Life Raft Test!
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- เผยแพร่เมื่อ 15 ก.ย. 2024
- Mis-matched paperwork from Moorings left us feeling like we may have been duped, and we had very little confidence in our Plastimo offshore liferaft. So, we put it in the pool and (tried to) pull the rip cord. Good thing we did because this raft may not have saved lives!
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**EDIT** Lewis points out that Plastimo does not include provisions in their offshore kits, but offer it as a separate purchase, so perhaps my criticism or surprise on that point was unfair to them. Thanks for pointing that out Lewis!
But expecting to have provisions could have proved fatal.
Go to FollowTheBoat for a great life raft review, your review is a real eye opener.
Hi Nick. Liferafts usually come with SOLAS A or SOLAS B packs inside. Yours looks like a 'B' pack. The SOLAS A pack includes water and some food rations as well as a basic fishing kit, can opener and parachute flares. The inclusive kits really depend on where the vessel is going to be used and whether private or commercial. If coastal and on regular shipping lanes then SOLAS B is probably adequate backed up with a good grab bag which has water and some comfort rations inside. Great video and very worrying about the raft starting to fall to pieces after 24 hours !
@@freelectron2029 I have popped VIKING rafts in pools before and did not experience them delaminating overnight. not saying they would not at some point, just that they did not in a 24 hour window.
*until today I did not realize you can buy rafts without provisions either.
Nick, I did some research and found a useful reference. It seems that standards for ocean racing rafts and commercial SOLAS rafts have been recently upgraded. Several brands offer boarding platforms. It's best to step/jump into a life raft from the boat and not the water. Were I intending to sail around the world I would get a SOLAS raft one size larger than the crew I envisioned. "Practical Sailor" has a series of articles and reviews on ocean life rafts. There are both ultimate rafts and cost-effective rafts. Note that there are internal links in the article and on the page leading to very interesting articles and spreadsheets.
www.practical-sailor.com/issues/33_4/features/At_Sea_Flotation_Devices_5422-1.html
Hi Nick. Great video. You mentioned that the drogue kept you from drifting from the launch point. However, it’s primary function is to work in conjunction with the ballast bags to help prevent the raft from capsizing in heavy seas. In heavy seas, the drogue should stay to windward of the raft as the wind and waves push the raft downwind of the drogue. As a wave acts upon the raft, the drogue painter line should apply a tension force on the raft that helps to stabilize the raft and reduce the likelihood of capsizing.
Yeh, good point. You are right on that. I guess it does both? Anyway, I didn't put it in the video but I also didn't like how it was attached. Seemed like it should have its own "hard point" attachment on the raft.
The thing about a faulty life raft is if you really need it and it fails, most likely nobody will ever know.
Until it's too late and you're already in a life or death situation, and you end up realising that death is the only option.
Potter's Police, Security and Railway videos reread the OP post I think you missed what he was saying
The failure is that if there is no inspection boiler plate, then it gets inspected or replaced. The failure occurred long before you set sail. Not the life rafts fault.
AH you got the environmentally friendly model! It's biodegradable. Who knew it started so quickly?
LOL
A life raft stowed in a locked locker may as well not be on board. It has to be mounted on a rail so if the boat ever sinks or capsizes it will deploy automatically without being touched by the crew.
Never locked down like that, but my humble opinion is never on a rail. Too vulnerable to a wave. I like where Outremer puts theirs. That makes the most sense.
What about lifejackets? I'd argue that an unlocked cupboard (but with an alarm on it that can only be overriden or switched off by the crew) is better than a locked cupboard. They are also safety critical equipment, what if you end up needing one?
I am so glad you found this out before you needed to. And I love that you are helping others by showing these issues and giving back to the community of sailors by gifting your wind generator. 3 cheers for you guys.
First your video is great that it highlights that you shouldn't take such things for granted.
What is it they say about a boat, it's a hole in the water you pour money into?
My opinion, if someone can afford a sea-going boat/yacht that can take passengers, then they should do a Marine Emergency Duties course. In Canada, a Transport Canada certified MED-A1 course. There are equivalents in other countries. It's an informative and fun 3 days playing around in the pool and ocean plus talking to other people with different experience who are also taking the course. If for nothing else, firing off a fire extinguisher on several different types of actual fire. (popping a fire extinguisher is like a first aid course, it is a great motivation to avoid fire or getting injured) As well, Your family/passengers lives are well worth the $1000-2000 and the 3 days. And yes, you have the chance to pull a painter.
A few points:
- If there is no inspection boiler plate (not paper work), then the raft gets inspected or replaced.
- The first thing you see in the raft is that knife. It's to cut the painter that is securely fixed to the vessel you suspect is sinking.
- The pump is to pump up the floor, but if you pump the floor you drift faster, thus the sea-anchor.
- I've pulled the painter on a few clam shells.
- That raft was well past it's best before date so the glue comment might not be fair. Also regulations change and sometimes there are recalls. If you don't know the paperwork and don't check annually to see if there are recalls, then it's time to get it serviced.
