Liferaft and Tender Prices Malta - Ouch Again!!!

Richard10002

Richard10002

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2.7kg of calor gas for €3.76 is cheap but:

I need a new liferaft and some flares, and would like a new tender, so I asked Gauci Borda for prices:

Plastimo 4 man coastal canister liferaft €1950
Plastimo 6 man coastal canister liferaft €2050
Grab Bag for above €260

Apparently these liferafts have no survival contents, hence the grab bag with a few flares a bit of water and somethings else, but not much!!

Plastimo 2.7m inflatable hull charter tender €1800


Is this going to be typical of prices for these things in Malta, or have I asked a chandler who takes the mickey? I've asked the marina chandler for some prices aswell, and am going to Associated Motors tomorrow, so I'll see how much their tenders are. (A Honda 2.7m Inflatable floor in England is about £750, so the above are mind boggling!!)

Is there an easy 2nd hand market, like a board at Msida or something?

Cheers for now

Richard
 
[ QUOTE ]
are they still selling fuel from the "Ohio" /forums/images/graemlins/blush.gif

[/ QUOTE ]

If that's the tanker in front of the hotel on the way to Msida Marina, then yes - it seems to be the only place you can get diesel on the island, (apart from carrying cans from a petrol station /forums/images/graemlins/smile.gif )

I'll be visiting it over the next few weeks, so guess I need to be prepared for another shock!!
 
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Ocean Safety in Southampton will ship worldwide and tax free. They even offered to palletise and ship a used liferaft I was bidding for on ebay out to Trinidad for £350 but they also sell a range of new liferafts. If your Malta price turns out to be typical, you may want to consider buying in UK?

Cheers, Brian.

[/ QUOTE ]

Thanks for the heads up Brian.

I have been told today, (by a Maltese Chandlery), that they cant get them shipped from the UK - presumably due to the flares and canister. I must say that I took that with a pinch of salt as shipping lines must be shipping these around the world left right and centre. I'll be looking into UK supply if it becomes necessary.

Richard
 
Love her as I do Myra (after all her husband is an accountant) does not believe in trimming her margins.

In fact anyone would give a more representative price than Gauci Borda.
It's rather like comparing UK supermarket prices (Waitrose) with German supermarkets (Netto) and coming to the conclusion that Germany is far cheaper than the UK to live.

Try International Marine just below Gala Centre or go farther afield and go to Siracusa and speak with Giacomo Campisi at Tuttonautica, via per Florida past the municipal and Commonwealth War cemeteries (tel +39 931 480004). Negotiating in Italian will save you at least 30% on Maltese prices.

Alternatively try for a recon 2nd hand one from Joe Cioffi in the liferaft dept of Manoel Island Yacht Yard.
 
[ QUOTE ]
[ QUOTE ]
Ocean Safety in Southampton will ship worldwide and tax free. They even offered to palletise and ship a used liferaft I was bidding for on ebay out to Trinidad for £350 but they also sell a range of new liferafts. If your Malta price turns out to be typical, you may want to consider buying in UK?

Cheers, Brian.

[/ QUOTE ]

Thanks for the heads up Brian.

I have been told today, (by a Maltese Chandlery), that they cant get them shipped from the UK - presumably due to the flares and canister. I must say that I took that with a pinch of salt as shipping lines must be shipping these around the world left right and centre. I'll be looking into UK supply if it becomes necessary.

Richard

[/ QUOTE ]

On a liferaft I think you'll find the maze of Maltese charges will negate any price saving - I did however import an engine from Barrus to Tony Farrugia's annoyance and save about £M250 on the transaction.
 
Yes It can all be a bit shocking. However, as noted Gauci Bouda would not be my first port of call for anything!

Shop around a bit and ther are some reasonable deals availible. Whilst still not as cheap as the UK the difference does not make the hassle of shipping really worthwhile.

For info I bought a 2nd hand liferaft (make escapes me right now) 2 yrs old, offshore spec 8 man, seviced for Euro 800. I'm not a fan of plastimo anyway! I also bought new a 2.9m inflatible keel hard bottom tender for euro 1,000 (not zodiac but made by them)

So reasonable deals can be had, just need a bit more leg work and haggle as much as you can.

