Crewsaver Mariner Liferaft Servicing

P

PeterBoater

Well-Known Member
Joined
11 Dec 2011
Messages
560
Location
England
Visit site
Before deciding whether to buy a Crewsaver Mariner 4-person valise liferaft, I'm trying to find out the cost of servicing it and where it can be done. I've tried seven or eight Survitec (the parent company) service centres; about half don't service that model and the other half can't be bothered to answer the phone. I'd be grateful for experiences of where in England it can be serviced and at what cost.
 
The kind of response from Survitec is remarkably random. They make their living doing serious commercial servicing. Not individuals. Consequently you find some branches helpful , others not. I think the range of leisure rafts they have licenses to certify was reduced recently. That might be some of the problem.
 
We use the Plymouth service center for lifejackets and their service is fantastic.

I looked at their life rafts at the Southampton Boat Show a couple of years back after about eight nanoseconds discounted them as toys. There are, in my opinion, far better brands out there.

We always hire liferafts.
 
I suspect that the answer is in your original post. If your struggling to find a service centre, then buy one that you can get serviced. preferably local to you.
 
Trouble is when you get people recommending companies like Universal Safety as"these guys appear to service all makes" you begin to see a big part of the problem. (This is no fault of the poster). They are not approved by the manufacturer in this case Ocean Safety to do so. That means that they will not have access to the correct spares, service information etc. They will be forced to reuse old parts with clear potential consequences. It is companies like this that can bring disrepute to the liferaft service industry.
All liferaft owners should make sure that the station servicing their raft is approved to do so.
Anyone contemplating servicing their own raft with no knowledge or training should take a long hard look at themselves before doing so.
 
I’m not sure where you are but I use SEMS at Basildon. You will need to check if they do your particular life raft. They are very prompt and several life jackets too. They can supply flares and will take the out of date ones If you visit
 
I eventually coaxed a reply from Survitec, they quoted £320.00+ any additional spares required + VAT to service the Mariner 4-person valise (they didn't mention plus carriage both ways). The thing only costs £589.95 to buy new! Thanks to everybody who suggested other service stations but I also heeded post #11 above. I have phoned around a few and they either don't handle this brand and/or are not approved; I haven't tried them all but will continue to look for an approved one. In the meantime I won't be purchasing the brand in question. As I need to remind myself more often, you only get what you pay for.
 
Last edited:
PeterBoater said:
I eventually coaxed a reply from Survitec, they quoted £320.00+ any additional spares required + VAT to service the Mariner 4-person valise (they didn't mention plus carriage both ways). The thing only costs £589.95 to buy new! Thanks to everybody who suggested other service stations but I also heeded post #11 above. I have phoned around a few and they either don't handle this brand and/or are not approved; I haven't tried them all but will continue to look for an approved one. In the meantime I won't be purchasing the brand in question. As I need to remind myself more often, you only get what you pay for.
Click to expand...

I'd talk to Suffolk Marine Safety. I don't think they're technically approved to service Crewsaver rafts, but they are extremely professional, diligent and very helpful. I've been using them for liferaft servicing for years, and they're happy for me to go along and see my raft unpacked and inflated, and discuss any special requirements. Very sensible people.

Marine Equipment Servicing | UK | Suffolk Marine Safety
 
pvb said:
I'd talk to Suffolk Marine Safety. I don't think they're technically approved to service Crewsaver rafts, but they are extremely professional, diligent and very helpful. I've been using them for liferaft servicing for years, and they're happy for me to go along and see my raft unpacked and inflated, and discuss any special requirements. Very sensible people.

Marine Equipment Servicing | UK | Suffolk Marine Safety
Click to expand...
Yes, I've used Suffolk Marine Safety (SMS) for many years, including my current Seago raft, which is now on annual services and SMS were honest enough to tell me that Seago say it should be condemned in another two years, so instead of throwing money at it I've just ordered from SMS a new Ocean Safety raft, which includes £35 off its first service in three years.
 
Last edited:
to add to an old thread ...I thought I would share my recent experience. I have recently had my Crewsaver mariner liferaft serviced by Survitech Gosport for 220 pounds including VAT (it was the first service - not sure if that makes a difference). I was able to drop it off at the branch nearest me, and it was delivered back to that branch for me to pick up. There was no extra cost for this. I phoned them beforehand and they were able to agree a fixed price for this model of liferaft - they were very professional/helpful throughout. I have no affiliation to this company by the way.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.

Share this page

Top