2 min read · Updated 27 June 2026
A liferaft is an inflatable survival raft for one purpose: abandoning ship. It sits packed and unseen for years, then — in the worst moment at sea — inflates in seconds to give the crew a floating refuge until rescue arrives. It is a cornerstone of offshore safety equipment, but one hedged with an important rule about when to use it.
How it is stowed and deployed
A liferaft is packed into either a hard canister (mounted on deck, ready to launch) or a soft valise (stowed in a locker). To deploy it, the crew launches it over the side and pulls hard on the painter — the line tying it to the boat. This trips a compressed gas cylinder that inflates the buoyancy tubes and canopy in seconds. The raft stays attached to the boat by the painter until the crew has boarded and deliberately cuts it free.
What's inside
Once inflated, a liferaft is a genuine survival capsule:
- A canopy for shelter from sun, wind and waves.
- Ballast pockets underneath that fill with water to resist capsize.
- A survival pack — depending on grade — with items such as a bailer, flares, water, a knife, paddles and first aid.
"Step up into the raft"
The most important lesson sailors are taught is to step up into the liferaft — meaning only abandon to the raft when the boat is genuinely sinking beneath you. A disabled boat is almost always a bigger, more visible and more stable refuge than a small raft, and abandoning ship too early has cost lives. The raft is a last resort, taken when staying with the boat is no longer survivable.
Coastal vs offshore, and servicing
Rafts are built to match the waters:
- Coastal / inshore — lighter, with a basic pack, for shorter time to rescue near shore.
- Offshore / ocean (standards such as ISO 9650 or SOLAS) — more robust, with a double floor for insulation, bigger ballast pockets and a fuller pack, for long survival far from help.
Because a raft must work perfectly the one time it is needed, it must be serviced periodically by an approved station, which inspects, tests and repacks it and renews expired pack items. Together with an EPIRB to summon help and sound man overboard procedure to avoid needing either, it completes the offshore safety picture. For the vocabulary, see the sailing terms glossary.
Frequently asked questions
- What is a liferaft?
- A liferaft is an inflatable survival raft carried on a boat for use only when the crew has to abandon ship. It is stowed packed in a hard canister or a soft valise, and inflates automatically from a gas cylinder when its painter line is pulled. Once inflated it provides a floating refuge with a canopy for shelter, ballast pockets for stability and a pack of survival equipment, keeping the crew alive until rescue arrives.
- How does a liferaft inflate?
- A liferaft inflates from a compressed gas cylinder built into it. Pulling hard on the painter — the line attaching the raft to the boat — trips the cylinder, which rapidly inflates the buoyancy tubes and canopy arch. The whole raft opens out and inflates in seconds. Because it is triggered by the painter, the raft stays attached to the boat until the crew boards and deliberately cuts it free.
- When should you get into a liferaft?
- The rule sailors are taught is to step up into the liferaft — meaning you only abandon to the raft when the boat is genuinely sinking beneath you, because a disabled boat is almost always a better, more visible, more stable refuge than a small raft. Abandoning ship too early, into a liferaft, has cost lives. You take to the raft as a last resort when staying with the boat is no longer survivable.
- What is the difference between a coastal and an offshore liferaft?
- Liferafts are built and packed to different standards for different waters. A coastal or inshore raft is lighter and carries a more basic survival pack for shorter time to rescue near shore, while an offshore or ocean raft, built to standards such as ISO 9650 or SOLAS, is more robust — with a double floor for insulation, larger ballast pockets and a fuller survival pack — for long survival far from help. You match the raft to the sailing you do.
- Do liferafts need servicing?
- Yes. A liferaft must be serviced periodically by an approved service station, which unpacks it, inflates and inspects it, checks the gas cylinder and firing mechanism, renews the survival pack items that have expired, and repacks it. Because a raft sits unused for years and must work perfectly the one time it is needed, regular servicing to the manufacturer's schedule is essential — an unserviced raft may fail to inflate or be missing vital equipment.