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Liferaft Sizing


Island Time

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As most of you know I'm off long term crusing. Mostly there will be just me and the wife, but we will have reasonably regular guests, usually 2 at a time, but occasionally we may have a total of 6 crew at a time. My raft is a RFD Seasaver 6 +R, which would hold everone. However, I'll start the trip doing the solo tasman, and 70% of the time I'll have only 2 crew.

How good is a 6 man raft with 2?

Pehaps a 4 man raft would be better?

 

Thoughts anyone?

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I remember reading somewhere that some rafte rely on bodies for stability, ie 2 people in 6man raft = bad. Maybe we should get Jono onto this one, I'll email him.

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Have you ever read that article about the guys on Green Hornet and how quickly their raft was stripped of its equipment by the elements? I have it here somewhere; will send it to you. Terrifying reading of course but you might be able to glean some thoughts on how to do it differently.

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Yeah that's a big delema. Squid is correct that the rafts are sized for that number of bodies to maintain stability. And 2 into 4 and 4 into 6 doesn't fit. They are a tight squeeze. I don't know how the newer design rafts with the water ballast work out, if that ballast helps with less people to raft size. Most of the time it is just Dawn and me. But sometimes there can be as many as 6 of us and the boat is actually capable of sleeping 10 if you wanted to play sardines. 6 is nice and comfortable. So when we come to get a new raft, I too have wondered what is best and am leanign toward a 6 with water ballast.

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Having been one of 2 in an 8 man raft many years back, I can say it was a very uncomfortable experience, We spent more time righting the dammed thing than we did in it, and that was only in 25 odd kts of breeze in a sea state less that 2mtrs (well it was 7 feet then) I would not have wanted to be in for more than the 15 odd hours that we were, we were so stuffed from flipping the bloody thing I am sure to do the whole night would have been dreadful. My mate got a lovely crack on his scone from the air canister.

 

Put him off sailing, put me off liferafts.

 

You would be wise to talk to the guys at RFD to get the lowdown, If you get a smaller one, you can always sell it later to top up the drinks locker

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