments ✓ Best price guaranteed ⚡ Fast delivery

en.comptoirnautique.com

Rafts are expensive here. So is repacking.
Depending on cost of shipping it might be just as well to buy a new one.

 

[NATBF]

About to rent or buy a raft... so resurrecting this thread to see if anyone has new/updated advice. Use model is LongPac-like and an eventual SHTP (hence the thinking about buying -- one Hawaii round-trip would make rental > purchase.)

Looks like (from other forums/older posts) Plastimo no longer serviced in CA, so Revere 4-person is the go-to?

I'll probably put it in a cockpit locker (in a valise), but another option would be to get the container version and strap it onto my swim step somehow. It would get immersed there a lot... container would have to be very waterproof. I have no good deck space for this -- traveler is on cabintop, plus the vang, and foredeck has a pulpit by the mast.

I will go look at Sal's in Alameda shortly, but figured I'd post here in case suggestions came up.

As usual, any advice/comments appreciated. The discussion above (and in some older threads) has already been very helpful. Many thanks, both for the threads and for updated advice (if anything new is merited.)

 

[NATBF]

PS:

*** Is a container (vs. a valise) and rail- or deck-mounting essentially now required for the SHTP? ***

I ask because the SHTP Safety Equipment Requirements (SER) now say, "The raft shall be stored in such a way that it is capable of being launched within 15 seconds."
--> One might be able to get a valise out of a (secured with a clip) cockpit locker in 15 sec., but not also tie it off an get it over the side. I am not actually sure one can get a raft, secured to the boat, into the water in under 15 sec by any means other than a rail (pushpit) mount system where it drops into the water.

How is the SSS is interpreting that rule? Definitely want to know before buying.

Many thanks!

 

[BobJ]

It depends if the water is at your ankles or at your knees when it's time to launch it*.

Seriously, I'd go see Sal and lift a 75-90# raft. It's not just the weight but the bulk when carrying it up the companionway or extracting it from a cockpit locker. He will discourage you from a lighter valise-type unless you're planning to store it below - they get damaged too easily. On your boat you can probably tolerate a cannister-type on deck. They're heavy and the weight is carried too high, but for your use it's probably the right choice. Similar with the swim step - lots of weight in the wrong place for offshore pitching motion.

With either type, measure the possible spaces and give careful consideration to clearance of hatches, vang, mainsheet travel, and line-of-sight from the cockpit. Anything on the cabintop is a candidate for getting ripped off the deck - I had that happen in the 2022 Pacific Cup with a hatch that was slightly too far open. I really wouldn't want a raft on Surprise!'s cabintop or in a cockpit locker - I've done a valise-type stored on a bunk near the companionway. *Adrenalin is a helpful thing.

Another consideration is the ditch bag. When you swing out of your bunk at 0200 into water up to your knees, you tend to forget stuff. I tie the ditch bag directly to the raft when it's stored below so I can't forget it. It probably has your EPIRB and extra VHF in it.