Question for the group - has anyone mounted a canister life raft on a grady 282? I have a 2001 and am looking at used rafts.
thanks,
thanks,
canister life raft on 282?
- Thread starter tunacutter
- Start date
I do not have one mounted on the bow, but on my 265 when I run offshore I strap a 6 man life raft in a canister to the bow. I know on many bigger boats, guys have mounted the canisters on the hardtop. I called Grady and they highly advised against doing so on my 265. Not sure what Grady will recommend on a 282, but they will be able to answer your hardtop can support the weight of a canister on top. Grady's reason against mounting on the hardtop was that the extra weight and pounding from waves adds a bit of force on the hardtop mounts and fiberglass itself, where the canister would be mounted is not reinforced for such weight. The canister is not a ton of weight, especially compared to the radar's and other electronics have mounted up top, but I am assuming it has to do with the location.
Most 282 I have seen with canister's usually place them in the walkway at the bow when running offshore. They usually tie it down here, since it can be kept low which will not effect your line of sight when running, is on the bow so hopefully out of your way, and is low so it will not make you roll as much as a canister mounted on a hardtop would. If you are buying new, or can find a newer used valise bag, that may be a better option and less weight on the boat. I got a free canister life raft so I took it without thinking twice, but if I were to buy one, it would be a valise. The valise would be easier to grab and release then cutting straps on a non permanent canister. I have my whole crew carry pocket knives in case the boat flipped or something goes wrong and the canister needs to be cut from the straps and deployed. I don't plan on ever having to deploy it, but you cannot plan that and my crew will always be instructed of what to do. Having a plan can save lives.
Most 282 I have seen with canister's usually place them in the walkway at the bow when running offshore. They usually tie it down here, since it can be kept low which will not effect your line of sight when running, is on the bow so hopefully out of your way, and is low so it will not make you roll as much as a canister mounted on a hardtop would. If you are buying new, or can find a newer used valise bag, that may be a better option and less weight on the boat. I got a free canister life raft so I took it without thinking twice, but if I were to buy one, it would be a valise. The valise would be easier to grab and release then cutting straps on a non permanent canister. I have my whole crew carry pocket knives in case the boat flipped or something goes wrong and the canister needs to be cut from the straps and deployed. I don't plan on ever having to deploy it, but you cannot plan that and my crew will always be instructed of what to do. Having a plan can save lives.
Thanks and I agree with everything you have said. I'd prefer a Valise but since I am looking on the used maket there are some good deals on canisters. I also like the permanentcy of having it up top but certainly don't want to loose stability.
Gman25
GreatGrady Captain
I called Grady before I bought my raft and they recommended NOT mounting it on the hardtop because of weight issues. I decided on the Revere Coastal Commander in the valise. Another advantage of having the valise is its easier to bring with you on other boats.
Like mentioned, if you buy a used raft some have to be re-packed every year and could run up to $1000 depending on what has to be done. They also have a life span of about 10 years.
My Revere is vaccuum sealed and has to be re-packed every 3 years as opposed to just 1.
2005 300 Marlin w/F250's
Like mentioned, if you buy a used raft some have to be re-packed every year and could run up to $1000 depending on what has to be done. They also have a life span of about 10 years.
My Revere is vaccuum sealed and has to be re-packed every 3 years as opposed to just 1.
2005 300 Marlin w/F250's
I agree, I got mine for free but after this season it needs to be repacked, I think the price I was quoted was somewhere between $400 and $500. Sometimes buying new ends up being cheaper in the end.
Liferaft Mounting.....
Not trying to tell you folks what to do but consider this....I'm told that a large grady (fellow was talking about a 23' Gulfstream) will probably capsize if swamped due to the weight of the hardtop....Ok, now if the liferaft canister is hardtop mounted and now is 8 to 10 feet below the surface it won't deploy because the hydrostatic release activates at 13 feet. Decide who is going diving for the raft before you go out....mine's Valise stored just below the companion seating abaft of the cabin door.
One more thing...unless you are chartering out you don't need a USCG approved raft...there is a FAA approved raft available that weighs a heck of a lot less and is the same aprox price...check the cruising mags.
Not trying to tell you folks what to do but consider this....I'm told that a large grady (fellow was talking about a 23' Gulfstream) will probably capsize if swamped due to the weight of the hardtop....Ok, now if the liferaft canister is hardtop mounted and now is 8 to 10 feet below the surface it won't deploy because the hydrostatic release activates at 13 feet. Decide who is going diving for the raft before you go out....mine's Valise stored just below the companion seating abaft of the cabin door.
One more thing...unless you are chartering out you don't need a USCG approved raft...there is a FAA approved raft available that weighs a heck of a lot less and is the same aprox price...check the cruising mags.
One More Thing....
If you buy a used Liferaft then by all means and no matter when the paperwork says it needs re-packed...GET IT RE-PACKED A.S.A.P. !!!
A friend of mine bought a used one a few years back and it wasn't due for a year...8 mos. later he's cleaning the boat in the driveway and his 10 year old activates the valise thats in the front yard...as you can imagine it was very much like a Sit-Com except the raft was now made of bad Baloney and the rest was real nasty. He didn't get mad at the 10 year old.
