Summary of Liferaft Standards

There are a number of organisations which offer “sea-goers” guides, standards and regulations covering
various aspects of boat construction and equipment safety. In the international arena, these are:
IMO - the International Marine Organisation,
ISAF - the International Sailing Federation (the ORC was subsumed into ISAF in 2004)
ISO - the International Standards Organisation.

IMO is a UN agency subscribed to by 162 Governments deals primarily with the safety of shipping. The
International Convention for the Safety of Life at Sea – SOLAS, which gives standards for liferaft, was
adopted by IMO in 1959 and, although drafted with vessels of over 24 metres in length in mind, includes
many features of design equally applicable to smaller craft especially if these are ocean going. Vessels
required to carry liferafts under Irish government regulations are normally required to carry IMO SOLAS
liferafts as does the ISAF safety recommendations for trans-oceanic races, Special Regulations category
0 races.

However, as SOLAS liferafts are designed to be carried on open decks and launched from 20 metres
high etc. They are often considered too heavy, bulky and over engineered for use with small powerboats
and yachts. For this reason, in the absence of any other internationally accepted standard, ISAF have
developed and specified it’s own liferaft standards for use in long distance and well offshore races.

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.

ISO or International Standards Organisation, issued 2 liferaft standards during 2005 one of which has
since been accepted by the ISAF as an equivalent, subject to some caveats, in particular the need for
the raft to have a “boarding ramp”. Details of this equivalent are contained in the ISAF Regulations as
follows:-

ISO 9650 Part I Type I Group A (ISO) when each liferaft shall contain at least a Pack 2 (<24h) and:-
(i) shall have a semi-rigid boarding ramp, and
(ii) shall be so arranged that any high-pressure hose shall not impede the boarding process, and
(iii) shall have a topping-up means provided for any inflatable boarding ramp, and
(iv) when the liferaft is designed with a single ballast pocket this shall be accepted provided the liferaft
otherwise complies with ISO 9650 and meets a suitable test of ballast pocket strength devised by the
manufacturer and
(v) compliance with OSR 4.20.2 (d) i-v shall be indicated on the liferaft certificate.
Details on what type of raft should be carried when offshore racing and how they should be stowed are
detailed in the ISAF Offshore Regulations. They also provide a good guideline for all non racing, cruising
yachts.

The regulations are available online from ISAF on www.sailing.org or from the ISA.

More help and advice is always available from the ISA Office.