The Special Regulations give clear direction on the liferaft itself but do not stipulate on where and how to mount them. The responsibility for this sits with the person in charge of the boat.

The Special Regulations are silent on exactly how a liferaft might be mounted, leaving the decision on the suitability of location and stowage equipment up to the person in charge. Some points the person in charge need to be mindful of when choosing a suitable stowage option are:

• Liferafts should be stowed in a position which ensures their availability when they are needed, and where they may be easily launched or can float free.
•  Liferafts should not be stowed in a position where they may lie in trapped water.
•   Liferafts packed in rigid containers should be stowed the right way up and secured to the vessel in chocks or liferaft cradles.
•  Liferaft chocks and cradles should be the correct dimensions for the particular type and size of container, and the chocks or cradles should be securely fastened to a solid part of the vessel’s structure.
• It is of great importance that liferafts can easily be deployed or released from the liferaft chocks or cradles. Any lashing holding the raft in the dedicated chock or cradle arrangement must be easy to remove in an emergency. A device such as a slip link or other release device, which can be operated by a single action, should be provided.

With these points in mind an Equipment Auditor needs to work with the person in charge to ascertain that the liferaft is suitably stowed. Australian Sailing has made a policy that an Equipment Auditor shall rely primarily on the opinion of the person in charge of the boat when auditing items like liferaft stowage.

For the Safety Information Notice about liferaft stowage, click here.
The Responsibility of the Person in Charge Policy is here.
To find an Equipment Auditor in your state click here.

By Melanie Peasey