liferafts

After about a week of looking into the MCA and local ports requirements for coding, i am now having to look for a SOLAS liferaft. Does anybody have recommedations on where to get one...e.g cheap (i know they are not cheap, but the cheapest place)

Speak to Ocean Safety
02380 720800 ask for Matt

Regards

has it got to be SOLAS B pack one as well, reading the MCA code it has to be a hard packed one if in an open RIB. Im looking for one as well, but if cant find a good price then might hire one, just to get by.
Paul

Paul F

I'm sure someone will correct me if i am wrong.

1) SOLAS B or ISAF/OSR, but need a grab bag with all the bits to equip to SOLAS B
2) To quote the text " in FRP containers or Valise stowed in a readily accessible and dedicated weatherlight locker"


It will also depending on the coding MCA or local

As example

Eastleigh, " sufficient aggregate capacity (buoyant)
Portmouth - liferaft - but does not state FRP/Va;ise


Asa people mentioned before, it depends on what you need...................................all roads really lead to a liferaft...........

I get good trade discounts on Ocean Safety Viking and Plastimo liferafts. let me know what price you get offered and I'll see if I can get it for you at a lower price.


Why must the Solas b be in a grab bag surely it's better being inside the Canister? what if you don't have time to get it? Think of the only conditions you will really require a liferaft on a Rib and be it collision or fire then you may not have the ability or desire to go back for a grab bag

Rouge
Reading the gumph,it has to be built to solas/cartwheel spec and equiped to solas B,if raft is not equiped to solas B then a grab bag can be used to supplement raft.
Paul

I didn't read it properly . bad boy me!

I'd stil;l go for the non grab bag option

Agree dont want anymore gear skulling around.
Paul

Personally i would (& do) go the Grab Bag option - for a few reasons:

- I'm always going to have a grab bag anyway so having a few more bits in it doesn't hurt
- Whilst i appreciate Stu's point re getting the grab bag at the moment you need it, if it is accessible this shouldn't be a great issue. We keep ours towards the front of the craft away from likely sources of fire
- We keep spare VHFs, emergency manuals etc in the grab bag - you can't do that in the cannister
- I can refill the grab bag at my own cost rather than being beholden to the person that services it

One of the key reasons though was that the vast majority of liferafts sold are not Solas B but are RORC so you had to do the grab bag route anyway

Paul

Personally i would (& do) go the Grab Bag option - for a few reasons:

- I'm always going to have a grab bag anyway so having a few more bits in it doesn't hurt
- Whilst i appreciate Stu's point re getting the grab bag at the moment you need it, if it is accessible this shouldn't be a great issue. We keep ours towards the front of the craft away from likely sources of fire
- We keep spare VHFs, emergency manuals etc in the grab bag - you can't do that in the cannister
- I can refill the grab bag at my own cost rather than being beholden to the person that services it

One of the key reasons though was that the vast majority of liferafts sold are not Solas B but are RORC so you had to do the grab bag route anyway

Paul
I find to include it is fine as it reduces the stuff on the boat and then simply have a bag with the spare radio a few tpas first aid etc in.
The problem with all of it being in the grab I found was that its supplimentary stuff which in the main I felt happy to have packed away. All I did was think through my useage and have a grab handy for the things to which needed checking ie torches/radios/first aids etc etc and which may get used anyway.

Hire One

Its cheaper than getting one serviced in the long run

Try Colsalt

Looking through the new coding regs, does that mean that one of the Plastimo ORC liferafts is no longer acceptable for Coding purposes?

Does anyone know whether there is a list of 'wheelmarked' or SOLAS B or A approved liferafts - I can't find it on the Plastimo website - although as they all seem to be ORC, it doesn't look ike they are acceptable anyway... :sick:

D...

