12 EMERGENCIES LAUNCHING THE LIFERAFT


All skippers should be familiar with the recommendations for their own specific raft, but this is the general procedure.


■ Check that the liferaft’s painter is secured to the boat. Make sure the crew are all wearing lifejackets. If available, someone should have grabbed a hand-held VHF and EPIRB.


■ Throw the raft into the water from the leeward side so it will drift clear once you have boarded. This may be more then a one-man job – they are surprisingly heavy.


■ Pull on the painter until it starts to inflate. Don’t be discouraged if this doesn’t happen immediately – the painter is longer than you might think.


■ Bring the raft close alongside and try to keep as dry as possible while you clamber in. The strongest and most able person should board the raft first so he can assist by hauling his mates in.


■ Once all are on board and sitting evenly spaced around the raft, cut the painter. There should be a knife stowed near the entrance for this purpose.


■ Stream the drogue you should find inside the raft. This will minimise drift.


■ Finally, close the entrance and make yourself as comfortable as possible by bailing out any water. Call the SAR (Search And Rescue) units and advise that you are all now safely in the raft. Hopefully, the EPIRB will have been activated long before now – if not, this wouldn’t be a bad time to do it!


Fig 12:6 92


RYA Seamanship for Sea Anglers


BOARDING


HOOK LINE AND S


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