Buying a used Liferaft is kinda like buying a used swimsuit...good luck!
If you buy a used Liferaft then by all means and no matter when the paperwork says it needs re-packed...GET IT RE-PACKED A.S.A.P. !!!
A friend of mine bought a used one a few years back and it wasn't due for a year...8 mos. later he's cleaning the boat in the driveway and his 10 year old activates the valise thats in the front yard...as you can imagine it was very much like a Sit-Com except the raft was now made of bad Baloney and the rest was real nasty. He didn't get mad at the 10 year old.
Buying a used Liferaft is kinda like buying a used swimsuit...good luck!
http://www.thehulltruth.com/forums/thre ... 81&posts=7
Here is a used liferaft that has just been repacked. If you are looking at used canisters' this might be a good bet since it was just redone. The closer the packing date was to now, the better. New or repacked rafts are way better if you can afford one.
Here is a used liferaft that has just been repacked. If you are looking at used canisters' this might be a good bet since it was just redone. The closer the packing date was to now, the better. New or repacked rafts are way better if you can afford one.
gradyfish22 said:
I have a revere 6 man offshore valise.
First repack was last year (3 years old) and it cost $700. This was through LRSE and they picked it up at my local west marine store. The repack is good for 3 years.
I dont run my 265 hard, but have been caught in some snotty stuff. After one particular rough ride in from fishing I notice the hard top would shake after I would hit a solid wave. The bolts that hold the hard top to boat, in the front, sheered off. It is my opinion that adding another 100lbs to the top would cause some serious issues.
Tim
Tim, I had heard that a few boats,especially 265's had issues with mounting liferafts up there, what did you have to do to fix it?? I strap my liferaft on the bow, actually right above the bomar hatch. It is low and out of sight, and still leaves ample room to work the bow, except for 4 straps that run to my cleats that hold it down.
Grady hardtops and frames are no Parker Pilot house roofs.
The frames will crack under those loads when bouncing around in white water.
Even the newer frames that use heavier tubes and gusset plates up there in the rear upper corners may crack as well.
Check with Grady first. Perhaps the newer ones are strong enough since I see they are mounting outriggers up there, never did in the past..
Mobile TIG welders charge an arm and a leg for repair work on aluminum, want to only come on no wind days, and you will have to strip out any wiring prior to the welding repair.
The frames will crack under those loads when bouncing around in white water.
Even the newer frames that use heavier tubes and gusset plates up there in the rear upper corners may crack as well.
Check with Grady first. Perhaps the newer ones are strong enough since I see they are mounting outriggers up there, never did in the past..
Mobile TIG welders charge an arm and a leg for repair work on aluminum, want to only come on no wind days, and you will have to strip out any wiring prior to the welding repair.
Lots of good points made so far about buying a used life raft and mounting canisters on your hardtop(especially if your boat only capsizes).
A number of Life Raft RePacking companies also sell new life rafts and they take used ones on trade. If I were buying used that is where I would look first. These companies, like L.R.S.E., open/repack and recertify these used rafts before selling.
One other point... if you buy a valise style for portability be aware that a 75-90# valise may not be manageable for all crew members(like your wife) if you become disabled. Look for a more compact, light weight model from about 40-60-#'s.
A number of Life Raft RePacking companies also sell new life rafts and they take used ones on trade. If I were buying used that is where I would look first. These companies, like L.R.S.E., open/repack and recertify these used rafts before selling.
One other point... if you buy a valise style for portability be aware that a 75-90# valise may not be manageable for all crew members(like your wife) if you become disabled. Look for a more compact, light weight model from about 40-60-#'s.
Here is a usefull link:
http://www.lrse.com./products.cfm?cat=001
This is the raft I ended up with. I bought the 6 man version... very light weight and compact. Slides right under the companion seat on my Marlin. It isn't cheap but not as expensive as the rafts rated for Ocean crossings. The guy from LRSE told me this is all I would need in the northeast fishing between the canyons and shore being I had an epirb with an internal gps. I wanted to cap the $$ around $2K... then I started thinking about how much I spent just on offshore fishing gear alone. My wife choked on the price until I asked her to think about what she would be willing to spend if we were 50 or 60 mi offshore, its getting dark and we just hit something submerged on the way in and the boat is going down. That was the end of the discussion.
http://www.lrse.com/products.cfm?cat=001&prod=481
http://www.lrse.com./products.cfm?cat=001
This is the raft I ended up with. I bought the 6 man version... very light weight and compact. Slides right under the companion seat on my Marlin. It isn't cheap but not as expensive as the rafts rated for Ocean crossings. The guy from LRSE told me this is all I would need in the northeast fishing between the canyons and shore being I had an epirb with an internal gps. I wanted to cap the $$ around $2K... then I started thinking about how much I spent just on offshore fishing gear alone. My wife choked on the price until I asked her to think about what she would be willing to spend if we were 50 or 60 mi offshore, its getting dark and we just hit something submerged on the way in and the boat is going down. That was the end of the discussion.
http://www.lrse.com/products.cfm?cat=001&prod=481