- The raft should have a placard on it showing last repacking date and an "expiry/or service by" date. If it doesn't, it's time-ex'ed
- At time of servicing, there is nothing stopping someone to upgrading to a SOLAS A pack so there are some minimal provisions.
- In Survival, think rule of threes, next 3 seconds, 3 minutes, 3 hours, 3 days. Prioritize accordingly. If your beacon went off or you can signal another craft, you may not be in the water very long.
And finally.
"I can't imagine being in an actual emergency and yanking on this thing...."
I have zero doubt that in a real emergency you would of inflated it. Even in a pool you got the job done. It would of popped trying to haul it back on the boat for a second go which is the usual specification. Worst case you put two feet on the clamshell and pull. You don't want those painters just popping by accident when a child passenger on the boat says, "hey what's this".
I know it's more than a month after this video was posted but what is also missing and very important is thefloating smoke canisters (which are mandatory per SOLAS). During day flares are diffcult to be seen from away and they are
Be sure to have a radar reflector on your liferaft!..and maybe a long stick you can tie that reflector up so that maybe a ship or sailboat can see you on screen of radar many miles away....etc and tell that to Plastimo..:)..I don't think is good idea to yell and jump wave etc to a 3 mile + vessel going by...hopefully they have their radar alarm on at 360...
A sea anchor, an MOB ring, a sharp knife, three hand flares, two sponges, a bailing mechanism, two sea batteries, a patch kit, a signal mirror and some anti-sea sickness medicine...shoot, a fella could have a pretty good weekend in Vegas with all that stuff!
(sorry couldn't resist)
Good thing you checked it out!
I just saw 4 guys running out on the docks to check their life rafts...lol
Great, informative, educational episode.
I hope so! Kinda spooky! Going to be having a long long conversation with the seller of my next raft!
Nice to see you back Megan.
Thank you so much Sam! To answer your question about the face mask - I do like them when I'm happy to just snorkel on the surface. They really keep the water out and don't fog so that's really nice. But I do love to free dive so I need a regular mask for that.
As always AWESOME video. This video shows us how much we take for granted and "assume" that everything will be alright. If you own a boat, do yourself and those on that boat a huge favor and check your safety equipment regularly. This includes your provisions as you don't want to find out that you are caring bad food or water. Suggest having a minimum of two ditch bags, one forward and one aft and rotate food and water out with fresh supplies this way you are confident in what you have.
I recommend a Viking Raft, and remember to bring it in for service EVERY year. If its not a S30 (30 month service interval). Viking rafts usually cost a bit more, but why the hell would you want a cheap brand when it comes to saving your lifes.. I used to work at Viking couple of years ago, and had myself a 4DK raft in my boat!
Thanks Nick appreciate another honest review this is the second life raft review I have seen and both failed to hold air overnight
Not sure what the answer is but it’s scary in an emergency.
It's a last resort sort of thing. We are getting into the dinghy if we have a choice
@@TheOKellys they give you the pump because like most things with weight against a surface it stretches the material. Think of it like a blow up air mattress. You blow it up and all day it's fine then you lay down on it you fall asleep then all of a sudden you wake up to find you back either on the floor but its still holding air or your sunken into the air mattress. So you flip the switch to pump it back up and then your good.. the weight in the life raft stretched the material your not actually losing air..thats why they give you the pump so when the material stretches a little you can add more air to the raft..
@@johndeleonardo9133 except that's the same shit foot pump that takes 30 min to pump an air mattress so how long to pump a saggy liferaft? Also when you're using the footpump at home you've got firm ground to work against, on a saggy liferaft you've got...?
@@cliffordbradford8910 as far as the pump goes. Like anything else you will find a way in a life of death emergency most people don't sail alone so they will hold the bottom while one person pushes and pulls. Also I don't know where you have been but the new pumps pump. With ways when you pull and when you push
@@johndeleonardo9133 i dont know where you have been but the raft was 9 years old at least. Not exactly a new pump.
Mine is a plastimo 8 man raft on my Leopard 40. When I bought my boat in 2015 the liferaft had not been certified since new(2009) but the moorings manager in the Seychelles told the the fact and gave me in date flares for my trip down to Mozambique. When I took my liferaft in for recertification I was present and it had water and food supplies but it had lapsed so we changed this over as well as the lithium battery on the liferaft light. I am looking to carry a 4 man liferaft instead as we seldom go to open sea with more than more and it’s much easier to manage.
I have a friend that’s Hattress 56 burned out 2 months ago with his liferaft on the bow and he did not have time to deploy the raft of save any of his belongings - passport etc but had to jump off the boat into the water and a local boat loaded them. I have pics from the shore. It’s scary ! This was an engine fire and they just arrived in port from a 1000nm trip.😳
Yes, every account of fire is that it is on you before you know it and little option if not caught immediately. Sad. We'll be getting a smaller raft for sure. Scary thing is that our paperwork said raft was good before we bought it. Turns out it hadn't been.
