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Self-inflating life rafts, dinghies, life jackets: when it comes to safety at sea, it'sEurovinil in Grosseto. The company has been active for decades in the design and manufacture of pneumatic items for the Navy, Armed Forces and recreational boating. Founded in 1958, Eurovinil is marked by the continuous progress of technological innovation and the uninterrupted surpassing of product quality.
The quality of the products of Eurovinil, by the way, is confirmed by the numerous certifications it has received over the years: in 1984 it Eurovinil earned the AQAP 1 corporate quality certification in the military sector, while in 1989 the Grosseto-based company was the first Italian company in the nautical sector to obtain ISO 9001 certification in the civilian sector, corresponding to today's 9001:2000.
Everyone knows that it Eurovinil produces and distributes liferafts for recreational use, but it should be noted that this historic company also makes products for the professional and military markets, as well as for civil protection. In fact, alongside the manufacture of ordinary liferafts, there is the production of ultralight rafts for aviation, pneumatic field structures, and even products for the industrial market, such as durable spreader cushions for marble quarrying.
It should be emphasized that, since 1996, the Tuscan company has become part of the British Wardle Storeys group, which since 2002 has gone under the label of Survitec Group, and which encompasses under the same umbrella great brands of the nautical world (such as Crewsaver, Yak, Rfd and many others).
To identify the origins of Eurovinil and its products, then, one must look back over the decades. For much of the 1960s the company was limited to producing beach and leisure inflatables, specializing in producing promotional products for giants such as Walt Disney and Nivea. In '69 came the turning point, with the production of the first inflatable boat: from then on, Eurovinil would never leave the boating industry.
Almost a decade later, in '77, from the Grosseto plants comes out what will be the first self-inflating raft approved in Italy for recreational boating, so as to start the long journey of di Eurovinil in the universe of nautical safety. The quality of its products prompted the Merchant Navy to commission, in 1984, the production of its own raft, in compliance with the International Convention for the Safety of Life at Sea (S.O.L.A.S.). The following year, thanks to a powerful technological evolution, the company began producing pneumatically structured tents for the logistics and health sections of the Civil Defense and Armed Forces, as well as for Doctors Without Borders and the Red Cross.
As is well known, among the many safety equipment that must be on board a boat are life rafts, such as those produced by Eurovinil. It should be emphasized that the structure of the rafts must adhere to precise rules, which in some cases may even seem exaggerated. However, one is dealing with devices that, in an emergency, can and must save lives, and for this they must be manufactured perfectly and preserved as such. Deciding the production characteristics and timing of mandatory overhauls (as we shall later see, the same Eurovinil offers the overhaul of rafts) has since 1994 been the General Command of the Harbor Master Corps, which implements the directives of the Ministry of Infrastructure and Transport. First, to purchase a life raft, you need to know that there are two distinct types of rafts: coastal rafts, which are mandatory for boats sailing between 6 and 12 miles from the coast, and offshore rafts, for all boats beyond that limit. Let's start with the regulations regarding the coastal raft
In addition to producing the rafts for navigation beyond 12 miles from the coast, Eurovinil it also produces so-called coastal rafts, which correspond to what is reported in the international ISO 9650 standard. This type of liferaft has replaced the old atolls, which, far from being true rafts, offered shipwrecked persons only the possibility of clinging on, thus remaining in the water. Coastal liferafts, on the other hand, offer a more comfortable and safer shelter, presenting themselves in fact as a scaled-down and simplified version of ocean rafts. Unlike models for navigation beyond 12 miles, there is no cover, the bottom consists of a single layer, and the equipment pack is reduced, foreshadowing-given the reduced distance from the coast-a quicker arrival of rescue. Each raft must be equipped with a ladder to facilitate the entry of people from the water, accompanied by a long external handle. On the inside, it should be specified, there is also a handle, useful for the movement of the castaways as well as, possibly, for righting the raft in case of capsizing. The top tube of the raft should have highly visible features, such as reflective strips. What must be present in the emergency pack stored in the raft? Specifically, there must be 1 inflator, 1 whistle, 1 repair kit, 1 float knife, 2 paddles, 1 pebble, 2 sponges, 1 flashlight, and 1 quart ration for each person housed.
The ocean raft, also called the offshore life ra ft, is that mandatory raft for all ships sailing beyond 12 miles. In principle, the rules are the same as those said about coastal rafts, with a few exceptions: these makeshift craft are made in anticipation of any extended time before rescue arrives. In this case, the life raft must be equipped with a cover, as well as a double bottom, to provide greater thermal protection. For this purpose, ocean rafts are also provided with special thermal bags. That's not all: beyond 12 miles, rafts must be equipped with interior and exterior lights, as well as fires, flares, and other essential shipboard equipment for the safety of all passengers.
