Life raft
A life raft or raft ( English life raft is) a raft to rescue people from a in distress geratenen ship or an unplanned gewasserten plane. Its task is the same as that of lifeboats , but in contrast to these it is packed in a small container and is inflated by a compressed air cylinder if necessary.
Life rafts are only used in emergencies and therefore cannot be used to translate people or material. Triggered life rafts usually have to be replaced because correct function is not guaranteed a second time after this load.
Equipment obligation
Liferafts are made of weather-resistant, soft, flame-retardant plastics (mostly made of PVC ). The technical requirements for life rafts as well as number, equipment, release devices and installation locations are regulated by SOLAS in the area of professional shipping . In the area of recreational boating, equipment requirements depend on the regulations of the state under whose flag the ship is sailing. Carrying an inflatable life raft is at least recommended for all seagoing ships. In addition to the islands that are SOLAS certified, there are ISAF and ISO regulations for recreational shipping . The ISO 9650 standard is currently the most common standard in Europe.
Depending on the type and size of the ship, there are life rafts in different sizes and designs. Conventional, closed life rafts are made in sizes for up to 50 people. These can be brought into the water when fully occupied using davits . There are also release devices that start from a certain water pressure, e.g. B. when the ship sinks, trigger the raft. In connection with maritime evacuation systems , in which the people leave the ship by means of slides, life rafts are used for up to 150 passengers. These systems have partly open life rafts, but also closed ones.
The equipment on the raft depends on the area for which the ship is approved. Similar to life boats, life rafts or islands are also equipped with water supplies, emergency provisions and survival equipment.
Certain emergency slides on aircraft are also used as an emergency life raft, for example in the ditching of US Airways Flight 1549 .
Life rafts for recreational boating
In recreational shipping, life rafts based on the ISO 9650 standard are predominantly used today. These are significantly lighter and much cheaper than the SOLAS islands used by commercial shipping. The ISAF standard, which was designed for offshore regattas in the wake of the 1979 Fastnet regatta disaster and revised after the 1998 Sydney-Hobart regatta , is similar to the ISO standard, but differs in details. The ISAF standard is now rarely required, so that the ISO standard is established as a general standard.
Life rafts are manufactured in two types, ISO 9650-1 and ISO 9650-2. Type 1 islands are intended for ocean-going shipping where heavy winds and high waves can occur. Type 2 islands are being developed for coastal shipping. Type 1 islands are also divided into classes A and B. Class A islands have an insulated double bottom and inflate at temperatures down to −15 ° C, while Class B islands only have a single bottom and only trigger safely above freezing point. Accordingly, the category A islands are also suitable for trips in colder areas. In addition, the islands are supplied in two configurations, depending on whether a rescue is likely within 24 hours or not. Category 1A islands are recommended for the waters of Northern Europe (especially because of the low water temperatures to be expected).
| ISO 9650-1: Type 1 | ISO 9650-2: type 2 | |
|---|---|---|
| Maximum occupation | 4 to 12 people | 4 to 10 people |
| Length of rip cord | 9 meters | 6 meters |
| Maximum throw height | 6 meters | 4 meters |
| Minimum freeboard | For islands for 4 people 250 mm, above 300 mm | For islands for 4 people 200 mm, above 250 mm |
| top, roof | Required | Required |
| Island floor | Class A islands are thermally insulated with a double floor | Usually not thermally insulated |
Life rafts according to ISO 9650 are available from around € 1000. They are supplied in two versions, in a case or in a bag. The variant in the case is often permanently attached to the deck of yachts and can stay there even in bad weather. Bags are lighter, a little cheaper and are suitable if storage on deck is not possible. Modern yachts according to the CE sport boat directive class A or B (high seas or offshore waters) are equipped with suitable storage space for a life raft in a suitcase.
As survival equipment are located in the island among other water supplies, medicines for motion sickness , distress signal means and fishing gear .
Boarding a life raft
The common doctrine says that there are basically only two reasons to abandon a ship and get on the life raft:
- The boat inevitably sinks despite attempts to bilge it
- The boat is on fire and all attempts to extinguish the fire were unsuccessful or the smoke is too strong
In all other cases you should stay on the ship, even if it is severely damaged or unable to maneuver. Because the ship has more equipment and food on board than the life raft can ever hold. It is much easier for the rescue teams to see than a life raft or people swimming in the water.
If the life raft actually has to be used, it is first checked that the end of the rip cord is tied to the boat. Then you throw them overboard on the leeward side (except in the event of fire, in which case it can be useful to use them on the windward side). The suitcase or the bag with the life raft is heavy - 40 kg and more for a 6-person island - so the storage location must be chosen so that the crew can lift it onto the deck and over the railing in an emergency. On passenger ships, the life rafts are lowered into the water with cranes. The island also floats in the box.
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Then pull out the rip cord. It is several meters long. In the end, a jolt triggers the island. Most islands are built to inflate in the correct swimming position under normal circumstances. Then the crew members help each other to change trains. If possible, you should change trains immediately and not jump into the water, otherwise there is a risk of hypothermia. The life rafts have rope ladders , which should also allow entry from the water, but this is very difficult to manage , especially for weak people and with wet sailing clothing . As much provisions and equipment as possible and sensible should be taken with you. Also important are the ship's documents and the logbook and, if available, a marine radio , a SART transponder or an EPIRB .
In the life raft there is a protected knife with which the rip cord can be cut. The sea anchor helps keep the island's opening lee of the waves and reduces wind drift . The rescue teams will search first at the last known point.
maintenance
Life rafts must be regularly serviced and checked by specialist companies certified by the manufacturer concerned. Depending on the manufacturer and area of application, this is necessary annually or at least every three years. The packaging is opened and the island is inflated with compressed air from a compressor. The built-in CO 2 bottle is not used to avoid unnecessary pollution of the island. The bottle is simply weighed and compared with its target weight. The island stays inflated for 36 or 48 hours and is not allowed to lose air.
During maintenance, the equipment parts with expiration dates are also replaced. These include the distress signals (rockets, hand flares) as well as water, food and medication.
See also
Individual evidence
- ↑ Liferaft suggestions . Royal Yachting Association. Accessed December 31, 2015.
- ↑ Life raft according to ISO standards
- ↑ Colwell, p. 92; see also the reports on the Fastnet regatta from 1979
literature
- Keith Colwell; Safety at sea ; Delius Klasing Verlag ; 33602 Bielefeld; ISBN 978-3-7688-3539-8
