Many owners with large boats and yachts carry an extra boat or even two, just in case. In case of what, however, is a good question. While most people would say, "to use as a lifeboat," what many people consider a safety measure may only be suitable as a tender.
In my opinion, if a boat is not capable of quick deployment, it cannot serve as a lifeboat. In fact, if it takes a great deal of effort to launch, it can actually become a threat to survival and rescue. There are a few exceptions, such as boats hanging from davits at the stern that have quick-release lines. But in general, in my 30-plus years of experience running a rescue and salvage business, I've seen many serious cases involving vessels with an extra boat that did not serve well as a lifeboat.
Canister life rafts come with mounts for you to install on deck, right where you need them.
A true lifeboat must be capable of deploying fast in all kinds of conditions, from a sinking to a fire. It must then hold up and sustain the crew until a rescue is possible. While it is not a Coast Guard requirement for most recreational boats to carry an approved life raft – and they are expensive – it's a good idea to purchase one.
If you already have a boat, here are some thoughts on how to evaluate whether it will be a help or a hindrance.
POTENTIAL PROBLEMS
In recent years, midsize and large cruisers have been built with oversize swim platforms to provide room for a RIB or inflatable to be carried on its side. The releases on most of these mounts are manual, meaning a quick pull allows the boat to fall into the water with just a slight push, and then it's easily boarded and unhooked from the platform. Even though most people use these boats as toys, they sometimes consider them lifeboats because of this ease of launching.
Now, most stricken vessels do sink slowly, so there may be plenty of time to release a RIB after placing an emergency call on the VHF. However, there's no way to know just how fast sinking will occur until it actually happens.
EAMLiferafts are rated according to the number of people they can carry.
Other large vessels carry an extra boat that requires a crane or davit to raise and lower it. These boats should not be relied upon to serve as lifeboats. I remember the grounding of a 60-foot cruiser equipped with a 20-footer mounted on its top. Power to the davit system failed, so with tremendous effort, the four men aboard dragged the boat from its cradle and pushed it off the vessel's top.
On its fall to the water, however, the outboard motor hit the cruiser's rail, and the small boat entered the water upside down. Though it provided a platform that the men could board and float upon, they had no protection from the weather and no means of control over the capsized vessel. Fortunately, they were rescued quickly, and the 60-footer was salvaged and towed to shore. But it took almost as much effort to salvage the small boat because righting it was impossible, and towing it caused it to dive and pull down on the towboat.
This example points out another reason why boats tied down or those that require power to lower to the water are just not reliable as lifeboats. If you must go up on deck or onto the hardtop to release them, getting there could be a troublesome task in itself. Yachts tend to heel over when taking on water. Furthermore, the weight of the lifeboat can cause an extensive strain on lines or straps holding it, so it may be impossible to release. The shifting weight from the lifeboat and a person trying to launch can also cause the yacht to heel further, thus increasing the vessel's rate of sinking.
How you store a rescue boat on board can directly affect your successful and safe escape.
Then there's the case of fire. Keep in mind, the first few minutes after a fire breaks out are critical and may be the only time you have to save your passengers and vessel. Fire always burns up, so if an intended lifeboat is stowed on top of a vessel, you will waste precious minutes trying to release it that would be better spent fighting the fire and getting PFDs on everyone.
So is there ever a situation when a tender can end up being helpful in an emergency? Yes, in the case of sailboats that tow a small boat or carry one on their foredeck. Though these are mostly used to make a passage from an anchorage to shore and back, or to run out an anchor, they can be used to help the sailboat when it is aground.
LIFE RAFT BASICS
As explained earlier, the Coast Guard does not require recreational boaters to carry an approved life raft. Marine specialists agree, however, that if you go offshore, regardless of your boat's size, you should carry one. Even if you only travel close to shore, a life raft is a good idea. In waters colder than 78 degrees, hypothermia can occur within two hours. In tropical waters, protection from the sun and heat stroke are factors.
There are three basic life raft designs: coastal, offshore and oceangoing. Coastal rafts are intended for quick rescue situations, when help is expected within a day. They are small, lightweight, inexpensive, and easy to deploy and store. Open a flap on the valise and extend the painter line, then give a hard pull, and the raft inflates automatically in less than 30 seconds, thanks to the self-contained CO2 inflation system.
There is a caveat, however: Because they're intended for quick rescue, coastal life rafts lack features needed for long-term survival. That's where offshore rafts come in; they expand survival time to four or five days, with features like canopies. Most marine experts recommend purchasing an offshore raft, regardless of whether you intend to go offshore.