I recall your post about engine start batteries also and would advise you to just go to any car garage and you will get what you need for less than euro 80. Nothing clever about engine start battery.

Hope this helps
 
Just for info,

The fuel trawler in Msida closes for the winter. I think it opens again in April. You can have fuel delivered by tanker if sufficient quantity required. Alternatively is you don't want to hump the cans yourself, I'm sure if you ask at a garage they would drop them off at he boat for you for a small consideration.

Cheers
 
Took my outboard to the main Honda dealer for servicing today and asked the price of their tenders:

2m with slatted floor €600
2.4m with air floor - €850
2.7m with air floor - €920

Dont think I'll be darkening Gauci Bordas doorstep again /forums/images/graemlins/smile.gif

International had a very cheap looking tender in the window for €360, but I like the Hondas and they are only a bit more than UK prices, which is easier to swallow.

No second hand recons. and new RFD liferafts at Manoel Island Yard

6 man canister €1690
4 man canister €1550

they dont come with any emergency supplies, which seems typical here.

So still looking for a liferaft supplier, and have asked mailspeed marine for a delivery price.

Thanks again for the advice so far.

Richard
 
[ QUOTE ]
Try Alex at D'Agata marine in Gzira

[/ QUOTE ]

€2100 for a 6 man canister Transocean ... they dont sell anything like coastal or dayhopping.

Sealink Marine Centre gave me a quote of €1200 for a Mariner brand offshore 6 man canister, which includes a survival pack. The only Mariner I could find on the web are italian Mariner Orion liferafts

http://www.mariner-rib.it/

I'll have to go back and find out a bit more.


Called at Whitesails opposite Msida and they have tenders from about €440 for a Maxxon 2m slatted floor (€500 for 2.4m), or €700 for an Excell 2.3m with blow up floor and v hull - looked quite good.
 
[ QUOTE ]
I need a new liferaft...

[/ QUOTE ]What happened to the old one? Does it just need a service?
 
[ QUOTE ]
What happened to the old one? Does it just need a service?

[/ QUOTE ]

It certainly needed a service, but it was also in the most horrible condition and IIRC it was new in 1995 or so. I always intended to replace it with a canister, but expected to be paying around £800 or so, rather than double that.

When I decided to put the boat on the market, (and I wasnt well, nor sure of my future), it made the place look untidy, so I disposed of it - there's a chance that it might have found its way to the illegal immigrant camp and somebody may be living in it /forums/images/graemlins/smile.gif

With hindsight, it might have been recoverable, but hindsight's a wonderful thing.

Anyway - I've gone from a price of €2000 to one of €1200, (if I can confirm the Mariner brand is OK), so a bit more shopping around might get me down to my £800.
 
One of these days I'm going to start a new thread asking if anyone has ever come across a liferaft that -- in it's vacuum bag -- has deteriorated to the point at which it would not serve the purpose. My guess is that they should last for 25 or 30 years. The short timescales are unreasonable, I think. I base that on my experience of other rubber dinghies, lifejackets, etc., over the years that have been exposed to the sun, wind and rain, and still been fine!
 
[ QUOTE ]
I'm sure you are right - more haste less speed - but I think I had an excuse /forums/images/graemlins/smile.gif

[/ QUOTE ]Indeed you did /forums/images/graemlins/frown.gif But the other excuse is that if you carry a liferaft on a British Registered Yacht it needs to be in date. I think, or am I wrong about that?
 
I dont know - I thought as long as it was serviced by an appropriate agent, it was OK.

But I have been told here in Malta that a British Registered Vessel, (yacht, rather than big ship), must carry a liferaft that complies with British Regulations .... not sure if that is true, but I have seen manufacturers declaring their rafts comply with Italian or Spanish regs.... which seem to have slight differences.

With hindsight I probably chucked a perfectly good raft that could have been serviced, and the valise reconditioned or replaced.... although the cost of that would probably have been extortionate here aswell - bring back rip off Britain /forums/images/graemlins/smile.gif
 
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