Your Life Raft – Your Lifeline

by Ann Backus, MS

Here it is March! Winter is almost behind us (we think!). For lobstermen who have not been fishing since November and for those who have been fishing most of the winter, now is a good time to revisit your life raft situation. If you are required to have a life raft, be sure you have one, and that it has not expired.

If you need a raft or need it serviced this would be a good time to take a few days break and get it done. Chris Harrison of Chase Leavitt in Portland, mentioned during our recent discussion that this is a good time to drop off a life raft for servicing because the turn-around time is likely to be only a few days. Three days is about the norm for a turn-around during the winter months, but if you call ahead to Chase Leavitt for an appointment, you can arrange a one-day turn-around.

In case you need a little motivation to part with your life raft for a few days, here are some numbers about trip terminations ordered by the USCG during 2016 and 2017 for life raft infractions.

A range of raft sizes and types getting an annual servicing at the Chase Leavitt raft shop, Fore Street on the Portland, Maine waterfront.

The number of terminations for life raft infractions in 2017 dropped from 54% to 36% - a sizable 18% drop. This certainly is the direction we want to see these numbers going. However, having life raft terminations log-in at 36% is still too much. I know there is considerable inconvenience involved dismantling the raft from the boat, transporting it to Ellsworth or Portland or another location for servicing, shelling-out the repacking fee, and then several days later making the return trip to pick it up and re-installing it.

However, Chase Leavitt will make your visit to their site worthwhile by going over the options for placement of your raft, how to check that your hydrostatic release is properly configured - this is the key to deployment of the raft – and how to deploy the raft in different situations. This review helps keep the important information active for you so that should an emergency happen, your response is immediate and automatic.

Other missing or inoperable emergency response items that might trigger a termination by the Coast Guard are missing or uncharged fire extinguishers (2 terminations in 2016, 1 in 2017), lack of personal flotation devices (PFDs) (1 termination in 2016, 3 in 2017), and insufficient number of or inoperable immersion suits (7 terminations in 2016, 2 in 2017).

Lastly, don’t forget to test your EPIRB to be sure the battery is viable. Plan to change out the battery according the schedule provided by the manufacturer – usually every 5 years. Use a USCG and manufacturer certified shop for this as the servicing includes not only the replacement battery, but inspection, 406 Beacon and homing signal testing, reprogramming, GPS accuracy testing and printed reports documenting the status of your EPIRB. If you have a Personal Locator Beacon (PLB) the same recommendations apply. The battery replacement can be done by mail, but presumably you can drop off your EPIRB when you leave your raft for servicing.

Once all is in order, you can relax knowing that your fishing trip will not be terminated for any safety equipment infractions. This Spring and Summer, we all want you out on the water and coming back safely at the end of the trip!

USCG Terminations for Life Raft Infractions, 2016, 2017

Ann Backus, MS is an Instructor in Occupational Health at Harvard School of Public Health, 665 Huntington Ave., Boston MA 02115, 617-432-3327, abackus@hohp.harvard.edu.