Keeping in mind that even the safety budget is not bottomless, I'm
trying to figure out the best plan for dire emergencies. Yes, ideally
I would have survival suits, serious life raft, and tons of signalling
electronics. In reality I'm constrained by both cost and space. Up to
now I have been coastal cruising with dinghy and PFDs like just about
everybody else around here.

A life raft seems like a very reassuring second boat, yet survival
suits are easier to deploy, easier to store accessibly, and have far
fewer modes of failure (and don't require expensive repacking and
inspection).

My application is Great Lakes sailing, for now at least, so there is
plenty of cool to cold fresh water available and the potential search
area is well serviced and contained. Hypothermia and drowning are the
big issues.

I'm sure there are plenty of opinions and I would like to hear them.

Ryk



--
NewsGuy.Com 30Gb $9.95 Carry Forward and On Demand Bandwidth