Tuna Talk

See!!! Enablers!! And Sculpin may be the worst of the lot! :)

Thanks John - I assure you it will be read in it's entirety.

Scott
 
Sculpin said:
I'm looking into 4 man life rafts this winter and spring and will try to get that one off the list this year....
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I've been scouring for a good deal as i am going to pull the trigger on a 6 man this spring. I think I read Cornfed's review twice, some pretty good advice on what to look for in there. I'm hoping to check them out at the show in Seattle, maybe there will be a deal to be had there.
 
harper44 said:
I've been scouring for a good deal as i am going to pull the trigger on a 6 man this spring. I think I read Cornfed's review twice, some pretty good advice on what to look for in there. I'm hoping to check them out at the show in Seattle, maybe there will be a deal to be had there.
Click to expand...

I was doing some research into offshore life rafts a couple of months ago and I found some that were anywhere from 1800 to 3000 dollars but now for the life of me I can't find the same manufaturer online I think they were made in Australia or New Zealand. since my boat won't be built with twins I figure a life raft is the next best thing when it comes to offshore safety. although I don't think anything could compare to a second motor offshore as far as safety goes.

Found the link....

http://www.life-raft.com/11247/Offshore-Life-Rafts.html
 
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The Revere brand Derby??
 
Thanks for the link FB.

Finished Business said:
I don't think anything could compare to a second motor offshore as far as safety goes.
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Hard to deny the advantages of twins offshore and my next boat will have twins. That being said, the second engine won't do you much good while your boat sinks out from under you.
 
Definitely true Harper. The cans aren't too big for these rafts. It would make me feel good seeing one atop my roof or elsewhere convenient.
 
im still on the fence on weather or not to go with a canister mount. seems like it would be a PITA to get off the roof in an emergency. A soft valise tucked away in the cuddy with my ditch bag might be the answer.
 
Not to derail the thread but if you guys are going to cough up some decent cash for a life raft, you should consider personalizing it. I know two guys that went down at night in the winter and from their experience they suggest adding a few things like a handheld radio, glasses if you need them, a flashlight and maybe an upgrade on the little heat blanket thing. You can get these extra things put in by the manufacturer. Transport Canada regs only cover the minimum requirements which these guys now disagree with. They would have been saved hours earlier if they had a radio. Also, this is common sense but your raft is pretty much useless offshore if you don't bring your epird or plb. Just my 2 cents.
 
hambone said:
Not to derail the thread but if you guys are going to cough up some decent cash for a life raft, you should consider personalizing it. I know two guys that went down at night in the winter and from their experience they suggest adding a few things like a handheld radio, glasses if you need them, a flashlight and maybe an upgrade on the little heat blanket thing. You can get these extra things put in by the manufacturer. Transport Canada regs only cover the minimum requirements which these guys now disagree with. They would have been saved hours earlier if they had a radio. Also, this is common sense but your raft is pretty much useless offshore if you don't bring your epird or plb. Just my 2 cents.
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.02 cents worth cashing. Great points Hambone
 
good points. I plan to suppliment my raft with my ditch bag. Won't go overboard without it as it has a PLB and handheld radio along with first aid kit, extra flares, water etc.
 
harper44 said:
good points. I plan to suppliment my raft with my ditch bag. Won't go overboard without it as it has a PLB and handheld radio along with first aid kit, extra flares, water etc.
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That's my plan as well and I like hambones suggestion. Even if your doubling up on some stuff, the more the better. There could be a freak situation where you might not be able to get the crash bag etc.

I'm leaning towards the valise style bag and stowing it in an easy to access area. I like the idea of it being portable and being able to transfer it from boat to boat if required. In the off season I can take it and store it in a nice environment as well.

Does anyone know if any of the manufacturer's put on demo's? Is there anywhere one can get hands on training locally?

Some great idea's being shared here. Thanks and keep em coming....
 
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[yT1EL9kpel4] http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yT1EL9kpel4

Some cool notes about this short clip of this massive Tuna.

"The ROV was doing a deepwater riser inspection on a deepwater drilling rig in the Gulf of Mexico"

"This was one hell of a fish. The ROV was at 3800' when we saw this fish, the total depth here is 5400'. It hung around for a couple of days and we haven't seen it since."

"The same Bluefin in the Atlantic (Nova Scotia, New England) come down here to the gulf of Mexico. A 700+ pound bluefin won a fishing tournament in Gulf Shores Alabama a few years back. They just go deep here to get to colder water."
 
Was on this site in 06 and viewed limited Tuna interest, came back for a boo to see if things have changed and glade to see things have. What I carry on board is a boat EPIRB, crew all have PLBs, Switlik rescue pod valise, my personal PLB & hand held VHF in ditch bag and we never leave the dock without filing a float plan.
 
Avon Liferafts are priced a little cheaper as well, at under 3k for sport size.

http://www.marinewarehouse.net/pricelists/avonliferafts.html

....for those interested.

ReelDeal, great first post. A checklist of safety gear we should all have onboard, the float plan is something I think many may over look.

Here's an ad from CL (for safetys sake, maybe keep looking!)

http://vancouver.en.craigslist.ca/rds/boa/3529772172.html

Tread lightly though, I think some Plastimo rafts were recalled by the MFG. apparently they didn't inflate properly or at all!! As noted in my next post, this is the earlier ORC raft which is widely advised against after an accident in an offshore race claimed 3 lives. ('98 Hobbart to Sidney Race)

Here's what your impending doom looks like...courtesy of "Plastimo Rafts" lol

[lxLj5eYtLHY] http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lxLj5eYtLHY
 
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more reading regarding rafts:

http://www.rya.org.uk/sitecollectio...ents/MCA Documents/MGN 280 Liferafts 2006.pdf

Important info from this link:

The ISAF liferaft is the most commonly carried raft on board recreational craft. Formally the ORC raft, the ISAF liferaft specification underwent a major overhaul subsequent to the 1998 Sydney Hobart race in which three lives were lost as a result of liferaft failure. The new specification known as the Appendix A, PART 2 liferaft came into effect at the beginning of 2003. Rafts built to this specification are arguably the most suitable to be carried by any boat going offshore (but not trans-oceanic) for relatively short periods of time. If you intend buying a new raft for
this type of use then make sure it is to the new ISAF Appendix A, PART 2 specification, not the earlier (ORC or RORC) design.
 
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