Life rafts are one of the most important pieces of equipment on any boat, yacht or ship because they could literally mean the difference between life and death. Many people who are aboard a boat for pleasure spend very little time thinking about the provisions that are available should something go awry with the boat itself, causing a need to disembark suddenly. This is the way it should be as boats are to be enjoyed to their fullest when out on the open waters.

If something should go wrong though, there better be some type of plan to keep the people onboard as safe as possible, even though the odds of something bad may be slim. When I was a kid, my family was enjoying a day on Clear Lake, near Houston, Texas, in a boat that was supposed to be totally safe without any chance of tipping over (a catamaran if you must know). Somehow, the boat flipped over and we were stuck out in the middle of the lake with a useless boat and our life preservers that did its job beautifully.

I do not remember how long it took but eventually someone came by and loaded us up in their boat to take us to shore. I can not imagine what that experience would have been like if it had occurred out on the open sea with churning waves and no one to be seen for miles around. It would definitely require the use of life rafts for survival purposes.

The Importance of Life Rafts
If you look back in history, it is easy to point to one of the most unlikely accidents of modern times; the fate of the Titanic. It was the ship that would never sink, built like a tank and put into the water for safe passage from one place to another unless a nasty iceberg gets in the way. Unfortunately, there were too few life rafts or life boats onboard and it created a big problem.

In order to survive that disaster, it was almost mandatory for people to be out of the water and resting safely in the boats. In fact, the people who were not in the life rafts did not stand a chance of survival because of the cold waters. Hypothermia is one of the deadliest aspects of being trapped in the cold ocean waters for any amount of time.

Life Rafts Provide Protection
Staying out of the cold water and in life rafts is a necessity for people who are going to survive a lost ship or yacht. The cold water can cause hypothermia which means the core temperature of bodys temperature falls well below normal levels, causing heart failure when the core temperature falls to around 30-32 degrees Celsius (86-90 degrees Fahrenheit). The human body loses heat 30 times faster in cold water then when exposed to cold air.

If you are in water that is only 15 degrees Celsius (59 degrees Fahrenheit), survival time is less than five hours. Obviously if passengers are in life rafts, their survival time increases dramatically, from hours to days. It only makes sense to provide enough life rafts for the maximum number of people who can be on board the boat or yacht at any time.

If you are traveling in waters that are significantly warmer, it is still better to be in life rafts than exposed to the elements. Many life rafts have coverings that can provide protection from the damaging effects of the sun so that people can survive for longer periods of time. You should also consider putting some type of survival kit with each raft that will provide some of the basic necessities for surviving out on the ocean for extended periods of time.

Boating supplies are an important aspect of any boat that will be taken out on the waters for a day at sea or for months at a time. Boating is a favorite pastime for millions of people all around the world as people love having access to the water. In fact, approximately 80% of the worlds population chooses to live within 100 miles of a sea or ocean.

For the most part, boating supplies are the items needed to make your trip a success and enjoyable for everyone who participates in it. Today, there are all kinds of different electronic equipment that can be used in the boat, including everything from a two-way radio to a global positioning satellite system (GPS) that pinpoints your location at any given time. There are other supplies that people take along to make the trip more enjoyable.

The Most Important Boating Supplies
Although there are many supplies that may be needed or at least desired to provide a good time, some boating supplies are more important than others. The most important supplies are the ones that could possibly save your life should something go wrong on the boat. If something happens and you are dead in the water, a radio and positioning device become extremely important to get help as quickly as possible to your location.

If the worst thing possible occurs and the boat begins to sink, life rafts become perhaps the most valuable item on the boat. Although the odds are that your boat will never sink, it may happen and more than likely when it is least expected. It is always best to be prepared for this situation and to have a plan in place that can be followed quickly and easily.

Search and rescue is always a difficult task for the people who are trained and skilled in this area. Everyone has heard various stories of people who get lost in the wild or at sea and a search party has to be put together in hopes of finding the people and returning them to safety. Because of the vastness of the ocean and its power, it can be a truly dreadful experience to be lost on the ocean and in need of a search and rescue team to hunt you down.

It seems when it comes to boating accidents or problems, many people take the same attitude they do with accidents of other kinds; It will never happen to me. While the odds are in your favor that it will never happen to you, you must remember that it can happen to you even if it is unlikely. You should take the proper measures to make sure you are safe at all times.

Helping Out Search and Rescue Teams
There are several different things you can do to help out the people involved in search and rescue for you. Obviously, a working two-way radio is very important so that you can contact people if there is a problem and when used with a GPS system can help people locate your vessel very quickly. It is also important to make use of a flashlight in the dark or a mirror in the day time to help people find your specific location.

In todays world, if you have the proper equipment, you can even make use of a satellite connection with a computer system to send out a message for help or a phone that makes use of a satellite. This will be somewhat dependent on your location and ability to connect with the satellite. Another smart thing to do is to let someone know where you are going and when you plan to be back so someone has a general idea of where you may be.

Boating safety is a must for anyone who plans on spending any amount of time out on the water enjoying the sun, the wind and water. It is interesting that everyone who purchases a lottery ticket thinks about the chances they will win the big one and what they will do with the money, even though the chances are remote. These same people may have a lackadaisical attitude when it comes to boating safety and being prepared for the worst even though the odds may be better that something bad happens out on the water than in winning a $150 million lottery.

People who are somewhat inexperienced with a boat should be particularly cautious but so should people who have been on boats all of their lives. It is easy for novices to make a mistake to cause a problem and it may be easy for those with years of experience to become over confident in their abilities and miss something. Always take the proper steps to maintain safety.

Top Five Boating Safety Tips
There are many different areas of boating safety that people need to be aware of and these top five should be remembered every time you go out on the water. First, always make sure there is a personal flotation device available for everyone onboard and they either wear them or can get to them quickly if needed. Also, make sure you put together a float plan and follow it for the duration of your trip so you are not wandering aimlessly on the deep blue.

You need to know the rules of water travel, including which boat has the right of way in various situations that you will come upon. Be aware of other vessels and what they are doing. Finally, always maintain safe speeds and a safe distance from shore and other boats.