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What to expect on deployment of your life raft
From Paul Alexander, Great Circle Life Rafts
Inflatable life rafts are usually deployed by one of up to the wind and waves and significantly reduce
two methods: the chance of capsize. It should also tend to keep
the raft's opening to the lee of the weather.
The first and most common launching method is by
manually throwing or dropping the raft overboard. A raft is designed to inflate the right way up,
These rafts are often referred to as 'throwover type' (because of the weight of the compressed gas
even though they can also be automatically cylinder etc) but there is a small chance that it may
deployed by a hydrostatic release unit if the vessel inflate upside down. Try to right it from the boat,
in distress rapidly sinks. Water pressure activates but if that fails, it will need to be done from the
a sharp blade within the releasing device which water.
cuts the strong rope that secures the raft to its
cradle or mounting position. The raft will float free Many people find it surprisingly difficult to get over
to the surface and inflate. the high freeboard of the tubes even with the aid of
an entrance ramp or ladder and support webbing.
In the second deployment method, an inflated raft Once aboard, it will be necessary for survivors to
is lowered into the sea by means of a davit cut the lanyard and paddle clear of the boat in
launching mechanism, called the 'davit launch distress. Checking to see that the sea anchor is
type'. This type is the domain of big capacity rafts streaming correctly, tending injured victims and
and is usually a feature of large high-sided ships. closing the door of the raft once all survivors are
aboard are also priority actions.
On smaller vessels an inflatable life-raft is usually
launched by throwing the entire container or valise Maintaining the raft, familiarising everyone with the
overboard and pulling its lanyard. A surprising contents of the emergency pack, watching for
amount of line (at least 9 metres) will need to be rescuers and achieving best possible comfort
pulled out before this action activates a levels for all on board will become the ongoing
compressed gas cylinder which inflates the various routine.
air chambers that make up the raft. The raft will
inflate quickly, with excess gas gushing out of the If a life raft inflates upside-down or capsizes, the
relief valves. gas bottle on a raft's bottom can be used to right it.
Turn the raft until the bottle is downwind, then climb
The sea anchor (drogue) will stream automatically onto the inverted raft. With the wind providing
on deployment in some raft types and in others it assistance, haul on the righting strap (usually on
will need to be manually set on boarding (it lays the side opposite the gas bottle), using the gas
folded on the floor). The drogue will hold the raft bottle to provide leverage.
SAFETY and reliability were huge considerations when the
makers of the popular Channel 10 series The Biggest
Loser decided contestants would be set the challenge of
sailing from Sydney to Hobart in March this year and that's
why Great Circle Life Rafts were chosen for the task.
A super tough Great Circle Oceanmaster raft was used for
the contestants' safety training before they left aboard the
Volvo 60 'Southern Excellence' on what is often a perilous
journey. Three Oceanmaster rafts were aboard, ready to be
deployed if things went awry on the way.
1 300 306 381
Australia wide
www.greatcircleliferafts.com.au