Inflating life raft result

[scottie]

No longer having the boat we decided inflate the out of date raft ie 2015 service due

the force to trigger the inflation was considerable and that was standing up on a hard surface if I had to do it on a boat heaving about I am not sure it would be at all easy without the panic factor

having got it inflated we were encouraged by the excellent condition

all we have to do now is to dispose of it in a responsible way
any suggestions?

 

[Skipper_Christoph]

Deflate, repack and give it to a charity organization

 

[Daydream believer]

No longer having the boat we decided inflate the out of date raft ie 2015 service due

the force to trigger the inflation was considerable and that was standing up on a hard surface if I had to do it on a boat heaving about I am not sure it would be at all easy without the panic factor

having got it inflated we were encouraged by the excellent condition

all we have to do now is to dispose of it in a responsible way
any suggestions?

Go & find where the local tramps/wineos/druggies hang out & give it to them.
Some of them have a s..t life & a bit of shelter will help for a while

 

[scottie]

Deflate, repack and give it to a charity organization

thanks but repack ing is not an option
also l do n’t believe in using or enabling others to use old safety items

 

[penberth3]

thanks but repack ing is not an option
also l do n’t believe in using or enabling others to use old safety items

Quite right. Cut it up and bin it. You could make some stuff sacks out of the fabric.

 

[Daydream believer]

thanks but repack ing is not an option
also l do n’t believe in using or enabling others to use old safety items

Pumping it up & giving it to a wino is hardly expecting them to use it as a safety item. More a shelter under a bridge or on a derilict site
But your comment above suggests that you have already decided that it must be scrapped. In that case remove the flares, water, pills & accessories etc & take it to the local recycling centre.

 

[penberth3]

Pumping it up & giving it to a wino is hardly expecting them to use it as a safety item.....

Until someone steals it and uses it on the nearest pond or river. Cut it up.

 

[Mistroma]

I still remember watching a group training exercise in Spain years ago. I became so funny that I started to video it (might still have it somewhere). It went on and on with the liferaft being thrown in the water and pushed away with a long pole (possible even towed out) and pulled back alongside in a series of jerks. No sign of it inflating and all sorts of things tried such as pushing it with a pole whilst pulling the line. It took an absolute age before anyone tried the really obvious method of sitting on the pontoon and pulling it against your feet. That worked as the raft could be pushed with strong leg muscles and cord pulled at the same time.

I think that they had not used the correct straps when packing and only one broke initially. Some material came out and there was a lot of noise. There wasn't enough CO2 to inflate it by the time the other strap had gone and they ended up with a small pile of crumpled floating fabric. Very entertaining for the onlookers and extremely embarrassing for the guy running the course.

I might have a look for the file later today to see if it is still entertaining.

 

[Spirit (of Glenans)]

A sailing school might appreciate it for instructional use.

 

[srm]

A sailing school might appreciate it for instructional use.

Yes, when running STCW survival courses we had two inflated rafts for shore based demo, plus one to inflate in the pool.

I still remember watching a group training exercise in Spain years ago. I became so funny that I started to video it (might still have it somewhere). It went on and on with the liferaft being thrown in the water and pushed away with a long pole (possible even towed out) and pulled back alongside in a series of jerks. No sign of it inflating and all sorts of things tried such as pushing it with a pole whilst pulling the line. It took an absolute age before anyone tried the really obvious method of sitting on the pontoon and pulling it against your feet. That worked as the raft could be pushed with strong leg muscles and cord pulled at the same time.

A fisherman student had a boat sink under him. They launched the first raft and it failed to inflate. Eventually, they manged to launch the second raft - difficult as the boat had a serious list - and it inflated correctly. Which may be part of the reason that commercial vessels have to carry rafts for twice the number of crew.

 

[bedouin]

Fill it with water and use it as a paddling pool for the ((great)grand)kids

 

[LadyInBed]

l do n’t believe in using or enabling others to use old safety items

Is it not better to give someone an old but tested safety item rather than have someone come to grief?

 

[scottie]

Is it not better to give someone an old but tested safety item rather than have someone come to grief?

Perhaps it is ?

 

[penfold]

Give it to these people? Inflatable Amnesty

 

[Tim Good]

Fill it with water and use it as a paddling pool for the ((great)grand)kids

They really are. Our friends got one after i recomended. The kids use it for paddling pool, tent, space ship.... and they're bloody tough!!! Will last them years.

 

[ltcom]

I hope you find a better use than wasting it (cutting up and throwing away)

 

[scottie]

I hope you find a better use than wasting it (cutting up and throwing away)

Unfortunately the decision has been made and that’s it’s fate
thanks for all contributions

 

[graham]

Recycling center took mine off me.

I fired it and only the bottom of the two side rings inflated initially.the arch holding the canopy up didnt inflate either. Over a period of hours the upper ring partially inflated.

The raft was about 5 years out of date .It could have still helped people to stay afloat with only one inflated ring .

 

[Mistroma]

Recycling center took mine off me.

I fired it and only the bottom of the two side rings inflated initially.the arch holding the canopy up didnt inflate either. Over a period of hours the upper ring partially inflated.

The raft was about 5 years out of date .It could have still helped people to stay afloat with only one inflated ring .

I found the video I filmed in 2015 when someone was doing a liferaft inflation demonstration. I cut bits out of the video before uploading as there were repeated failed attempts and doing the same thing several times gets a bit boring.

The line doesn't come out easily initially but seems OK once it starts moving. This doesn't seem to be a big problem.

I think that some inflation starts after the 2 minute mark as black fabric appears at the cannister join. The cannister bands don't break easily and might even have had some additional white webbing retainers at the start. I seem to remember hearing some of CO2 hissing out and some squealing when the bands remained intact. It also seems likely that the inflation mechanism jammed.

 

[pandos]

Recycling center took mine off me.

I fired it and only the bottom of the two side rings inflated initially.the arch holding the canopy up didnt inflate either. Over a period of hours the upper ring partially inflated.

The raft was about 5 years out of date .It could have still helped people to stay afloat with only one inflated ring .

Did you investigate why it failed to inflate?

I fired one recently that was at least 15 years out of service and it fired correctly...