You guys are like the cool parents of the sailing youtube community. Love it. Good video as always!
That makes me (Megan) giggle, thank you so much Sean!
Very helpful - We are leaning towards a Portland Pudgy as at least you know how it works and can see and feel everything about it
Kudos to Jack Meyer for pointing out the proper use of a sea anchor in a survival situation.
I want to note that no survival raft is totally airtight. That’s why they include a pump, or at least they should. Just as with a ballon, the material of a raft does leech out air pressure at a slow rate. That’s why the balloons from your birthday party don’t stay inflated for very long. There are materials that are more airtight, but they aren’t suitable for life rafts for various reasons, not the least of which is cost. The true issue here is how fast a raft leaches pressure. One soft section within 18 hours is probably more than I’d like, but it’s quite manageable with the pump. There’s no excuse for the ballast bags and seams coming off though, except maybe when the dates were far outside what they should have been. Rubber degrades over time, and apparently the glue does as well.
The sponges are used to soak up rainwater to drink, among other things. You can use the plastic bags to store it, though you’ll find many other possible uses for those bags, such as keeping salt water out of your fresh water sponges. Take care of them both.
As someone who’s used a signal mirror before, I highly recommend you buy one and learn how to use it before trying to rely on one in a survival situation. They’re only a couple of bucks on Amazon. (EDIT: Get the ones with an aiming hole in the middle.)
Every raft from a reputable manufacturer should include a list of what’s packed inside so you’ll know what else you need to take, and there WILL be other things you need to take. You took note for instance that there’s no water included. It usually isn’t included because water and food are perishable items that have expiration dates sooner than the raft expiration/inspection/repack dates. You should pack water in a ‘go kit’ at the very least, but note it’s expiration date, as water will be far more important than food for survival at sea. I also recommend at least one solar still, probably more. Other possible items are too many to list here, but you can research survival kits quite easily on the internet.
Thanks for a very informative video, but mostly thanks for performing a thorough, real-life test for all of us to see and learn from.
About the food: nope. Emergency food rations can last for nearly forever. I have some rations that have a stamped expiration date of 2038. (slightly longer than the best before date of any life raft... ;-))
realulli is the food certified for a salt water environment and extreme temperatures? The point isn’t that such things don’t exist. It’s that life raft makers are reluctant to include anything that might not last, and come back to haunt them in a liability lawsuit.
Another serious consideration should be a "Ditch Bag" or overboard bag.
Mine contained minimal survival gear. First aid and trauma dressings, secondary Epirb, calorie food bars, water, Vhf radio, solar charger, gps compass, strobe light, chart for the waters all important documents or at least copies, rocket flares, sunscreen, sharp knife, clothing for sun protection and or warmth, radar reflector, vitamins, any required meds, I think you get the idea.
We kept it in the cockpit on passages and it was a water-proof rubberized bag and weighed about 60 lbs.. Also had a speargun with additional equipment in our dingy along with liferaft and contents.
Just a little food for thought!
Oh yeh. We've got two. Fully redundant. We will have a third with next raft. Ditch bag just as important as raft.
Wow, I'm really glad you did that now rather than finding out later. A close not so close call, thank goodness it was not needed. Thanks for showing this to use, just another detail to watch for when we go to buy our cat. Keep the videos up, I am learning quite a bit from you. Cheers and safe passage.
Thanks Patrick! A lot of little details to keep track of
you can now reclaim the glow sticks and the flairs etc and add them to a ditch bag for some extra safety gear to have on hand,
and that is surprising that the raft had so little with it and how it had not aged well with the glue failing,
and to think you were in a pool with no currents or high winds, I guess in a storm that raft would have failed rapidly
I serviced life rafts many years ago and there was always food and water in them
Seems like it should be in there. I guess it is separate with this brand.
Have you ever thought about the option that the glue could not withstand the chemicals like chlorine in the pool?
I was informed( by the guys servicing my last raft) that a life-raft will be less stable and potentially dangerous if it is oversized. Their recommendation was that as the person count is based on adults weighing around 75 Kg, when sizing the raft you use it's typical occupancy + 2. If you typically sail short-handed it might be worth considering buying a smaller 4 man raft and then hiring a larger one for those occasions when it's required.
yep. We've been in storm conditions. An oversized raft is a liability.
In my big boat sailboat racing experience, EVERY Life Raft had at least one hole at time of recertification! Better to trust a mistress than a Life Raft!
I would have to go through the school of hard knocks to lean what you are teaching us, good be on you two.
A few remarks I would like to point.
1 - The liferaft should have been serviced in a Plastimo official authorised service station. Non-authorised service stations usually don't fill the log card inside.
2 - When deploying a liferaft you should first know the lenght of the painter line. It is usually marked in the outside. Deployment will happen only after pulling all the lenght, when you say you have tried several times it's not an accurate conclusion, in each attempt you have pulled a few more meters of line. It seemed a little bit stucked, perhaps it was not packed in the best way, which can happen easily if you don't send it to a good service station, preferably authorised by the manufacturer, with trained technicians and manuals with all the details of that particular, raft, or if the liferaft is not serviced for a long time.