The overhaul of life rafts is neither as simple nor as flat as that of automobiles, which is why it is not uncommon to find ourselves unintentionally missing a few deadlines - to the detriment of our safety, not to mention the possible penalties we face by not meeting the legal deadlines. First, it must be said that the revision schedule is not entirely the same for coastal and offshore liferafts: in fact, there is a small difference that we will soon highlight. Let's start with liferafts for navigation within 12 miles of the coast: their first overhaul is due 36 months after purchase. From there on, subsequent checks should instead be done every 24 months. But beware, it is not that simple: an Ordinary overhaul is followed by an Extraordinary overhaul, and so on. The first overhaul, after 3 years from purchase, is Ordinary, while the second will be Extraordinary, the third again Ordinary, and the fourth, after 9 years, will be Extraordinary again. Clear? The mechanism of Ordinary and Extraordinary overhauls is quite similar with regard to ocean-going rafts, with one major difference: in this case, in fact, the first overhaul is to be carried out not 36 months after purchase, but instead within the first 24 months. Getting confused could mean facing steep penalties!
So we have clarified what the basic deadlines are with regard to liferaft overhauls: but what does the overhaul of these emergency rafts actually consist of? What operations do the technicians of Eurovinil, in the Grosseto plant, perform when they receive a raft to be overhauled? Well, there are several actions to be performed: The cylinder is weighed and, if necessary, replaced The pneumatic part is tested and under overpressure, to verify its actual tightness The valves are checked and, if necessary, replaced The armament as a whole is monitored The expiring equipment on board is replaced with new accessories The container, where damaged, is replaced If dirty, the raft is cleaned, and then made ready for emergency use.
Does your raft need an overhaul and you don't know where to turn? We'll take care of it! That's right: in fact, HiNelson activates a free raft pickup service for its customers, to deliver it directly to the only authorized overhaul center in Italy, namely the Eurovini factories in Grosseto. When it returns to your hands, the raft will be overhauled and ready to face another two years with you. Do you want an estimate of the time required? Well, you should know that in addition to the days required for pure shipping, the overhaul takes about 10 working days.
Well, you have purchased your new raft that complies with current regulations. Where will you place it inside your boat? Well, actually there is no absolute rule to follow. In short, it is a matter of logic and common sense. In fact, the raft, enclosed in its handy container, should be placed in a spot that can be easily reached in case of an emergency. What does this mean? Well, first of all, it should not be placed below deck, that is, in a place that is difficult to access, and from which, in the chaos of the emergency, it would become difficult to extract the bulky, resealed raft quickly. One might therefore consider placing it inside an external locker, a choice that may, however, be counterproductive in case the latter is filled with other equipment, which could make it difficult to extract the raft. Therefore, we should not be surprised if, in various models of boats, manufacturers have well thought out a special space for the sheltering of the folded raft, designed specifically for its very easy and very quick use: in fact, there are no under-key hatches or the like, as much as practical straps that can be opened with one quick gesture, to immediately put oneself and other passengers safely on the emergency craft.
Life rafts Eurovinil, as understood by international regulations, are designed to be the protagonist of simple and intuitive use. Thus, at the moment of need, it will be necessary to pull the line attached to the bag to activate the instant inflation process, so that the raft can be placed in the water. However, this action is not always performed of the best, and sometimes the impact with the water ends up turning the raft upside down during its full opening. In this case, therefore, it becomes necessary to right the inflatable: to do this, the procedure involves grasping the ladder and, levering it with one's body, pulling in one's own direction. In this way, the raft should fairly easily return to its proper position. Once on board, it will be possible to take possession of the intended equipment and, if needed, use the paddles to move around. It should be emphasized, however, that given their small size, the paddles do allow for movement, but minimal and certainly not comfortable, nor fast. From there on, in the case of protracted shipwreck, it is necessary to carry out all appropriate safety operations. In many cases, for example--due to the overturning of the raft, or perhaps due to the clumsy entry of passengers--one might find oneself with water on board. However, this situation has been widely foreseen by the manufacturers as Eurovinil and by the regulations, which is why a pair of sponges will be found inside the bags containing the on-board equipment: simply use the obligatory inflatable knife to open the bag, take out the two sponges, and start 'filling' them with the water on the bottom. To speed up the operation, instead of continuously squeezing the sponges outward, one can use the pebble present in the same bag. . In the nighttime hours, however, it is necessary to use the emergency beacons, i.e., hand fires or, possibly, smoke buoys or flare. As for hydration, each life raft must be provided with a water ration for each passenger: a six-person raft, therefore, will provide the castaways with six 250-mL doses of water.
