Choose the most suitable life raft for your boat

To navigate, it is very important to carry the appropriate safety equipment on our boat. In the event of a shipwreck, having the correct safety equipment will give us many chances of survival.

In case of emergencies due to a breach in the hull, a fire, or other causes, the life raft is one of the most crucial elements of our safety.

Is it mandatory to have a life raft?

Regulations state that life rafts are required depending on the distance from the coast where we are sailing (zones 1, 2, and 3). And, most importantly, based on the type of navigation for which our vessel is registered. ISO 9650 regulations apply to recreational vessels with sailboats and motorboats up to 24 meters in length.

If we are sailing up to 12 nautical miles from the coast (coastal waters), it is not mandatory to carry a life raft, according to Spanish regulations.

From 12 nautical miles off the coast up to 25 nautical miles (offshore navigation, zone 3), we must have an approved life raft according to ISO 9650-type B, with the survival kit (SOLAS B). They are activated (deployed and inflated) at a temperature between 0°C to +65°C.

From 25 nautical miles off the coast up to 60 nautical miles (offshore navigation, zone 2), we must have an approved life raft according to ISO 9650-type B, with the survival kit (SOLAS B). They are activated (deployed and inflated) at a temperature between 0°C to +65°C.

Beyond 60 nautical miles from the coast, with no mileage limit (oceanic navigation, zone 1), we must have a survival life raft approved according to ISO 9650-type A, with the survival kit (SOLAS A). They are designed to withstand rescues that may take more than 24 hours. They are activated (deployed and inflated) at a temperature between -15°C to +65°C.

The SOLAS Convention, the International Convention for the Safety of Life at Sea, is considered the most important of all international treaties related to the safety of merchant ships.

What types of life rafts can we find?

When choosing a life raft, we must ensure that it is suitable for our navigational zone, its certification, and the number of crew members who will be on board the vessel.

ISO 9650 standard defines the technical and manufacturing characteristics of life rafts as well as the composition of emergency equipment.

We can find SOLAS life rafts, non-SOLAS life rafts (because they do not meet all SOLAS requirements), and life rafts complying with ISO 9650 standard or other existing regulations.

It is crucial that they are certified by the Directorate General of Merchant Marine ((in Spain) or certified by a notified body with the steering wheel emblem in accordance with what is established in Royal Decree 809/1999. All certified life rafts have more than 4 seats.

They must always have capacity for the maximum number of crew members the vessel can carry. In the case of navigation in zone 1, they must have capacity for 110% of the crew members the vessel can carry.

We can also find inflatable life rafts and rigid life rafts.

Where should the life raft be located?

In the event of having to use the life raft, it will be a delicate moment, and we must act quickly, so it must be in a place that is always visible, easily accessible to all crew members, and allows for easy maneuvering.

Certainly, sea conditions may not be favorable, and we will always need two people to launch it.

The life raft will be packed in a bag or a sturdy FRP container. It must withstand adverse weather conditions and have sufficient buoyancy to allow for the activation of the inflation mechanism and be as watertight as possible.

The container will be secured to the mount using straps or metal bands and equipped with a trigger. A good place to have it is on a stainless steel mount outside the stern railing. It must be securely lashed to withstand heavy seas.

Packaging of the life raft

The packaging of the life raft will be marked with:

• Manufacturer's name
• Serial number
• Number of authorized persons on board
• SOLAS marking
• Revision date and next revision date
• Type of emergency package it contains
• Length of the rope
• Deployment instructions

Deployment of the life raft

When the skipper indicates that we must abandon the ship, it is because the ship offers less safety than any other means, and it is no longer safe for the crew.

We only embark on the life raft as a last resort. Before that, we will have emitted the required distress signal.

At this moment, it is important to stay calm and organized. We must consider that we will have little time for the ship's evacuation.

The deployment device is activated automatically through the hydrostatic release device or manually by a line. In this case, we must ensure that the life raft is attached to the ship by the line.

The deployment device is activated automatically through the hydrostatic release device or manually by a line. In this case, we must ensure that the life raft is attached to the ship by the line.

