With the Jon Buoy Evac, Ocean Safety has developed a compact life raft that is aimed specifically at sailors on small boats in coastal areas. The raft can accommodate four to six people for a short time in an emergency and is packed as small as a briefcase. Unlike traditional life rafts, it has a lower edge made from a single tube and no automatically inflatable roof.
The Jon Buoy Evac is positioned between a simple rescue collar and a fully-fledged life raft. Ocean Safety has deliberately omitted some features in order to create a compact and affordable system. It lacks the high edge of a liferaft, an integrated grab bag with emergency equipment and an automatically inflating canopy. However, these limitations allow for a much more compact design - the packaging has the dimensions of a briefcase. This means that the raft can also be used on small boats where a conventional life raft would not fit.
Construction for short-term use
The Evac consists of an inflatable tube ring that forms the floating platform. The edge is lower than on life rafts and consists of just one tube. Although this reduces protection from waves and spray, the pack size is significantly smaller. According to the manufacturer, the raft offers space for four to six people for a short time - i.e. for the time it takes to be rescued in coastal waters.
The canopy can be inflated separately using a hand pump. It offers protection from the sun, wind and light precipitation, but does not inflate automatically like a fully-fledged life raft. This requires an additional handle in an emergency, but saves weight and complexity when setting up the raft.
Quickly ready for use and low maintenance
The compact format makes the Evac a practical solution for boats on which a classic life raft is out of the question due to lack of space. The small packaging is easy to stow away and is quickly to hand in an emergency. The system is therefore clearly aimed at coastal sailors on smaller yachts who are travelling in areas with a good rescue infrastructure.
The maintenance interval is three years. This is within the normal range for rescue equipment. Maintenance must be carried out by authorised service centres. The model for four people will cost 1,071 and for six 1,184 euros. Ocean Safety sells the Evac through specialised dealers for safety equipment.
Technical data:
Capacity:
- 4-6 persons (short-term)
Construction:
- Only one hose ring (little freeboard)
- Separate roof (manually inflatable)
- Hand pump included
Properties:
- Pack size: briefcase size
- Quick rescue
- No grab bag included
- Maintenance interval: 3 years
Suitability:
- Small boats
- Coastal areas
- Short-term emergency use
Availability:
- About specialised dealers
- Prices: 1,071 euros (4 people), 1,184 euros (6 people)