3 - Most leisure liferafts don't bring food and water. Even professional liferafts with the so called Solas B pack don't have it. This is common in several flags, when vessels work along the shore not too far from the coast.
4 - Owners of leisure boats usually prefer lighter compact liferafts and put food and water in a grab bag together with other essentials like medicines, epirb, satellite phone, etc. ISO9650-1 liferafts like the one you showed can be supplied with the 24 hrs pack you will have a complement of 10000Kj food ration and 1,5 liter of water per person, 1 first aid kit, 2 thermal protective aids, 3 extra handflares, in a 12 person liferaft, with a bigger canister, that will represent some extra 30 kilos. You can also choose a Solas B pack, that will bring you a radar reflector and a floating smoke signal, but no food or water.
That was a great excercise, makes you wonder how many sailing couples or families are out there , who have not went through any training or familiarisation with using or deploying an actual life raft or who are cruising offshore with out of date life saving equipment.
Guys you mentioned life raft at the front of the boat. Remember when you deploy it your probably going to be in rough seas.
It’s a long way from the top of your boat to the life raft and you may have injured people with you.
I believe that the main reason they are at the back of the boat is to “step down” into the life raft from the boat rather that “climb up” from the water into one.
Also you should check out if your yacht club does a sea safety survival course this will get you more familiar with the life raft in rough conditions and at night!
Keep up the videos and the adventures. Love watching.
There is an old saying....never step down into a life raft....only step up
Good vid Nick! Opened a lot of people's eyes to what they don't pay attention to. Safety first!
We had a 6 man but I don't recall the manufacturer and it contains calorie food bars and water for 6 and maybe 3 days. We had ours repacked but tried a deploy and it it worked fine. All the safety equipment was out of date but functional.
I think it was a Viking 6 person soft pack.
Took the US Sail Safety at Sea course and the Yacht club donated 3 rafts for the pool demo with full foul weather gear on. All the rafts of course were out of certification. 1 inflated, another the rope broke (as you saw its not easy), the other never inflated. We cheated and had another tension rope on the other side of the pool. You should try getting in with you foul weather on. Also strike and use all the flares for experience, after informing your local authorities. Great video Thanks.
Thanks Merrill. Those are good ideas. I haven't shot a flare in a long time.
As someone who charters from the company you bought the boat from I think it is imperative that they explain why this raft was on one of their Charter Boats!
I'd definitely check the paperwork and the raft. Not sure whether it is just disorganization on their part or what.
Nick O'Kelly another item for the checklist when we purchase (it’s getting quite lengthy now!) thanks
I’m not sticking up for moorings in any way shape or form but I’d say that there is a pretty good chance that as the boat was being “sold” they just threw any old life raft on it.
Yikes! So glad you checked it out, what an eye opener
Wow didn’t think that would happen, great idea to pop this raft
Great point and awesome test thanks for sharing
Wow! ... glad you never had to use it. Also, may you never, ever, need to.
VERY VERY Important video Nick! This is like a parachute (or a backup parachute) no second chances!
But, let’s look at statics!
Neither Plastimo or Moorings Customer service had received calls from people who had problems of sinking rafts!
Therefore they don’t have a problem!!!!
We do
I think it's called survivorship bias.
i service liferafts in the uk,and want to put a few things clear,this plastimo has got a kit called a less than 24 hr(other kits are...orc,less 24 hr,greater than 24hr,solas b,and solas a ) and it has exactly what it should have in the
really appreciate you sharing your knowledge with us. Your explanations seem rational to me. It was not just the ballast pockets that fell off by the next morning. All of the seam protection had failed. It was coming apart in strips. Several commenters had pointed out that the pool chemicals could have damaged the raft. This was not the case as it is a saltwater pool, however, I would love for you to confirm for me and others that regular pool chemicals should have NO effect on liferaft adhesives. Is that correct? I would assume that rafts are built in such a way that they would be resistant to all sorts of chemicals. Please correct me if I am wrong.
@@TheOKellys i have seen this type of thing before at our service station although not common and normally found that the raft had been wet at some time(while packed in its container and got through its vacuum bag )and that had degraded the glue.your raft will be fine in a pool,even with chlorine as you can do a liferaft training course which is in a swimming pool,however if a raft has been used in saltwater it is normally beyond economical repair to to back into service.if it had been serviced recently the service station should of picked up on this issue as its part of our training..remember always get your raft serviced regularly at an approved station
As always great stuff... I have build some life boats where water and food is equipped as standard. So I thought too, that water and dry food wood be in there.
Very Informative....great job. Very upsetting to have the raft in such a horrible condition. Good thing you guys didn’t put your lives at risk climbing into that in a real emergency......Thank God.
Good thing you decided to check that raft. Thank God you never had to use it in the middle of nowhere
It is good you found out before you needed it. I know boaters who don't get their liferafts re-certified just because "we are only coastal cruising" or "they just want to sell me a new one". Well ... silly and reckless. No, a liferaft isn't cheap, but how much is a life worth?
