Safety
Accidents, whether fire, collision or sinking, don’t just happen to others. As confident as you may be about your vessel and its crew, unfortunate things can happen. Even with today’s high performance communications which allow your position to be rapidly and accurately pinpointed, setting off a beacon or launching a Mayday is no guarantee of rescue. Help may take time coming or be unable to respond immediately and whether you’re a good swimmer or not, a Liferaft is the only real protection that you can get against the wind and cold.
Countless shipwreck survivors can testify that they owe their lives to the Liferaft. It may only be a couple of hours or a few days before help arrives. Or maybe it will extend to the 130 days a Japanese sailor survived in one, but whichever way, a Liferaft increases your odds of survival. A Liferaft may not be the most comfortable or largest of crafts but it can give you the peace of mind to set out and enjoy your voyage, properly prepared.
Quality
Zodiac was the first French nautical company to obtain ISO 9001 quality certification for Liferafts, a strict quality system giving you assurance that every Liferaft is rigorously checked at each stage of manufacture.
Which regulation : ISO 9650 or ISAF ?
The ISO 9650 standard is intended to improve and harmonise design standards for Liferafts. It distinguishes 2 categories of rafts: “Type 1” for ocean navigation and “Type 2” for coastal navigation (the ISO 9650 standard does not impose any limit between coastal and open sea sailing).
The Open Sea ISO 9650 rafts belong to the Type 1 category, ie they are designed for sailing on the open sea, and are thus adapted to the risks incurred on long voyages (high winds and heavy seas). They are available in Group A: rafts designed to inflate correctly at an ambient air temperature of between -15°C and 65°C. The Open Sea ISO 9650 rafts are produced with equipment for less than or more than 24 hours. In order to meet the needs of your sailing programme (long distances, trips, etc.), the under-24 hours version can be transformed with the greatest of ease into the over-24 hours version with the addition of a grab bag. Buoyant and watertight, it contains the supplementary equipment necessary when you have to wait longer to be rescued,and is equipped with an attachment system for increased safety.
Compact and lightweight, the Coaster ISO 9650 belong to the Type 2* category, ie they are suitable for coastal sailing, in moderate sea conditions.They are designed to inflate correctly at an ambient temperature of between 0° and 65°C.
The ISAF, issued by the International Sailing Federation, is the international offshore racing regulation that replaces the ORC regulation. It does not apply to vessels flying the flag of France.