LIFERAFTS& FITTINGS

10-68. The inflatable life raft is as important a lifesaving device as the lifeboat. Shipboard drills with the inflatable life raft are not conducted because the raft container is sealed until ready for automatic or manual launching. Therefore, it is important to learn about the current design of rafts and keep informed of future design. LIFE RAFT SIZE 10-69. Inflatable life rafts must be either Navy standard or Coast Guard approved. Life rafts have a range of sizes. Ships that do not make international voyages might have rafts that can hold 4 to 26 people. Ships that make international voyages might have rafts that can hold 6 to 25 people. The capacity (number of persons it will hold) of the life raft is marked on the container and the raft. The manufacturer's name is also shown on the container. An inflatable life raft (complete with case and equipment) does not weigh more than 400 pounds. LIFE RAFT STOWAGE 10-70. Life rafts are kept in a cradle on an open deck (Figure 10-17). This is done so they can float free if the ship sinks before you can manually launch the raft. 10-71. The life raft container is strong, weathertight, and tamperproof. The raft container has small holes on the bottom for condensation drainage and air circulation. The container must be stowed with the words "THIS SIDE UP" on top to be sure the holes are on the bottom. Most containers are made of fiberglass. 10-72. The raft container is usually held together with packing bands, which break when the raft is inflated. A watertight gasket seals the two halves of the container together. 10-73. The container rests in a cradle. The cradle is permanently secured to the ship's deck. The container may be secured to the cradle with tiedown straps. A tiedown strap has a securing device called a hydrostatic release. A cleat provided near the cradle is used for tying the operating cord when launching manually.

Figure10-17. A CradledLife Raft

LIFE RAFT DESIGN 10-74. Buoyancy tubes are located on the outer edge of the raft. They are made of thick nylon-reinforced rubber. The buoyancy tubes make the raft float. They are divided into at least two compartments. The raft is made to support its rated number of persons even if half the compartments in the buoyancy tubes are deflated. Note: Inflatable life rafts may be designed to be round, oval, octagonal (eight-sided) or boat-shaped. Specific design may vary among manufacturers. A typical oval inflated life raft is shown in Figure 10-18. 10-75. Carbon dioxide is usually used to inflate the raft. The CO 2 cylinder (container) is on the bottom of the raft. It is activated by a sharp tug on the 100-foot long operating cord. The tug pulls the CO2 tripping lanyard out of the CO2 to enter the buoyancy tubes. The CO2 can escape through leaks in the tubes. The gas is odorless, tasteless, and colorless, so you must watch for leaks. If you breathe air with a large amount of CO2, you can suffocate, so always leave the curtains open if you know the tubes are leaking. Fix the leak as soon as possible.

Figure10-18. A TypicalOval InflatedLife Raft

10-76. Pressure relief valves are installed in most rafts. These valves are fitted in the tubes, so excess (extra) gas can automatically escape. It is normal for gas to escape right after the raft is inflated. You can tell it is escaping if there is a hissing sound coming from the valve. The sound will probably stop after a few minutes. 10-77. During the day, the rise in temperature might cause the gas to expand enough to activate the valves. At night, when the temperature drops, you may have to pump up the tubes with the inflation pumps because the air in the tubes might contract. 10-78. Sometimes, pressure relief valves do not work correctly. If gas

continues to escape from the pressure relief valve, you can fix it with a safety valve plug from the repair kit. Then pump the tube back up. Deflation plugs are provided to deflate the raft after rescue. 10-79. The floor of the raft is also inflatable. In cold climates, the floor should be inflated with the inflating pump. This will insulate the occupants from the cold seawater. The floor should be left deflated in warm climates. This will allow the cooler seawater to cool the inside of the raft. If necessary, some inflatable floors can be removed and used for an extra emergency float. 10-80. A boarding ladder and towing bridle are fitted at each end of the raft. The two are usually combined. In addition to boarding and towing the raft, the raft can be hoisted aboard a ship by hooking onto one or both towing bridles. Lifelines are provided inside and outside the raft for survivors to steady themselves. 10-81. Two lights are installed on the canopy. These lights are automatically activated when the raft inflates. They are powered by either dry cells or water-activated batteries. The lights can operate for at least 12 hours. The external recognition light can be seen from 2 miles away. The other light is inside the canopy. Unscrewing the bulbs during the day will prolong battery life. 10-82. The canopy has two layers to insulate the inside from extreme temperatures. It erects (pops up) automatically as the arch tubes inflate. The canopy has tubes to collect rainwater. The canopy is colored Indian orange or some other bright color, which would stand out on a whitecapped sea. 10-83. Water pockets are located under the floor. They have holes in them to allow seawater to fill them up when the raft is launched. Water pockets have two purposes: to slow the drifting of the raft and to make the raft more stable (less likely to capsize). 10-84. The early designs of water pockets were simple, but did not always work well. In heavy seas or high winds, an empty or unevenly loaded raft with three or four small water pockets could easily capsize. Some inflatable life raft manufacturers have improved the basic stabilization design. 10-85. The Givens raft has a large stability chamber instead of the small water pockets. As the angle of the sea changes, the stability chamber adjusts the raft's center of gravity to compensate for the wave action. When the Givens raft reaches the crest of a wave, the raft bottom should not lose contact with the water, and should not be caught by the wind and capsize. The raft is not easily capsized in high winds with its minimum of 4,800 pounds of water ballast (on the four- to six-person raft). The stability chamber can be deballasted (emptied) so the raft can be towed. MANUALLY LAUNCHING A LIFE RAFT 10-86. You are required to know how to manually launch a life raft. Do the following steps to successfully perform this task: Step 1. Pull open the hook at the hydrostatic release to release the tiedown straps. Step 2. Secure the operating cord (painter/lanyard) to the cleat. Make sure that the operating cord is free of tangles. Step 3. DO NOT REMOVE the bands around the container. They will automatically break open when the operating cord is pulled. Step 4. With two or more crew members, throw the life raft in its container overboard (Figure 10-19). Step 5. With the life raft and container in the water, pull on the

operating cord (Figure 10-20). The bands on the container will break and the life raft will automatically inflate. Step 6. Leave the operating cord attached to the cleat aboard the ship. Step 7. Board the life raft as soon as possible (Figure 10-21). Step 8. Remove the knife from the pocket on the canopy. Step 9. Cut the operating cord to free the life raft from the sinking ship. Step 10. Read the survival manuals that are found inside the raft. These will give you complete instructions on what to do while you are in the life raft.

Figure10-19. Throwingin Life Raft

Figure10-20. Yankingon the OperatingCord

Figure10-21. BoardingLife Raft

AUTOMATIC LAUNCHING OPERATION 10-87. After the ship sinks to a depth of 10 to 15 feet, the hydrostatic release will automatically release and free the life raft container. The container will rise to the surface (Figure 10-22). The pull of the sinking ship will cause the container bands to part and trigger the inflation of the life raft. The life raft will be completely inflated and ready for boarding within 30 seconds. The buoyancy of the life raft will cause the operating cord to part (Figure 10-23).

Figure10-22. ContainersRisesto Surface

Figure10-23. OperatingCordParting

The hydrostatic release allows the canister to automatically float free of the vessel. A knife inside the hydro cuts and releases the cradle lashings when the hydrostatic release is underwater 4 meters. The life raft then can float freely to the surface. The painter line stays attached to the cradle, paying out and eventually inflating the life rafts at the surface. The hydrostatic release needs to be replaced every two years.

Hammar HRU for Liferaft