You mentioned storing the new liferaft on the front, because if you are at the back, you would prefer the dinghy. Maybe think about that. IMHO: First of all, if you have to get off board during a storm, you would not want to do that in the dinghy, as long as it isn't a self-rescue one. The liferaft has the ballast pockets for a reason, as well as the enclosure. You don't get the stabilization or shelter you need in a normal dinghy. The dinghy would do in calm conditions, but not in bad weather.
In case of a fire in calm conditions when you are at the front, on a cat you usually have enough time to either escape to the aft on one of the sidedecks or you jump offboard, swim the few meters and get onboard aft. In bad conditions you will not be a the bow at all, and imagine you have to go to the bow to get your liferaft in a storm. Our liferaft is mounted in the cockpit, easy to access.
If you sail off the regular lanes, you should get an A pack which in general includes some food and water, but that alone will not help you very much or long. Always expect the worst. Because even if you are near the coast or a commercial shipping lane, it is more likely that you will need the liferaft in bad conditions. When you are in a storm (and you lived through one really bad and know how alone you are out there) and you have to get off board, then maybe you will not be found for days, or due to the circumstances rescue just can't get to you for days.
For bluewater sailors IMHO you should get a liferaft for at least 2 persons more you have aboard max. Because in that case you can carry more weight, which means you can get some provisions on the liferaft. We have 4 large, watertight grab bags, and to get them on the liferaft quick and easy we "abused" two larger fenders. We attached snap hooks on the bags and the fenders, the fenders also have thin but durable ropes attached, with rings for the bag-hooks (all from a shop for mountain climbers, and they don't cost much). With a bit practice the fenders with the bags are in the water very quick, and the first person getting on the liferaft has the rope to pull them to the raft. We practice that a few times a year just with the dinghy.
Also think about of one of those small, hand-operated water makers (some liferafts have them included) and don't forget a water canister, even if it is an empty one.
A lot of effort (for the bag/fender "system") and money? Maybe. But if we never need all that, it will be the best "wasted" money and time I ever spent for something.
Thanks for your notes. Yeh, we've got a few miles, and have been in a full storm. The liferaft is going up forward, hardmounted in a lazaret.
Nice video! Guess after 10 years one can't expect too much of a life raft anymore! Or after the old saying.....the captain stays on the sinking ship 😁
Hi, Great!! Good idea to check that out! Let us know what you get to replace it
There has to be some comeback on that paperwork that suggested the raft was serviced / repacked but clearly wasn't... I do hope you take things further with the moorings after those findings.
That's literally putting peoples lives at stake.
I hope others are careful with this type of situation.
The quality of the glue on the anti-tip bags is what has surprised me. Food/water/spare batteries/first aid kit/etc can be added at a service, but the glue failing after being in the water may not be picked up during a normal inspection. The poor glue quality is a reflection on the manufacturing process. Having now watched my raft being serviced twice, can highly recommend others who have rafts go and witness. It is good to see the raft and it's contents before being forced to use. On the positive side, the shelf life of the torch batteries seemed good.
Right on Alan, that is such good advice. I had never seen one go in person. I have no idea what is up with that glue. It was like peeling a banana. No tensile strength at all.
One thing my little sister did when she got her life raft. That she opened it up to check it out before she sail to the Caribbean.
I'm not a sailor but if I was, I would not rely on a pull cord type life raft alone. What about a smaller rigid lifeboat you can lower, or a tow behind lifeboat and the pull cord liferaft too. Build in multiple redundancy.
Normally the activation line is secured to the boat and should be long enough that as the boat sinks it does not deploy until clear of all rigging. the pressure on that line as the boat sinks is tremendous and will trigger it.On deck with a hydro-static release is always best releases the raft form the deck cradle at a certain depth.Just my understanding of these things.
You can also see when the line pays out and turns orange... the first 3 pulls on the line just got it to that point with the actuation coming from the "4th" pull.
That's a negative. I pulled it so that rope was all the way out after the first pull. I checked it again after the second. Not shown in the video is the terribly corroded trigger mechanism.
@@TheOKellys My mistake :) I'm glad you guys are getting new kit; it will literally save your life. Love the channel and looking forward to more of your videos!
Appreciate that. I am always trying to cut stuff out of these videos just so it doesn't get boring....sometimes I skip important details. Let me know when I do. I am not too prideful.
There are two types of life rafts, SOLAS A, and SOLAS B. One is for use in coastal waters (up to 50 miles off shore) and don't contain food or water. The other type are for ocean going vessels and in addition to the survival and signaling equipment, contain food and water.
Shame on the Moorings, I won’t ever book a charter with them anymore! Glad you were in the position to need it. What life raft are you considering purchasing next?
Going to check things out at the Annapolis Boat show. Sometimes you can pick things up a little cheaper there. We will see. Definitely going get some scrutiny before I lay down any cash!
