Life Raft LifeSpan?

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Baddox

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I realise that this is like asking “how long is a piece of string” but, what is the average lifespan of a life raft? It’s a Seago, if it matters, which has been and will be routinely serviced.
In an idle moment, I was working out a schedule for maintenance, upgrades and replacements on the boat for the coming years and wondered when I need to expect to go shopping for a new raft.
 
Baddox said:
I realise that this is like asking “how long is a piece of string” but, what is the average lifespan of a life raft? It’s a Seago, if it matters, which has been and will be routinely serviced.
In an idle moment, I was working out a schedule for maintenance, upgrades and replacements on the boat for the coming years and wondered when I need to expect to go shopping for a new raft.
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10 years+ - that is after 3 services.
 
I took a 30 year old Avon that was 20 years out of service to Ocean safety in Plymouth. It inflated fine and was in good condition. Downside, the gas bottle was slightly loose so it may not have inflated fully, and the consumables were well past their sell by date.The liferaft was in a cannister and kept in the cockpit locker.
Due to its age the service was going to be expensive and because of the sealing system on the cannister it should be serviced annually. Also It was a six man and there is usually just the two of us so we part exchanged it for a new four man.
Had it been kept in a more exposed position such as on the stern rail it may have been a different story.
 
awol said:
It used to be - now Seago ISO 9650-1/2 rafts guaranteed for 12 years with 3 yearly servicing then yearly after that.
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Once it gets to "annual" servicing it tends to be pretty expensive to keep going. I don't think they expect anybody to keep one after that?
 
pagoda said:
Once it gets to "annual" servicing it tends to be pretty expensive to keep going. I don't think they expect anybody to keep one after that?
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3 year servicing is pretty expensive too. Anything with an expiry date during the next 3 years gets replaced so it doesn't matter if seasick pills, flares, batteries, etc. have 4 or 5 year lives, they get replaced every service.
 
Thanks for all the replies.

I have arranged for a service with Seago which includes pressure testing the cylinder. From the information in the earlier posts it looks like this will be the last one for this raft as it is nine years old.
 
Baddox said:
Thanks for all the replies.

I have arranged for a service with Seago which includes pressure testing the cylinder. From the information in the earlier posts it looks like this will be the last one for this raft as it is nine years old.
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I was in the same position with a 9 year old wetline raft when to my surprise servicing worked out less than feared as the firing head did not need replacing and new supplier of gas bottles less expensive, also think what you really need in the raft: I don`t need to comply with any regs and with my usual cruising ground IOW to Cherbourg unlikely to be in a raft for long so had the servicers take everything out and go for grab bag instead. The raft is sealed in a vacuum bag in a canister and was perfect: shame to ditch!
 
Mine is routinely serviced - every 25 years !!! It was according to the date on it last checked in 1992, so I suppose it must be a year or so past next inspection, but it is an Avon.

I will take it to Universal Safety as they have a realistic attitude and fair prices.
 
awol said:
3 year servicing is pretty expensive too. Anything with an expiry date during the next 3 years gets replaced so it doesn't matter if seasick pills, flares, batteries, etc. have 4 or 5 year lives, they get replaced every service.
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If the boat isn't coded, in the UK (where there are no regulations) you can carry flares, pills, water, torch etc in a grab bag and replace yourself when needed. Cheaper than replacement by service station. We binned our Plastimo Offshore at 20 years, although appeared still OK.
 
Baddox said:
it looks like this will be the last one for this raft as it is nine years old.
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superheat6k said:
Mine is routinely serviced - every 25 years !!!
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I find myself somewhere in the middle here...
My life raft was made in 1989 (BFA, 4 person, cannister). It has been serviced several times, but not every 3d year, more like every 6 - 8 years. And has passed every time without remarks. I am NOW looking for a replacement.
So I think 'life span' has several meanings. The fact that manufacturers insist on three years service intervals, to cover their backs, does not mean that we as consumers are obliged to abide. It is a choice we can make, just like the choice of having a life raft or not.
 
BabaYaga said:
So I think 'life span' has several meanings. The fact that manufacturers insist on three years service intervals, to cover their backs, does not mean that we as consumers are obliged to abide. It is a choice we can make, just like the choice of having a life raft or not.
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Unfortunately, as we found out, having it serviced does not guarantee it will work if needed.
 
In my case with a 25 years since test raft I would add that if I were going offshore I would have it checked. In coastal waters either the dinghy is available within a few minutes or assistance within say 10 minutes even in an apparently deserted Poole Bay.

However, otherwise it has been a lesser priority alongside other jobs in hand to restore the boat to decent order.
 
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Resurrecting this thread as its related to the OPs question. We just took our twelve year of Seago liferaft off the boat and pulled the cord in the garden, it was last due a service in 2015, therefore actually serviced in 2012. What we found when we inflated us both pleased and surprised us.

Firstly it inflated perfectly, the light works and although the plastic bag its was wrapped in and the painter looked filthy it seemed fine, not bad six years after the last service and being stored on the pushpit for all that time.

What surprised us that both ends of the zipper in the door failed to close the zip when they were zipped - not something time would affect but likely a faulty zip from day one. This I would say was serious as being unable to close the door leaves occupants very exposed. It must have been missed in the last service.

The floor has discoloured, but not a major issue

We were also non-plussed by the waterproof manual on board, expecting this to have helpful survival tips we read it with interest. Instead it was about where to mount the raft on the boat, how to care for the container, and the importance of service intervals - not exactly helpful after abandoning ship. This was accompanied by a sheet on emergency signalling, compiled by the Chinese Rescue Society (!!!!), and explaining how to use a heap of equipment which was not in the raft, including planting flags in the ground

Anyway - in future we will rent one when going offshore, and the raft will make a great sheltered paddling pool for the grandchildren for the rest of the summer.
 
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Update. We found it deflated with an untraceable leak overnight, so it's heading for the skip.

That may answer the OPs question about the life span of Seago liferafts
 
By chance I was discussing this with Premium liferafts last week & my ocean life raft is now coming up to 15 years old . It will be due its next service in 2019. Unfortunately they are no longer licenced to service these liferafts due to the company that makes them being sold & the new owners removing the dealerships.
However, they did say that after the next service it would be an annual service so gets expensive & nearly as cheap to buy a new one.
They also pointed out that in reality just because the 3 year service date was up the liferaft would not suddenly fail on that date. They would still work for some time after, but things like flares etc would be time expired.
I think that I am in for a new one next year.
More expense !!!!!!!!!!!!
 
pagoda said:
Once it gets to "annual" servicing it tends to be pretty expensive to keep going. I don't think they expect anybody to keep one after that?
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I agree, if you want to keep your safety equipment in service, then as soon as it reverts to 12months, it becomes pretty expensive!
 
Some years ago a group of liveaboards at YachtMarine in Marmaris organised a liferaft test session using the swimming pool. Some rafts were just due service and the owners wanted to try them, and others were really old and well out date. All worked except one very old raft which was over 20 years old and had not been serviced for many years, which failed with a split chamber. Even some rafts that had not been serviced for nearly a decade inflated just fine. Most however revealed poor quality torches that no longer worked, plus generally poor internal equipment including one with a knife so blunt I doubt it would have cut the painter. After seeing that I made sure that I attended the servicing of my life raft and checked on its contents.
 
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