We will launch the rigid packaging with the life raft over the windward side and give it a pull until the mechanism that inflates the life raft is triggered. Prior to this, the straps holding the life raft in place have been released, and the firing line and the connecting line to the vessel have been secured on board. Then, a crew member pays out the firing line, which can be up to ten meters long, until a stop is felt. The stop is often marked with a different color on the firing line.

The release and inflation mechanism is activated with a strong pull of the firing line once it reaches the stop. The flotation chambers of the life raft are automatically filled with air or CO2. Once the life raft is inflated, we bring it alongside the ship (either manually or, on sailboats, alternately through the winch). The life raft should always be brought alongside, never aft. The stern of the ship behaves like a guillotine in rough seas and could damage the life raft.

If the life raft is equipped with a hydrostatic release, if it remains attached to the deck, it submerges in the water (depth of 1.5 to 4 meters), and the hydrostatic release is activated by water pressure, releasing the life raft to float and inflate automatically.

If the life raft is not upright, a person will climb onto the life raft floor, grab the righting lines, and stand on the inflation cylinder.

As they pull on the lines, the life raft is righted into the correct position. If, on the other hand, it is activated automatically, when the life raft reaches a depth not exceeding 4 meters, it will activate and release.

The first person to board the life raft should be the physically strongest. This way, they can better assist other crew members in boarding the life raft.

Whenever possible, we will abandon the ship avoiding direct contact with the water, with dry feet and without touching the water. If this is not possible, we will use a ladder or entry aids, which facilitate boarding the life raft from inside the water.

Once all crew members are on board the life raft, and the ship is truly sinking (usually, many hours later), we will cut the line (with a knife) that kept us connected to the ship and move away from it. All life rafts are equipped with a knife for this purpose.

We should take motion sickness medication, included in the life raft's first aid kit.

We must have a portable VHF radio, as well as the emergency beacon located, as they will be vital for our location.

Equipment required to carry in the life raft

The life raft will be equipped with the following accessories and equipment, which may vary depending on whether the emergency package is type A for zone 1 or type B for zones 2 and 3.

• Lifebuoy lines around its exterior and interior
• A rope of at least 10 meters in length
• A manually operated lamp at the top of the life raft, whose light will be white and may be continuous or flashing
• A floating ring with a line
• A knife
• A floating bailer
• 2 sponges
• 2 floating anchors to orient the life raft into the wind
• 2 floating oars
• First aid kit
• Whistle for acoustic signals
• Pyrotechnic equipment (4 rocket flares, 6 hand flares, and 2 smoke signals)
• Waterproof flashlight with spare batteries and bulbs
• Radar reflector
• Signal mirror
• Fishing gear set
• Food rations
• Watertight containers with 1.5 liters of water
• Motion sickness medication
• Survival manuals
• Thermal aids
• Puncture repair kit
• Inflation pump

Personal abandonment bag

In addition to the mandatory accessories contained in the life raft, having a personal abandonment bag (grab-bag) prepared will be of vital importance in an emergency situation. The grab-bag is a watertight and floating bag with high-visibility color. It should have a label listing the items to add in case of an emergency.

In the grab-bag, we can include:

• Important medication
• Boat license and documents
• Identification documents
• Credit card
• Sunglasses and sunscreen
• Handheld radio and/or satellite phone
• EPIRB or AIS SART transmitter
• Extra water and food

Life raft revision

We must carry out the revisions recommended by the manufacturer and current legislation and in any case, within two years from the manufacturing date.

Spanish regulations require an annual inspection at a service station authorized by the administration.

Some of the main brands of life rafts

• Almar
• Arimar
• Canepa & Campi
• Chongqing Guanheng Technology & Development
• Datrex
• Deutsche Schlauchboot
• Eurovinil
• Forwater
• Hero Life-saving Equipment
• Lalizas
• Mesica feet safely
• Plastimo
• Revere Survival Products
• RFD Beaufort
• S.O.S. Marine Sydney Australia
• SeaCurity
• Seago Yachting
• SRG International
• Survitec Zodiac
• Switlik
• Viking Yachting

If you need to buy a life raft, check out our life raft section from here