Second point, if your raft is too big (2 people in a 4+man raft) you'll be physically tumbled like a washing machine in a storm. You want enough raft for your crew, no more. That may mean buying two rafts if you sometimes carry lots of guests.
Very much agree.
That shiny bottom may make it easier to spot, but it means LOTS of sunburn! Let alone the damage to your eyes!
Great video again. And very valuable information. In case of an emergency it would be too late.
Pretty sobering watching what most expect to be a life safer is actually a death trap really. Glad you tested the thing and a wakeup call for us all... shame on The Moorings. 👎
A carpenter should not blame the hammer. I can't see how you called that life raft a death trap. I believe you may have an unrealistic expectation on life saving appliances. That life raft, as time expired as it was, would of bought those inside at least 24 hours or longer. That said, what is that old sailing adage, "when in doubt, stay on the boat you are on."
Everyone should go through a raft inflation exercise. There is a company in Van Nuys CA that does it monthly as part of a safety day of training
What is the name of this place in van nuys.
Yet another great vid on the does and don'ts of sailing...(in addition to living a life most only dream of!).
Thanks. I’m a very lucky guy and I never forget it.
I'm wondering if the Chlorine in that pool had anything to do with the Glue??? I would hope a LifeRaft could take any condition, but it does make you wonder.
Great video, Love the channel.
Thanks. Appreciate that. It is a saltwater pool. I doubt by swim trunks are tougher than a life raft. LOL
DreadDoctor I ‘m guessing you have a chlorine generator on your pool that electricity converts the salt ( NaCl) to chlorine. I don’t think the amount of chlorine in you pool should cause the glue to fail overnight.
Chorine and rubber don’t mix well. Wet suits age very quickly in chlorine. One day is pretty quick too fall apart like though.
The ones we popped in training had bags of water and brick-like food bars.. until today I thought that was standard for all rafts, seem to remember those were VIKING brand.
+1 to being surprised, as had I rented the boat, I would have expected provisions in the raft, that would be a VERY unpleasant surprise after abandoning ship if one did not know ahead of time.
Seems morrings should in writing inform renters "you must have survival food packed with the go-bag".
You could tell by the rust on the staples for the bindings of the pamphlet that its been in there a while
Too bad there is no safe to store the dinghy up front.
Or a manual dinghy ejection system that can circumvent a rear fire situation.
Interesting. I'll bet most have no idea what's in the raft box or if it is in good shape
Hi Nick & Megan! Subscribed, liked, love the channel. Your camera work and storytelling are great, but you could improve your camera focusing. Some suggestions:
* Many cameras have a focus lock combined with facial recognition. You could set up the lock on your face before starting a clip.
* Stop down the aperture to get more depth of field. Kinda throwing the baby out with the bathwater, but better than the camera hunting for focus IMHO.
* Use the GoPro more, it doesn't have focusing, herp derp.
As an aside there are some crazy cheap deals now on the GoPro Fusion 360. It's a game changer.
I get that a lot of people are watching this on a handheld device, and hence don't care, but for me, watching it full screen at 4K is tough on the eyeballs.
Thanks John, will try to do better with all that.
@@TheOKellys The quality of the video you published today (Cat vs. Monohull Part Deux) is excellent!
Riveting stuff mate , enjoyed this immensely, I'm thinking you definitely should return it to the manufacturer and a copy of the video to the Moorings, Cheers
Already took it to the dump.... LOL
@@TheOKellys Ah well I`m sure the powers to be will see your video at some time and maybe some arses will get kicked. lol
@@TheOKellys I'm glad you dumped it because if you had taken it back to Moorings they would probably repacked it and sold it of as a very good condition life-raft .... Moorings sold you something that could easily have killed the both of you's in an emergency
Very interesting. Thanks
Interesting!!! That was bloody terrifying!! You had the sense to be suspicious. How many wouldn’t?
I recommend every boat should have a strong laser light.
Peter Hunsader Sounds like a good idea, but why specifically? My guess is to shine at passing ships to gain attention?
@@RogerWilco1 Yes, for signalling. But not just any laser, there are specific products I think called 'laser flare' for this purpose, that project a laser line. An ordinary laser pointer, even a very strong one, wouldn't work, it would be impossible to aim effectively.
Thank goodness you didn't need to use the raft. Have been told by experienced cruising live aboards (which I am not) and training at Trawlerfest that the life raft should be mounted somewhere that is easy to deploy, no lifting our hauling required. For instance mounted to a bow or stern rail with the deployment cord already fixed to the boat. The theory being that in an actual emergency when time is of the essence and your first concern is the safety of your loved ones and your self you don't want to have to spend time and energy to open a locker and drag out a heavy device. It should be able to be unlatched from the railing, fail to the water and inflate. Not trying to lecture, and yes sailboats are much different that trawlers. Anyway, looking forward to seeing your replacement choice.
Having taken waves a few times (not in this boat), I wouldn't rail mount. The new raft will be in a locker forward. Cats like ours don't sink very fast, if it all. My biggest worry is collision or fire that makes it impossible to go in the dinghy. Dinghy will always be my first choice. Thanks for the note Steve!
