Article by Pat Schrawder
FLOTATION DEVICES AND YOUR BOATING SAFETY
Last week we talked about some of the electronic safety devices available to boaters in case of an emergency on board. They are all designed to assist the Coast Guard in finding you during this emergency. But, in the worst case, when you get separated from your vessel, there are a couple other things about which you need to be aware.
First and foremost is to remember that EPIRB/PLB’s send a signal to Coast Guard with the location of THEM. If you are separated from your vessel on purpose or by accident, you need to try to take the EPIRB/PLB with you. The idea is for emergency personnel to find YOU and not just your EPIRB/PLB.
That having been said, let’s look at your other options for serious emergencies. There are two reasons you might be separated from your boat. If the boat is on fire and/or sinking, you will have to leave the boat for your own safety. Obviously you will have (or certainly should have) your personal life jackets. However, hypothermia takes place in a much shorter period of time than you might imagine. For the same reason you can thaw frozen meats by running them under cold water, putting the human body in even quite warm water will cause a lowering of body temperature that can be critical and even life threatening. Any water temperature lower than 98.6 degrees will start to lower your body temperature. The colder the water, the faster it will occur. So ideally, it’s a good idea to have a life raft or floating platform on board. They come in various sizes and configurations from a number of manufacturers.
The most basic form of raft is a simple floating platform. They are compact when stored and, once inflated, provide a flat floating surface onto which you can sit while waiting for rescue. Revere makes a 2-person one that runs around $1,000. It is fairly compact for storage, coming in a valise that measures 19.5” H x 10” L x 5” W and weighing 14.5 lbs. It has a 5-year guarantee and comes with 20 ft. of Painterline, a hand pump, sea anchor, raft knife, pressure relief valve, CO2 inflation system, water activated locator light and 2 ballast bags.
For more money, you can get a full size life raft with a cover and several supplies, including in some cases its own EPIRB/GPS. They come in several sizes from 4-person up to even 36 although the 6-man is the most popular since many boats are authorized for only 6 passengers. They are constructed with sturdier materials for longer stays and may contain such other supplies as: hand flares, parachute flares, smoke signals, water packs, food bars, signal mirror, flashlight w/extra bulb and batteries, floating knife, lock back knife, paddles, survival instructions, can opener, drinking cup, air pump, repair kit, fishing kit, signal whistle, sponges, repair clamps, bail bucket, sea anchor, spare sea anchor, seasick tablets, throw line, first aid kit and thermal protective aids. The ones with a cover can keep you out of the direct sunlight that can be so dehydrating. They come in hard packs and in soft valise. They are CO2 inflatable and have a 5-year warranty on average. Their cost will range from around $1,500 and up.
The cost of rafts may be hard to swallow but, if you are ever in a situation that calls for one, you will be so grateful you spent the money. How much is your life worth anyway? And don’t forget to have them inspected regularly to make sure they are still in top condition. More disappointing than having no raft at all is having a raft that does not deploy. You may think they are packed and never used so they are still okay but, over time, the powdered surfaces can wear and parts of the raft actually stick together. When it is deployed, the stuck parts pull chunks of rubber out.
Now let’s consider the situation where you are out on a small boat by yourself and the unthinkable happens. You slip on a piece of bait, fall overboard and your boat still keeps running getting further and further away from you. Hopefully you have a PLB strapped to yourself for rescue but, either way you’re better off if you can stay with or near your boat. One of the best devices for this that I have seen is the Auto Tether. Consisting of two pieces, the main unit and the remote that are both operated by AAA batteries, the Auto Tether is a wireless lanyard that connects directly to the engine kill switch. There are up to 3 extra remote “passenger” keys and one “operator” key available. You wear these on your person. If the operator falls overboard, the motor will shut off and an alarm will sound. If a passenger falls overboard, just the alarm will sound. When turned on, the two units “talk” to each other by radio frequency. If one of the keys (sensors) falls in the water, that radio signal is interrupted and that triggers the alarm and/or kill switch.
Be safe!
