Enjoy Survival in disaster

You should watch extreme movee where they have these fancy suit like the DUNE for desert... I think it is cool.

Watching WaterWorld make your mouth feel dry.

err... or u can come along on my hunting session with the local who love blowpipe... you need to fly to get there for the reality check.

 

Sorry, but "locals who love blowpipe" sound really not like much fun – especially considering I'm wearing a kilt …

On a serious note, what the hell is "blowpipe", unless it really is what I think it is?

It sounds a bit like that movie with ICE-T (ICE-Cube?) where he is flewn in for a hunt out in wild. Only, it turns out he is the one to be hunted. It's a B-movie

 

Hmmm... That's my problem I take life too easy, my free time and hobby is surviving my puberty...

Survival is a HUGE topic better stick to boat. Blowpipe is like the thing you kill by dart (poison)

 

Cool. I tried making one of those as a kid. From a small PVC pipe. Bad choice. It was too long to not bend, which meant it was kind of useless. You had to be two to use the damn thing.

 

Commercial vessels around here (ie, the local car ferry) all have hydrostatic releases on the life rafts. Most of the ones I've seen have the release mechanism protected inside a rigid plastic case, about the size of a hockey puck. As I understand it, the case also shields it from dynamic pressure loads, so it is only sensing the static pressure (ie, a wave hitting it won't trip it, but holding it two metres underwater will). You can still deploy them manually if you want to, but they'll also deploy themselves if the boat goes down before you can do so.

 

Thanks, Matt

From that information, it looks like dynamic pressure is indeed a real problem to be taken care of. I guess one could shield it from it, but then (at least on a small boat - meaning much smaller liferafts), it goes against the kiss-principle. Well, it does to me. You make a solution, but at the same time create a problem that you have created yet another solution to.
The thing is, I don't think those solutions are beneficial, frankly (on a small boat), but I can see why a car ferry would go for it.

This is merely my opinion, though. I am not saying that I would have the same opinion if my boat was different or bigger.

 

A typical hydrostatic release unit, this one from http://www.landfallnav.com/hydrostatic.html
I've never heard of one being tripped by waves, although since the liferaft itself must now be mounted in a clear area of the deck, it would seem that it's more vulnerable to damage in a storm. The actual mechanism is protected from dynamic wave pressures by the case; I'm pretty sure the case has to be submerged for a period of time for the pressure inside to be high enough to trip the release.
For $50 a year (they do require 2-year replacement) it's a good bit of insurance on a commercial vessel.
On a pleasure craft, where there is probably no convenient place to mount a liferaft canister on deck in such a manner that it can't be damaged or have its mounting brackets ripped out of the deck by waves, these might not always be such a good idea. Here, the raft might be better off somewhere protected, ie. a cockpit locker, so you can be sure it's not damaged when you deploy it.
Most of what I've read on the subject seems to say there are two cases in which you use the liferaft:
(1) The boat is burning and can't be extinguished;
(2) The boat is going down and you have to step UP into the liferaft from the cockpit coamings.
It's not something you deploy just for the fun of it, except during a survival course....

 

I don't think anyone here would deploy their liferaft for the fun of it.

 

Wow are there some tossers on here or what!

Serious head on!!

first point - your 'mother' vessel is your most effective lifeboat / lafesaving device, DO NOT LEAVE IT UNTIL YOU HAVE TO!

second point - we're all going on about liferafts ad nauseu; anybody been on one? not in the swimming baths but for real? and for a decent length of time!

I have for a week (six days actually) OK it was so called trials with a 'mothership' in range at all times, but it was in the English Channel approaches, didn't get above a force 5, but hell I've never been so sick in all my life. Yeah it was a twenty man raft with only six onboard (Royal Navy Trials)[insufficent ballast?] but miserable ain't the word for it. Far better to have a rigid lifeboat of some sort if you can, might be cramed and uncomfortable but at least you don't want to die (don't forget if you are sick you become dehydrated, very quickly, we had support who sent extra water over otherwise.........

third point - survival situations normally happen when you least expect them, so all that kit is still in the boat........miles away

fourth point - your mothership is your best lifeboat STAY ON IT AS LONG AS POSSIBLE

fifth point - see three above, get some training in from those who know, don't read the books, do the courses!

sixth point - if you are so worried about all this survival stuff and want to have a pleasant experience whilst doing it, stay the fcuk ashore and don't put REAL sailors (commercial, naval and pleasure (?)) at risk rescuing numpties, because it looks like your about to qualify!

And finally your mother ship is your best lifeboat......but I'v said that before

You may notice something running through this post that sounds familiar, pay attention to it or die - survival is NOT a game! Yes you can be prepared and have all the kit but it's about knowledge and most of all an attitude!

 

Can't argue with that, Walrus. You've summed it up nicely.

 

I prefer the lifecraft from rig station... it is a boat with a capacity for a crew tilted at an angle and ready for launch... I see that in discover channel... they dont do it for fun but on regular basis for trainning...

 

enjoy survival

Hi,

what is your comment about this?

http://www.portlandpudgy.com/index.html

 

Nice Dingy, Have you understood any of what has been written in advice above.

Summarised effectively by safewalrus?

Are you lacking in an understanding of written english? If so specify your preferred language. I am sure someone will translate for you.

 

Thats is designed to be a dingy/liferaft/sailboat and it dosnt look to me like it would do any of them well. If you want a liferaft get a liferaft. You want a dingy get a dingy. A dingy can be a liferaft if it has to be, and I guess you could use a liferaft as a dingy but neither makes a good replacemnt for the other.

As a liferaft that looks like death-at-sea to me. My opinion.

 

Spot on, Wally.