Liferaft sealing tape

M

Moodyman

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I had my Plastimo liferaft serviced by Messenger Marine in 2009 and the blue sealing tape round the canister join has deteriorated and is coming off. I have tried unsuccessfully to contact MM to get replacement tape but have been advised that they are no longer trading from the site at the Fairway Business Centre, Portsmouth. Does anyone have a more recent contact address, or number.

I have asked at my local chandlery for the tape but it is not stocked. Plastimo's advice was to send the liferaft to them for new tape to be applied, which seemed a bit excessive to me (they would not supply tape separately). Can anyone help, either with details of a supplier of the tape, or whether any substitute can be used. I don't want to use something (Duck tape?) which would prevent the liferaft from deploying in an emergency.
 
I think if you were to take the raft to any liferaft servicing station and explain your situation, they'd pop some new tape on it for next to nothing.
 
I have tried this contact number previously - I think this is an earlier address. also, the website shown is no longer in use. Can anyone else shed any light on whether MM is still trading?
 
pvb said:
I think if you were to take the raft to any liferaft servicing station and explain your situation, they'd pop some new tape on it for next to nothing.
Click to expand...

My experience was that a servicing station (which I wholly respect) was only prepared to use tapes etc. which were explicitly approved by the liferaft manufacturer. You can understand why.

They said that if I wanted a common-sense but not officially-sanctioned solution I'd have to do it myself.

It turned out that they didn't have the approved tape, but expected to get it when the model of raft I had started appearing for service. When they did get it - some months later - they retaped my raft and charged me nothing.
 
On my Plastimo its double width electrical tape, nothing special. The tape that wraps the life raft in its vacuum bag is a single wrap of silver duct tape. I witnessed my liferaft inflating and parting the silver duct tape.

If it can part that on inflation then it should be quite easy to find a low shear adhesive tape and fix it up yourself.

4922690545_3ae0bdd1c8.jpg
 
I should point out that if the tape's worn out, your liferaft is probably due a service anyhow, as the tape usually lasts 3 or 4 years - strange that it was serviced in 2009. This is probably why the service centres to whom you've spoken are keen for you to take the raft in to them. However, the tape's easy to find, such as :

http://cpc.farnell.com/pro-power/sh89rd/ins-tape-50mm-x-33m-red/dp/CB09963

Yes I know it's red, not blue...

note - this tape may not be approved by your liferaft manufacturer, you'd need to ask them, but it's going to be better than getting seawater into your liferaft cannister....
 
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I believe they have packed up - somewhat to my frustration as they had moved to a unit in portsmouth and I had dropped of my xm valise for service and when I rang for update left messages and got no reply (they had explained they were waiting valves from xm as these needed replacing under manufacturers recall or some such arrangement) eventually I drove over when no reply to messages and found unit empty and neighbours said they had packed up and gone but gave me contact number for messenger main guy - rang him repeatedly but he never called back in reply to my messages - further enquiries suggested business had gone under and another south coast firm taken over who I contacted and were helpful but maintained they had collected some customer rafts when they took over but mine not amongst them - so long answer to say messenger marine I am told are no more (and somewhere out there is my xm valise raft - but I have no idea where)
 
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