I have a liferaft related question that one of you may be able to answer. Does a liferaft have to be upto ISAF spec for catagory 4 coding or is the standard ORC okay?
I was investigating buying/ hiring a liferaft today and was asked if I needed an ISAF spec. liferaft.
Duncan

Duncan,
If you are going down the MCA route it has to be SOLAS B or ISAF, if its any other i think you have to have a grab bag to supplement it.
Where are you going to put it on the Pac, as if you have a deck hatch up front there aint much room left. How many are bods are you going for?I believe Pete7 had a stability test done and got it for 9 bods.
Paul

Searider on here (Duncan) did my survey through YDSA and it made a nice change to find a surveyor who knows what he is talking about and a jolly nice chap too. they have a good web site with lots of info.

http://www.ceproof.com/

In theory YDSA now have details of P22 stability test for 9 people so you shouldn't have to do this if you code it with them which might save a bit of money. However .....

Although the stability test is for 9 people I only coded her for 6 in the end because the weight of diving kit that would need to be carried as well, also the costs of lifejackets and liferafts for a larger number of people was just getting out of hand.

Hired a SOLAS B raft for the first year which cost £560 for a 6 man from Ocean Safety in Saxon Wharf, Southampton. Not the cheapest but they know what they are talking about and supply to a lot of local charter boats.

Pete

From the coversation I had I got the impression you could get a SOLAS B ISAF or a SOLAS B ORC. I could have got it wrong. The first thing I said was I needed SOLAS B and he came asked ISAF or ORC? He also said it could be hard cover or valise case, as long as it had dedicated dry storage. With hard cover I was thinking up in the bow infront of the big hatch or behind the engine box.
I am going to go for coding for 9, which I have found a few people have for P22's. My aim will be to normally carry upto 6 passengers but have the flexiblity to carry more if necessary. If some of the passengers are children the weight wouldn't be such an issue and in these cases I would make sure they understood thier numbers may affect performance. I have inboard seating for 8 passengers 6 on the engine box and a bench infront of the console, which doubles as extra storage.
Another question I have which Pete might be able to answer is to do with the second set of batteries I will have to carry. Do they have to be wired into the circuit or can I just carry them to be connected if needed?
Duncan

I found this in an obscure place on the MCA website (I need to get out more)...which may explain SOLAS-B, ORC, ISAF etc a bit better...

The liferaft(s) provided should be either:-

i) constructed to SOLAS standard, Wheelmarked or DTLR approved,
except that the liferaft(s) should be equipped with “SOLAS B PACK”;or

ii) built to the International Sailing Federation (ISAF), Offshore Special
Regulations (OSR) Appendix A Part 2 requirements or to an
equivalent ISO Standard. Liferaft(s) should be equipped to a level
equivalent to that of a "SOLAS B PACK". This may, where
necessary, include a "grab bag" to supplement the equipment
integral to the liferaft; or

iii) built to the International Sailing Federation (ISAF), Offshore Special
Regulations (OSR) Appendix A Part 1 requirements and
manufactured prior to 1 st July 2003, until replacement is due.
Liferaft(s) should be equipped to a level equivalent to that of a
"SOLAS B PACK". This may, where necessary, include a "grab bag"
to supplement the equipment integral to the liferaft;

I thought this might help!! Now all I need to know is what needs to go in the grab-bag......any clues?

Dylan...

Solas B Grab Bag contents to upgrade from ISAF:

• 2 x red rockets MCA

• 1 x Orange buoyant smoke MCA

• 1 x Cat C First Aid Kit

• I x Inflatable radar reflector

• Blue Grab bag (to hold all this)

• Thermal protective aids to make up ISAF existing 2 to full complement

:D

Duncan, batteries had to be hard wired in, so I used a separate battery master switch so that only 2 are normally used but the additional ones can be quickly connected.

Pete

Pete,
Thanks for the battery reply. I looked at the latest amalgamated codes document and the surveyors report and from these got the impression that two battery systems may not be necessary. From what I understood if I have a manual start auxilary engine then that counts as a second way of starting the boat.
Dunc

I think the options are

1) If you have the option to "pull starrt" on the main engine,
2) Second battery for engine

3) Aux engine, pull start

Basically with the main engine, its making sure that you can start it, thats not to say it will start if there is something wrong



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