And then there were four of us under the fabric canopy, sizing up the space and imagining what it would be like if we were really calling this home until rescuers arrived, what boarding might have been like if it were taking place at night and in heaving seas, and, most important, how easy, even in these controlled conditions, it would be for someone to be injured-when jumping or when being jumped upon-and for serious complications to quickly set in. Quickly, our consultant on this project, Steve Callahan, the author of Adrift, the chronicle of his 76 days in a raft crossing the Atlantic, and CW managing editor Elaine Lembo followed, with knees and elbows flying.
The floor pitched, and Doug Ritter, executive director of Equipped to Survive, tumbled into me as he slid out of the doorway and off to the side to make way for the others. With a dull thud, heavy boat shoes hit the life raft’s floor. I’d always wondered how it would feel to abandon ship, and though this was but a drill, that first step from a solid deck to a watery, bouncy raft had been, well, different. As I landed and slipped quickly to my knees, I felt cold water rush around my legs and up my coat as I scurried out of the entranceway. No time being like the present, I stepped to the lifelines and made the leap. While we weren’t conducting a formal test, the CW editorial team had decided to review the features of each raft, spend some time using them, then pass along our findings to readers to help you consider the many options available. Streaming out behind us were seven more life rafts (a ninth was tested on another day), representative of the latest generation of safety equipment being built to standards now mandated by some offshore-racing and rally organizers.
#LIFE RAFT SURVIVAL EQUIPMENT ISO#
Three feet below and a couple of feet from the deck, the gaping mouth of a Winslow ISO Global Star six-person life raft awaited me and my three colleagues lined up along the rail. It was August in Rhode Island, and I wore my foul-weather jacket and had a life jacket zipped tightly around me.
The first came about as I stood amidships on Little Wing, the Passport 40 we’d borrowed for the day.
#LIFE RAFT SURVIVAL EQUIPMENT FULL#
Gretchen ThorĪfter a full day of climbing into, out of, over, and under a string of new life rafts, I couldn’t decide if it was my jump off the boat or the jump that followed mine that gave me the most pause for thought. Immediate thermal protection is ensured through the integrated thermal layer canopy and survival aids are fitted as standard to the liferaft.The Winslow raft’s wide opening is an easy target for life-raft expert and CW consultant Steve Callahan. Safety is of paramount importance, ensuring that the liferaft cannot be accidently separated from the survivor. Enhanced water stability is guaranteed through the advanced dipped floor by lowering the centre of gravity. Fully operational within seconds, boarding is made effective through its design, making entry simpler and safer for the user. Packed in a compact valise the Solo-Raft provides ease of self-deployment using a disposable Co 2 cylinder. Offering quick and effective deployment in an emergency and ease of visibility in diminishing light, the single emergency liferaft provides ease of deployment and safe entry from water, allowing a secure place of refuge. The Solo-Raft offers a highly compact & lightweight rescue solution designed for light aviation use, yachtsman, off-shore rescue and other critical individual rescue missions.
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