liferaft servicing - a salutary lesson

C

ctelfer38

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Haslar UK
www.classic-cruising.com
for me. I witnessed my liferaft being opened up today for its annual servicing and was dismayed to find that had I launched it in anger it would have been very unlikely to have worked. The fitting to the gas bottle had been cross threaded on a previous service and was only held by one thread and is likely to have blown apart if triggered. The painter was not correctly installed, being tangled on the inside. thereby making it impossible to be pulled. That, plus the fact that some contents were out of date at the last service; but not replaced, persuades me that the last 'service' was less than well done to say the least.. Needless to say I will be chasing this up with those responsible.
I have had this liferaft serviced annually for the last 11 years by the same company; but this year changed to a new provider only because they are nearer to my current berthing base and was present at their invitation.
Do you make it your business to be present when your liferaft is opened up? I will certainly be there as often as I can in future. /forums/images/graemlins/cool.gif
 
When I bought my current boat 3 years ago, it came with a BFD valise packed liferaft of indeterminate age which had not been serviced for years. I took it along to my local servicing centre, with my wife, and they were more than happy for us to be there when it was activated. It inflated OK but on inspection all the seams were coming apart and all the contents were obviously out of date, so it was condemned and skipped.
 
any chance of knowing the name of the firm who serviced the liferaft properly please ? I have two to check later this year.
 
This is a widespread problem. The RYA have been tasked by the MCA to look into liferaft servicing standards, especially as no standards exist for the servicing of non-SOLAS kit.
It's a problem recognised by USCG and others abroad, and hopefully one that the EU Marine Safety Agency and IMO will pick up on, with the right prodding.
 
And not only with raft servicing - we had ours serviced last year for the first time since new and the service centre found many items missing from the emergency kit - apparently a common problem with that particular brand of liferaft - the raft has a warranty shorter than the service life so the firm aren't interested when you call them after the first service to tell them stuff is missing, they also deny responsibility saying the service centre probably robbed it!!

If you bought a new raft your would assume 100% ok, but clearly not, and you wouldn't know about it until the 3 year service rolls around! Scary.

Jonny
 
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The RYA have been tasked by the MCA to look into liferaft servicing standards, especially as no standards exist for the servicing of non-SOLAS kit.

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And in come standards checking and licencing, and up goes the cost of service - discouraging those who have LRs in getting them serviced and making it less likely that those who don't have a LR due to cost will get one.

If the LR servicing companies set up their own body with the manufacturers they might be able to keep the cost down - self regulation is infinitely cheaper than some government enforced standard - usually more effective as well.
 
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And in come standards checking and licencing, and up goes the cost of service - discouraging those who have LRs in getting them serviced and making it less likely that those who don't have a LR due to cost will get one.

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No, that doesn't follow at all.

Why should two companies be able to charge say £200 for a service, one of whom will do all the bits and the second will do a cursory inspection?

As a seperate project, we're dealing with reasons for owning / keeping a liferaft - servicing costs will be part of that, but I would suggest that those wavering on whether to purchase or not would be more influenced by stories of LRs not working when they were needed than they would by being able to budget say £40 a year towards a 4 yearly service.

Yes, manufacturer standards may be the way forward, but with so many far eastern imports getting meaningful standards would not be easy.

I'll post any more info as the projects develop.
 
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what about naming and shaming ?????

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Agreed:

- It is vital know who to avoid for safety reasons.
- loss of business just might make them revise their procedures.

Keeping it all anonymous doesn't really achieve anything.
 
My point was that if the government step in to "regulate" the LR servicing companies the cost of that will be passed on to us (as is the cost of everything) ....
the alternative was for LR servicing companies to setup their own body that regulates themselves (bit like the RYA does with sailing schools - perhaps that isn't the best example though!) because the costs are likely to be far less and the service standards the same or higher ...

What I'm after is the removal of the shoddy LR servicing companies without introducing more red tape in this nanny state.
 
So, is it possible to service or at least check your own liferaft? Surely it can't be that difficult? Has anyone experince of this they could pass on?
 
My purpose in posting is not to get into 'naming and shaming' on a public forum; but to draw attention to the value of being present if possible when your liferaft is opened up. As it happens the company involved has been taken over by another, so naming the culprit publicly is not relevant.
I am pursuing with the MCA and the RYA what controls are in place to regulate those who provide the service. As we all place our trust in our liferafts, we are also placing our trust in the companies who service them. My trust in this last year was misplaced - I am fortunate that I discovered my L/R faults in the comfort of a workshop and not on the high seas!! /forums/images/graemlins/cool.gif
 
Not sure I understand your argument. If the MCA have asked the RYA to setup a standard for LR servicing, then the MCA are making an effort to keep it independent, or has the RYA become a government dept and I missed it?
 
Ah yes - I see my mistake ... /forums/images/graemlins/blush.gif probably a result of the MCA boss spouting crap on TV this morning ...
 
I posted in another thread in S'Butt - upshot is a bunch of friends purchased a inflatable toy and ended up a long way from where they set off ...
Peter Cardy said they could've ended up going across the atlantic, and they should've been wearing lifejackets ... prat!
 
Yes I've seen that now. For someone in his position to make a comment like that, he should be disciplined. So in the summer, some ill-informed parent supplies youngster with LJ and shoves them off from the beach in a toy, to play, in the belief that the child is safe. From say, the Whitterings beach on a falling spring with NE breeze!
 
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