Life Rafts

Types of Life Rafts

Not all life rafts are equal, and choosing the wrong specification for your passage is a serious mistake. The two primary regulatory standards are SOLAS (Safety of Life at Sea, used for commercial vessels and the benchmark for serious offshore yachts) and ISO 9650 (the recreational standard). Within each, there are different grades.

SOLAS A rafts are the offshore standard — designed for open ocean use, intended for vessels operating more than 300nm from shore. They are built to survive extended exposure to extreme conditions, carry a comprehensive survival pack, and must inflate and remain stable in severe sea states. SOLAS B rafts meet a lower specification suitable for coastal operations. They are not appropriate for offshore passages.

ISO 9650 is divided into two groups: Group 1 (sea temperature above 15°C, suitable for coastal), and Group 2 (temperatures below 15°C, more robust construction). Within each group, Type 1 is the offshore grade and Type 2 is coastal. For any passage beyond coastal waters, you want ISO 9650-1 Type 1 or SOLAS A.

Rafts come in canister form (a hard GRP or fibreglass cylinder, typically mounted on deck in a cradle) or valise form (a soft bag, typically stowed below in a locker). Canister-mounted deck rafts are preferred offshore because they can be deployed quickly from deck and can be equipped with an HRU for float-free deployment. Valise rafts are more easily transported but must be retrieved from below in an emergency — which may be impossible if the boat floods quickly.

Rated capacity is the number of persons the raft is certified to hold. Never buy a raft rated for exactly your crew size. Buy one size up — a raft packed beyond its rated capacity is dangerous, and rated capacity assumes survivors are fit and able-bodied, not injured or hypothermic.

Life Raft Servicing and Certification

A life raft that has not been serviced is not a life raft. The CO2 inflation system, the fabric, the seams, and the survival pack contents all degrade over time. A raft that has never been opened may not inflate — CO2 cylinders can lose pressure, inflation valves can corrode, and fabric can develop micro-tears invisible from the outside.

SOLAS rafts require annual servicing. ISO 9650 recreational rafts typically require servicing every one to three years depending on the manufacturer — check your manual. Some manufacturers offer extended service intervals for rafts kept in temperature-controlled storage, but this does not apply to rafts exposed to the elements on deck.

A proper service involves: CO2 inflation test (the raft is inflated to verify the system and buoyancy chambers); fabric and seam pressure test (inflation is held to check for leaks); survival pack inspection (water rations, flares, first aid kit, bailer, sea anchor — all checked for expiry and condition); canopy and boarding ladder inspection; repack and resealing of the canister or valise. The service is performed by a manufacturer-approved service station — not a general chandlery or a well-meaning friend with a toolbox.

Find an approved service station through the raft manufacturer's website. The service certification label should be visible on the raft (or in your documents), showing the date and location of the last service. An overdue service is not a minor administrative matter — it may mean the raft will not inflate when you pull the painter.

A new raft from the factory is not necessarily better than a recently serviced one. Factory stock can sit in a warehouse for a year or more before purchase. When buying a new raft, check the manufacture date and the first service date — the service clock starts from manufacture, not from purchase.

Mounting and Deployment

A canister-mounted raft on deck in a cradle is the preferred offshore configuration. The cradle should be positioned for easy access — typically on the coachroof or stern — and the canister secured with straps or a bracket that releases quickly under load. The Hydrostatic Release Unit (HRU) connects the raft's painter line to the vessel. If the boat sinks below approximately 4 metres, water pressure triggers the HRU, releasing the raft. The painter then pulls taut, inflates the raft, and the raft floats free. The HRU has a stamped expiry date and must be replaced before that date — an expired HRU is a critical failure point.

Manual deployment is the more likely scenario in a controlled abandon-ship situation. The procedure: (1) carry or slide the canister/valise to the leeward side of the vessel; (2) attach the free end of the painter line to a strong point on the vessel — a cleat or through-bolted fitting, not a lifeline stanchion; (3) launch the raft into the water by lifting the canister over the rail; (4) pull the painter sharply and continuously — the raft inflates in 15–30 seconds; (5) pull the raft alongside; (6) board the raft.

Boarding the raft from deck is far preferable to boarding from the water. If the vessel is still above water and you have time, step or climb into the raft directly. Get as many crew as possible into the raft before it separates from the vessel. Boarding from the water requires the boarding ramp or ladder — all SOLAS and ISO offshore rafts are required to have one. A person in the water in cold temperatures has limited time and strength; others in the raft must assist.

Once all crew are aboard, cut the painter — do not untie it. Use the knife that should be in the exterior pocket of the raft canopy. If the vessel sinks while you are still attached by the painter, it can drag the raft down with it. Cut quickly and without hesitation once everyone is aboard and you are clear of the vessel.

Survival in a Life Raft

The moment you board the raft, shift from 'saving the boat' mode to 'surviving' mode. The sequence of immediate actions is: (1) head count — confirm all crew are aboard; (2) cut the painter once clear of the sinking vessel; (3) close the canopy — reduces heat loss, provides wind protection, and makes the raft more visible from the air; (4) bail and dry the floor — a wet floor accelerates hypothermia; use the bailer and sponge from the survival kit; (5) open the survival kit and inventory the contents; (6) activate the EPIRB — if not already activated, do it now.

Hypothermia is the most immediate threat in cold water survival. At water temperatures below 15°C, you have limited time before cold incapacitation makes self-rescue impossible. In a raft, the priority is staying dry, staying off the wet floor, and staying together — body heat from multiple survivors sharing a blanket is significant. The survival kit should contain hypothermia blankets; use them. Immersion suits or dry suits dramatically extend survival time and should be donned before entering the raft if time permits. Hypothermia can begin in water temperatures below approximately 25°C for prolonged exposure and becomes rapidly dangerous below 15°C.

Signaling from a raft: the EPIRB handles the long-range distress signal automatically once activated. For visual signaling, use parachute flares for long-range attention (visible at night for many miles) and hand flares when a vessel or aircraft is clearly visible and within range. Signal mirrors are highly effective in daylight at distances up to 10 miles. The bright orange canopy is your passive visual signal — keep it deployed. Some rafts have a radar reflector built into the canopy arch.

Stay with the raft. Unless you can see a beach within a few hundred metres and conditions are benign, do not leave the raft to swim. A raft is infinitely more visible to searchers than a person in the water. A raft provides thermal protection, signaling capability, and a survival kit. The instinct to swim is almost always wrong. Helicopter rescue from a raft: remove the canopy before a helicopter approaches to assist the rescue swimmer. Follow crew instructions. Do not grab the rescue cable until instructed — it may be carrying a static charge. The rescue swimmer is trained; let them lead.