life raft life span??!!

[ianabc]

Transporting a Liferaft

I think that you will find that a liferaft with its compressed gas bottle is classsed as dangerous goods! No packing the liferaft in your checked airline bagage!

This is sad as they appeerar to be the only product that I can source cheaper in the UK than in North America.

On the same topic, even a fire extinguisher, posted in the US was removed from the mail stream, their words, as the gas was considered dangerous, in fact it was a new foam unit with non toxic foam, quite effective in a fire they tell me, but then I never did take delivery........

 

[joha]

Would you trust a solicitor to pack a life raft!

 

[boatmike]

The price you've been given is in the right ballpark. I suggest you have a service done and ask for them to open and inflate it in your presence. If they won't do that, go elsewhere.

You will be able to assess the condition of the raft when you see it erected but, unless it has been stored in bad conditions, it should be good for at least another 10 years. If it's in a hermetically sealed inner bag as for example Forties rafts are, it should be pretty much 'as new'.

While you're at it, look what equipment is included - it's probably less than you think.

I think your point regarding what is included is very important. Just go to your normal suppliers and ask the cost of an offshore flare pack. If your £200 includes £50 of flares it does not sound quite as bad does it? Beware of "cheap" services that only inflate the raft, inspect and repack. These are possibly OK if you intend to have everything else handy in a grab bag, but I would want to be sure that in a rapid deployment everything was inside already.... I think the servicing frequency is in fact very largely driven by the life of flares etc. that need replacing periodically although I agree that the raft itself, if hermetically sealed and in a GRP canister rather than a valise should be good for much longer.... Also remember that you can always ask the service agent to include things not in the original equipment of the raft and upgrade it. Original equipment is often very basic.

 

[Sinc]

I wonder, has anyone done a comparison between owning (with regular servicing) and long term rental where the servicing is included or replacement supplied every year?