Does my liferaft REALLY need servicing?

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this is NOT a liferaft but decorative trim to enhance the appearance of the yacht. 'Do not use in an emergency, for display purposes only'

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Sounds like a good case to have no consumables packed and a visible pressure gauge for the inflation bottle. Though I guess that if that was leaking the vacuum pack would show signs of pregnancy /forums/images/graemlins/shocked.gif
 
There was a story of a bloke on here brought his boat back accross the atlantic and had the life raft cannister serviced. The service guys called him and asked if he was taking the piss as the cannister was full of bricks and packing material!

An extreme example, but it seems to me that if you are going to carry a raft it would be nice to see it packed and know that everything thing that should be in there is. Especially the case if you inherited it or bought it second hand.
 
/forums/images/graemlins/laugh.gif It feels as heavy as bricks when I'm moving it! That would solve my servicing problem wouldn't it /forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif
 
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Have you thought about getting a new one (no servicing for another 3 years) and selling off the old one at, say, 25% of retail.

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Imagine - I've just bought an old liferaft for 25% of the new retail price from someone who didn't want to pay to get it serviced. Should I get it serviced? /forums/images/graemlins/smile.gif
 
To digress, about fire extingishers.
I used to ,in my mispent youth, to drive a highly tuned road car. My girlfriend gave me a powder extingisher for a birthday present. Some time later, within it's time limit, I needed it. A bit of powder dribbled out, leaving me to seek other means ( in a big hurry)
Bit later, an aircraft caught fire in our hanger ( 22 others inside as well) I got there first with a CO2 jobby, second on scene had a duff one. We were lucky and got it out. All the kit was less than 6 months old.
Would I trust servicing? Think I would need to be there, or do it myself.
A
 
Powder Fire Extinguishers can become packed down hard from continuous vibration. Turn em upside down occasionally and tap the container.

Re liferafts. Yes if you carry a variety of passengers and carry a liferaft you might well be criticised especially in a disaster if the LR was not serviced. You might copme in for less flak if you didn't carry one.

I think the packing in a vaccuum bag is unusual most just being packed in a container or valise. Consumables which might become time expired could be easily duplicated in a grab bag. This does not however help with the gas bottle and valve. Here perhaps is the most likely cause of failure of a LR. They are occasionally found on servicing to have leaked down.

Condition of the fabric of the LR should be OK but perhaps should be checked at longer intervals but definitely checked say every 6 years.
The LR is inflated and left over night checked for loss of pressure and generally inspected for perishing or chafe.

Yes it is all up to you. LR are occasionally condemned on inspection so they certainly can't be left for ever without check. olewill
 
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