BFA MARINE RECALL DANGEROUS LIFERAFTS

[serendib50]

I have just been advised about a recall of many BFA rafts due to faulty valves which may lead to complete deflation!

The recall info is at:
www.bfa-marine.com/en/life-rafts-involved.cfm

So I sailed across the North Sea this year naively believing that I had a safe reliable product so this news is disturbing indeed

Whilst BFA are stating they are prepared to pay for replacement valves they amazingly will NOT pay for items such as replacement vacuum bags that will be required to repack the repaired units, or the cost of collection and return to their nearest service agent.

They also fail to make any mention that if owners are still using their boats – I guess some of still do in September – whether they will provide any temporary replacements whilst the rafts are being repaired. I have asked them the question but I can guess the likely answer.

Malcolm

 

[fiveflipflops]

For those of you like me who has a BFA liferaft that’s on the boat the following may be of help in identify if your raft is a recall without the serial number to hand.

I purchased a BFA Pacific in Apr 06 and sallied across the Atlantic. So on reading this post had a little panic attack. As the boat is in Trinidad I am currently in Argentina I had no way of checking Serial number. A quick Google and I found the following,

Zodiac International is asking anyone who purchased either a BFA Marine Pacific, Atlantic or Baltic liferaft or an XM/BFA Offshore liferaft between August 1995 and June 2000 to have the liferaft serviced before further use.
The manufacturer of these liferafts – "Nautiv Sicherheit für Wassersport GmbH in Liquidation" and "Zodiac International S.A" have identified a possible defect on the valves of the liferafts that could lead to a complete malfunction.
If your liferaft has been serviced since March 1, 2003 by an approved service station, then the valves have already been checked and no replacement of the valves is needed.

I will still check the serial number on return to the boat.
David

 

[serendib50]

David

Regret that your comment:

"If your liferaft has been serviced since March 1, 2003 by an approved service station, then the valves have already been checked and no replacement of the valves is needed."

is totally incorrect as far as the letter I have recieved from my BFA service agent. My raft which was constructed new in Feb 2004 was fully serviced in January this year (2007) and is definetly subject to the recall which includes ALL rafts with a XDC serial number

Malcolm