All Life Rafts Are Not Made Equal…
Since 1995, Ovatek Inc. manufacture the world’s only No Service/Repack egg shaped fiberglass life rafts which is Transport Canada & US Coast guards approved and meets Solas SLA regulations. They have a number of advantages over the conventional inflatable life rafts including the facts that they don’t require the expensive annual inspection and repacking.
What is unique about these life rafts? Everything! With an unlimited shelf life, Ovatek’s life rafts are indestructible, watertight, unsinkable, self-righting and fire retardant. The dual fiberglass hull foam core construction provides incomparable protection from hypothermia and strength to withstand severe impact.
An Ovatek will outlive any inflatable liferaft!
Experts estimate that half of all drowning victims die from hypothermia. Because the Ovatek can be boarded on deck, it will permit the crew of a sinking boat to get inside the life raft without getting wet. They can also be used as a safe heaven to wait out a storm without launching. If required, they can be launched manually from inside/outside or automatically via an hydrostatic release mechanism.
Why do all boat owners need an Ovatek life raft!
Put an end to the annual repacking/inspections of your inflatable life raft and save between $800 and $1600 annually. The Ovatek simply requires you to replace the perishables items yourself once every four years. Save over $15,000 over 25 years. Ovatek fiberglass life rafts, with a lifespan of 25 years and more, provide a safe choice in terms of quality, reliability and price! Given that it is very easy to forget the replacement of perishables (distress flares, food, water, batteries and hydrostatic, first aid kit, etc.) necessary only once every four years, an Ovatek agent Inc. will send you a list of perishables before their expiry date. Just order from us and make the replacement.
The particularities of fiberglass are its mechanical properties as well as its durability. In addition, the gelcoat coating protects it against deterioration due to exposure to ultraviolet rays. With a lifespan of more than 25 years and more for the gelcoat, which can easily be repainted, savings of more than $15,000 can be realized (which represents half the cost of conventional liferafts, considering the purchase of two inflatable life rafts over a period of 25 years). Why pay more and receive less?
The majority of captains, during extreme weather conditions, all ask themselves “When to abandon ship”? Ovatek liferafts allow the crew to be sent to safety inside the raft and wait out the storm. If the worst is unavoidable and the boat sinks or capsizes, the Ovatek can be deployed manually from inside or automatically with the hydrostatic. This eliminates the need to jump in the water while keeping occupants dry and safe.
Without its occupants, the Ovatek 7 persons has a buoyancy of 12,000 lbs and 9,200 lbs for the Ovatek 4 persons. In addition, the two hatches and the two air vents are watertight. In the event that a life raft is dragged underwater, either by a rope or any other possible obstruction on a vessel, the buoyancy force and watertightness of Ovatek life rafts maximize the chances of survival.
Designed with a center of gravity located below the waterline and also equipped with an internal salt water ballast (keel) for the Ovatek 7 and an external one for the Ovatek 4, Ovatek liferafts are self-righting. This revolutionary principle eliminates the need to jump overboard which is normally required to right an overturned inflatable life raft. Several lives have been and will be saved in this way because several drownings/disappearances occur when the occupants have to evacuate the life raft in order to right it, without even being able to hold on to it. This is when the occupants become at the mercy of the ocean and are sometimes swept away by it. In addition, this exercise can be done one, five or even ten times and this until the storm subsides or the time to be rescued. In a raging sea, all can be overturned by the sea but on the other hand with the Ovatek, the occupants will never need to leave the raft as long as help has not arrived.
The gel coat used to cover the fiberglass contains fire retardant additives that protect the Ovatek liferafts to allow occupants to evacuate the disaster area in the event of a fire.
Ovatek liferafts are designed with a double fiberglass hull with 1.5” of polyurethane between the walls providing incomparable protection against impacts and perforation. This ovoid shape has excellent structural capacity to absorb impacts. The Ovatek provides peace of mind and a sense of confidence when using it. The egg was created by nature in order to protect what is most fragile against the external environment, from which comes the idea of Mr. Vincent Thériault, designer and inventor of the Esperanto 6 (Predecessor model of the Ovatek 4 and 7 which was optimized for marketing purposes).
Ovatek liferafts are equipped with a stainless steel ladder located inside the rear hatch that folds up on itself so as not to cause interference inside the Ovatek. This rigid boarding device greatly facilitates boarding of the raft and reduces exposure time. Inflatable life rafts have non-rigid steps and cause the side to collapse when boarding.
According to studies, more than 68% of shipwreck survivors/deaths result from hypothermia. Even if hypothermia does not always lead to apparent bodily injuries, it can be very painful to such an extent that the victims no longer have the dexterity and motor skills necessary to face the unforeseen events of the sea. The Ovatek is designed with 1.5” thick polyurethane foam injected between the fiberglass walls to protect the occupants from hypothermia. Sealing, insulation and proximity of the occupants inside the Ovatek life rafts are the key elements in countering hypothermia.
In order to protect the occupants from any possible injury during severe weather, the space inside the Ovatek has been designed to provide comfort and safety. During a storm, occupants can hold/lock in position by applying pressure with their feet on the opposite wall to greatly reduce the chance of an interior collision in an extreme storm. The typical inflatable life raft provides more space inside but can cause injury when occupants collide with each other when it capsizes. To protect the contents of an egg from its external environment, nature has designed it with a restriction on the space available inside to reduce the possibility of impacts against its walls.
Ovatek rigid-hulled liferafts have stainless steel eyelets for towing them after rescuing the occupants. All Ovatek liferafts used in real emergencies have been returned to service.
Ovatek liferafts allow ship's crews to train at no cost. The real simulation makes it possible to predict the reaction of each individual as well as to plan and revise evacuation procedures. During an emergency, some people are claustrophobic, others are afraid of water and sometimes cannot swim, they can also be panicked and remain frozen in place.
The Ovatek rafts have undergone a multitude of tests in order to be certified by the Canadian and American coast guards as well as SOLAS in the case of the Ovatek 7. No safety device at sea with less than 6 occupants can be SOLAS certified. This is the reason why the Ovatek 4 does not have this certification. The manufacturing procedures required by the certification bodies are controlled by a quality monitoring system to ensure a quality product.