Nick O'Kelly Hi Nick, sorry for my ignorance here, but the is the dinghy safer than a raft in case of you have to abandon the boat? Just like you showed, the raft has (or supposed to have) way more safety itens then a dinghy. Any way great video, you just reminded me to create a spreadsheet with the items on the raft and on the ditch bag.
Dinghys are drier, possibly navigable, and already inflated with much stronger materials. I hope I'm never forced into either in an emergency, but I would take the dinghy first every time.
The raft is older than Clarity, shocker, the bags with handles are for poop, you can tie it closed after use.
I would never have thought of that. Lol
Great video. I shared it in a comment on the Moorings facebook page. :-)
I always picture being in a leaky life raft with water around my ankles and look out and see a fin go by
Great job on the life raft !
The chlorine in the pool could have something to do with the glue failure. Unexpected but at the same time not the natural habitat for liferafts.
It is a saltwater pool. But regardless, raft glue is supposed to be immune to fuels, solvents, and UV damage. A tiny bit of chlorine should have no effect.
Hey guys.
Nick, no intro??? Lol.. they were great!
Fun to watch video and it was really amazing to see the thing fall apart.
Cheers from Canada.
was looking for clown/circus music but forgot.... LOL Yeh crazy how it just disintegrated!
You also use the bag for leftover food, and vomit, if you polute the water around the raft you will atrackt marinelife to you, and the sharks will follow, so the bags are very important.
Had no idea, thank you for the insight.
I was in the SA Navy when you work at sea they send you on allot of different courses, firefighting; sea survival; damage control etc. fun in the sun.
So... this is what Steve Doocy does when not hosting Fox and Friends, nice. =)
great review Steve and lady friend, I'm guessing this is an older raft that does not conform to today's standards, could have ended badly. =(
Brilliant video...Life Raft - "Danger Will Robinson"...looking forward to hear what Moorings has to say...
The other thing is...why keep the raft in a locker in the front? Why not mount it on the transom or some other place with easier access...?
The dinghy will always be my first choice. If there is no option for some reason, I will take the raft from up front. Cats don't sink often or very quickly, so retrieving it from a locker is within reason.
@@TheOKellys the concern was in case of a capsize....any enclosed compartment would be difficult to open...(I know...it's extreme...but I used to be a lawyer😫...thus the worst case scenario)...but I ultimately agree with you...🧜♂️⛵️😎
Having been on this boat for a while, I think all the lazarets will be open if the boat inverted. I'm actually going to fasten raft to hard points inside the lazarets, with a knife sheathed within reach. That's what I do in the stern, mast, and helm as well. I don't think I am worrier...I just like to think things through.... :)
what a shock, gessh are all like that??. Think I am going to buy swimming arm rings and special bags for food and water lol and wait for the next shark.
Love your videos a big thumb from Vienna.
LOL. Good luck! LOL
Super informative!
Adhesive failure is the biggest concern. Which company make the best life Raft? Are rafts rated for some period of time?
Super tough to deploy in perfect conditions. Under crisis it would be dangerous. What other deployment options exist?
Thanks for covering this important topic!
Lewis Evans Did you investigate the reactionair of Chlorine on the adhesie? Just wondering
it's a saltwater pool. the idea that a liferaft would fall apart from exposure to chlorine is....far fetched....
Nick O'Kelly understood. Was just an alternative thought
Liferafts do not have an infinite shelf life. You're supposed to have them inspected and certified every so often.
Among all the other problems brought to light in this disaster...yes, I have no qualms about using the word "disaster,' I did not see any kind of first aid or medical equipment on the raft. Among many, one of my specialties is Epidemiology and Community Health (read that as "medical") and I always look for preparation in that area. In an abandon ship situation, I would plan on one or more of the crew being injured in some fashion, even if the injury occurs during the abandon ship process. Alternately, injuries can easily occur on the raft long after your mothership is in the bowels of the briny deep. In over 50 years on boats and ships, I have found medical preparation to be almost universally lacking.
A life raft that kills if you get into sea trouble and need it. I am shaken. Although it has been laying for too long, it should not go up in the glue. Certainly that life raft would have killed everyone on board. Still very shaken and surprised.
Yeh me too!
I wonder if the pool chemicals, chlorine etc., caused the glue failure.
Good info on the raft...
Very revealing. I am suprised. Thanks!
Me too!
Another great video....Thanks....THUMBS UP :)
Looks like a death trap to me. Possibly surviving the sinking of a ship just to find out the raft is falling apart as well🤨
@magna viator Well, it looked like the raft fell apart overnight and didn't last 3 days🤨
@magna viator disagree - there are lots of stories of crews surviving in rafts far longer.
Hello couple.
I hope you stay safe.
One point.....
The glue only came out because it has chlorine or another chemical for fresh water in your pool.
In salt water it certainly wouldn't happen.
