Platform
Check the raft frame: Ensure that wood is not rotted, and that the frame is sturdy and securely fastened together. Add or replace screws as needed.
Check the floor of the raft: If there are holes or gaps in the foam, fill them in to ensure that a chick cannot fall in and become trapped.
Check the plastic mesh covering the floor of the raft: Ensure there are no large tears or holes for chicks to get stuck in. Patch or replace damaged plastic mesh, and make sure there are no sharp edges.
Cover
Ensure the raft cover is firmly attached to the raft: Sometimes, raft covers collapse over the course of the winter under the weight of snow. Prior to floating, they need to be reattached or bent back into shape. We attach the covers to the raft using stainless steel fender washers and 2″ stainless steel screws. Fender washers should be positioned so that they are within a corner of the lobster trap mesh, pinching it tightly against the wooden frame of the raft. Use a minimum of 3, and ideally 4, washers per side to attach the cover. Washers should be placed at equal intervals.
Check the chick guards: Chick guards are 10-12 inch tall sections of plastic mesh that extend up the inside of the raft cover, starting at the floor of the raft. Their purpose is to ensure that a chick does not get its head or body caught in the large squares of the lobster trap mesh. Use zip ties to secure the chick guards tightly to the raft cover so that that there is no way for a chick to get stuck between the guard and the lobster trap mesh.
**Some older rafts may not yet have chick guards. If your raft does not have them, please contact LPC at field@loon.org so that we can send you some.
Check the UV-blocking shade fabric: This fabric should cover the top 1/3 of the raft cover, leaving the sides open to allow for air flow. Check to make sure the fabric is not torn.
Check the camoflage netting: This goes over the UV blocking shade fabric and should extend over the entire raft cover. A little tearing is fine, but if your camoflage netting is very tattered or worn out, contact LPC for a replacement. Attach camoflage netting to the raft cover using zip ties.
Check to make sure that the raft cover is firmly attached to the raft frame on both sides. Use 2″ screws and large stainless steel fender washers, 3-4 per side, as shown in this photo.
Check that the chick guards are firmly secured. If your raft needs chick guards, please email us at field@loon.org.
Anchors
Anchors are constructed using cinder blocks, stainless steel wire rope, and stainless steel cable clamps. To prevent fraying, the part of the wire rope that loops around the cinder block should be fed through a section of protective material (we use garden hose). Each spring, check your anchors to make sure they are intact and that the cable clamps are firmly pinching the wire rope. Tighten clamps if needed. Check the wire rope for fraying or wear. Contact LPC at field@loon.org if you need replacement anchors. In a pinch, you can improvise an anchor using rope and a cinderblock.
This raft did not have enough flotation, and a game camera caught the moment that it was overwhelmed by wave action.
Flotation
It is essential that rafts have adequate flotation A raft that is sitting too low in the water is vulnerable to flooding from natural waves or from boat wakes. If you notice that the raft is floating low as you put it in the water, you can add flotation (rigid foam, plastic floats, or even a capped, empty plastic bottle if you are in a pinch) underneath. Contact LPC at field@loon.org if you need large sections of replacement rigid foam flotation for your raft.
