Go for both? You mean flotation and life raft?--or Life raft and specifically fitted dinghy, or hand powered watermaker and EPIRB? The issue for many boaters is that they have to draw a certain line as to how much to spend. Not all voyagers have budgets of millions of dollars--and I am not being sarcastic--If one took all safety issues to the limits of where one would agrue that it decreased risks reasonably--it would be very expensive. Consider that a couple with 3 children safely circunavigated safely on a Cal 25 which was modified and cost about $3500. I am sure that there have been smaller boats (certainly to cross oceans) and budgets even tighter. Bob Austin