And what a catastrophic failure, every time you buy double-check all the serial number material and documentation.
It's your life man. Don't leave it in someone else's word.
Lol. Saltwater pool, and no chlorine would have no effect on liferaft glue.
This seems a far more serious problem than the insidious nature of a seller looking to escape responsibility. It begs the question, Even if this raft "Had been repacked and certified correctly" would the delamination problem have been detected and if not how could this situation be improved?. Thank goodness this wasn't a tragedy.
The repack would have caught the glue failure. It's one of the things they check. How could this situation could have been improved? I could have checked the serial numbers to make sure the paperwork Moorings gave me matched the raft. I just didn't think that swapping things from boats was a regular practice. Now, in hindsight, I see that it's a regular thing. Another Noob mistake! See, I'm still learning!
I’d be pretty ticked off.If I deployed a life raft and it wouldn’t work.Also, like you said it didn’t come with any food or water! I would expect for it to have a fishing kit and a water catching system. At least you used it as a test.Instead of for real.
Exactly!
Astonishing, these rafts are similar to the cheap Chinese toy ones you get in ASDA or Walmart, plus a few cheap items to make you think they've thoughtfully equipped you for emergency fishing, repairs etc. In fact they are worth around £50 max ($65 max) and the selling price well in excess of £1000 ($1200) is extortionate. No bloody drinking water, and an indication that is an extra!!? That is insane, frightened people become very thirsty and plenty of water would be vital. A total fail from start to finish.
Nick you get 4 stars from an old coastie. Not many people are as safety conscious as you are. Contemplate what the possible outcome would be if you had to use that raft. Now you know just how much you saved yourself from having a really bad day. You're a sailors sailor Nick! I'll sail with you anywhere.
That's really nice of you to say. I couldn't believe my eyes when those ballast bags came off. Took about 2 hours for that to happen...crazy. Appreciate your kind words. If this vid saves anyone from having a really scary time, then it was worth it.
@@TheOKellys It was good to test it in a swimming pool. The recertification companies don't even do that. I was also an aircraft mechanic for the airlines. There were a lot of aircraft door slides we blew when they came due and a few were blown by accident. That's always fun. The life rafts when we had them were blown by the recertification company. I never felt good about safety equipment I couldn't inspect myself to make sure it was in operating order without using it. The raft is trapped inside that fiberglass box. You really have only the recertification companies word they inspected it. They could have just pencil whipped the inspection and you have no way of knowing if it's really going to work when you need it most. That's why when I get my boat the raft will be blown the next day whether it's due or not and I will tour the recertification company and actually see what they do and get an idea of what their attitude toward safety is. The day you need a raft is not the day to find out yours is junk.
It did, in the dark in heavy seas - it is a fail. Big fail when your life and family are in this falling apart raft. Very sad and the Moorings got a black eye.
Yes, agreed. I should have double checked serial numbers I suppose. I will choose to see it as an oversight and not an attempt to stick a buyer with junk after the fact.
I’m sure some nice raft maker will have the good sense to donate one. You can show us how to choose a trustworthy raft...
Lol, that'd be mighty kind of them! Spread the word! Thanks Lewis.
What brand is it. I want to avoid buying this one, if the glue is failing and parts falling off within the first 12-24 hours. Jeepers!
When deployed and with people inside, how likely is such a raft to capsize in a big storm?
Impressive!! Now let's see you re-pack it lol ... just teasing ;-)
Lot's of duct tape. LOL
Somebody did a switcheroo on that raft for sure. There is no way that raft would have ever passed on any charter sailboat. I would check the flare dates, but it has to have been in storage for at least 8 or 9 years. It has probably missed three certifications...maybe four...no accident there. Also if you want a life raft to actually last in the case don't buy black tubed rafts. Number one they are terribly hot when deployed. Number two they are harder to spot, Revere makes theirs out of yellow material for instance. Number three despite being packed in a case black material tends to absorb radiation more readily thus making the material and glue degrade faster. Also I wanted to tell you Plastimo has I think a....18 year warranty on some rafts. Though don't feel so bad if you threw it away, usually the warranty only applies if the raft has been inspected on its proper inspection frequency.
Wow. No first aid kit, or handline fishing kit, or....? This thing was missing a lot. Even worse was the fact you didn't even have a contents list outside of the raft itself. How would you even know what would be redundant in a ditch duffel? One day in a swimming pool.... An hour in a gale with 20+ footers?
Is it an option to have things custom packed in? (PEPIRB units, lithium ditch HT (like that one yellow icom), good modern flashlights and some 18650 cells, maybe a roll-up solar charger for 18650 cells...)
Not sure. Not with the raft we bought to replace it.
That is such a disappointment to find out that the equipment you thought we be your safety valve in an emergency might possibly have been a death trap! Glad that you tested it to make sure that it would work or not. It is hard to fathom that the seals were all failing also, that is totally irresponsible on the part of the manufacturer. If the raft is to save your life at sea in an emergency, you would think that food and water would be part of the STANDARD EQUIPMENT!