Tom and everybody,

I've been giving this some thought. Now, I know nothing about liferafts, ocean survival or the Navy. So my ideas are very general and not well informed.

Given that:

1. What is your goal with the life rafts? How many people under what conditions for how many days? Everything else flows from that.

2. Can you talk to people who have acutally used the rafts? Survivors can tell you things that we will never think of. What works/ what doesn't. Find a few dozen sailors who used a raft and ask them their opinions.

3. Supplement to #2. Can you get a bunch of folks and a pool, even for a day, to test gear? You will discover some of your basic assumptions are wrong (And how to fix them, I hope.) In marketing terms; a focus group.

4. Is the above pictured raft the best design? Why not oval? Why a 6' peak (if it is) and not 7' or 5'? Why orange? Is green better? etc.

5. What does your current kit do about hypothermia?

6.What happens to each piece of gear when soaked in salt water? does it still function?

7. Can you order gear to have all interchangeable batteries? Is there a hand charger of some sort provided? What is the cost of a small re-charging solar panel?

8. What gear does each life vest include?

More ideas if you need them,

teacher

PS I do creativity/ marketing for a living, but this is the first time for a liferaft.