Self examination of my life raft

superheat6k

superheat6k

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So to cure boredom this weekend do I open up and examine my Avon 6 man valise life raft ?

It was last inspected in ~ 2000 as it is marked next inspection due July 2002.

I figure it is better to understand if it has a chance of working than purely taking a random chance on the thing working.

Last time I opened one it went to the dump as there was not a chance it was ever going to get re-packed by me !!!
 
Beats me why there are life-rafts for sale on ebay advertised as ''unused'' ... as if anyone is going to buy one that has been used as a liferaft - but obviously have been used in terms of have been fitted to a boat and exposed to the elements for a decade , but expired service by several years and asking good money .

Open the bloody thing up and lets see what its like - just for fun.
 
MartynG said:
Beats me why there are life-rafts for sale on ebay advertised as ''unused'' ... as if anyone is going to buy one that has been used as a liferaft - but obviously have been used in terms of have been fitted to a boat and exposed to the elements for a decade , but expired service by several years and asking good money .

Open the bloody thing up and lets see what its like - just for fun.
Click to expand...
Challenge accepted !
 
I unpacked my well out of date lifetaft and found the tether connection to the CO2 cylinder trigger was a very loose bowline that could have come undone. Re-tied with a double figure 8, removed the flares and torch with its corroded batteries and after a good look over decided it might be better than nothing if the s hit the fan. Hell of a job re-packing though! Got separate big grab bag with epirb,vhf, water, seasick pills, and chocolate of course!
 
I unpacked mine and found that the long inflation cord was attached to the cylinder firer ok but not to the short painter attached to the raft, so it would have inflated ok then I would have watched it float away!! The other bits and bobs were all ok.
I didn't inflate it but it was still very difficult to get it back in the bag and do the zips up, but I managed it in the end with the aid of a couple of ratchet tie down straps.
 
Mine is also an Avon 6 man valise.

I unpacked mine carefully, taking a video of the way it was packed, checking exactly how each part was folded.

I disconnected the trigger head from the cylinder and removed the cylinder and weighed it. I inflated the raft using a small compressor through the same line that the CO2 woudl have gone ( i heard of one guy that discovered the one-way valve was back to front and it could never have inflated. he had had it serviced multiple times and they never picked up on it!). I allowed the blow-off valves to operate. I left it inflated for 48 hours to check for leaks.

Checked the firing head operation and reset it.

I picked and pulled and poked at all the seams, to check the glue was fine. I bounced around on the tubes to convince myself it wasnt going to fall apart.

I checked the contents of the kit. Despite being ticked off on the last professional repacking, the flares and first aid kit were missing. I bought new. I replaced the SOLAS approved torch that had a bulb with the strength of a small firefly with two LED torches, each was around 10 times brighter than the SOLAS one, and current consumption was less than half, so they will last longer. I kept the packets of water, even though technically out of date, its just water. New sea sickness pills, new spare batteries, added some glucose tablets and foil blankets and a few other bits and bobs. Replaced the glue in the repair kit.

Checked the manual inflation pump, deflated it and double checked the deflation bung was correctly replaced and tight.

Repacked, reconnected the cylinder and repacked it. I reconnected the firing head only when I was confident it was packed and made sure the painter was in a direct line to the firing head so it would release when required, and the head was in a straight line to where the painter exited the case.

Re sealed, signed the card and put it back on the boat.

Given that the flares and first aid were missing, yet signed off on previous inspections, and similarly I have heard other reports of missing deflation plugs, untied painters, blah blah blah ... I would NOT trust anyone to do this job apart from either myself, or a professional packer ONLY IFF he/she allowed me to observe the whole process.
 
rszemeti said:
Mine is also an Avon 6 man valise.

I unpacked mine carefully, taking a video of the way it was packed, checking exactly how each part was folded.

I disconnected the trigger head from the cylinder and removed the cylinder and weighed it. I inflated the raft using a small compressor through the same line that the CO2 woudl have gone ( i heard of one guy that discovered the one-way valve was back to front and it could never have inflated. he had had it serviced multiple times and they never picked up on it!). I allowed the blow-off valves to operate. I left it inflated for 48 hours to check for leaks.

Checked the firing head operation and reset it.

I picked and pulled and poked at all the seams, to check the glue was fine. I bounced around on the tubes to convince myself it wasnt going to fall apart.

I checked the contents of the kit. Despite being ticked off on the last professional repacking, the flares and first aid kit were missing. I bought new. I replaced the SOLAS approved torch that had a bulb with the strength of a small firefly with two LED torches, each was around 10 times brighter than the SOLAS one, and current consumption was less than half, so they will last longer. I kept the packets of water, even though technically out of date, its just water. New sea sickness pills, new spare batteries, added some glucose tablets and foil blankets and a few other bits and bobs. Replaced the glue in the repair kit.

Checked the manual inflation pump, deflated it and double checked the deflation bung was correctly replaced and tight.

Repacked, reconnected the cylinder and repacked it. I reconnected the firing head only when I was confident it was packed and made sure the painter was in a direct line to the firing head so it would release when required, and the head was in a straight line to where the painter exited the case.

Re sealed, signed the card and put it back on the boat.

Given that the flares and first aid were missing, yet signed off on previous inspections, and similarly I have heard other reports of missing deflation plugs, untied painters, blah blah blah ... I would NOT trust anyone to do this job apart from either myself, or a professional packer ONLY IFF he/she allowed me to observe the whole process.
Click to expand...
Yes, this is a dilemma with some of us. I have done a similar check as above myself. There are enough reports about incorrectly packed LRs following 'professional' examination to make me ( at least) feel not entirely confident in the LR sat on the deck. perhaps we will have to pay for it so as to get the certificate then do our own DIY check!?
 
rszemeti said:
Mine is also an Avon 6 man valise.

I unpacked mine carefully, taking a video of the way it was packed, checking exactly how each part was folded.

I disconnected the trigger head from the cylinder and removed the cylinder and weighed it. I inflated the raft using a small compressor through the same line that the CO2 woudl have gone ( i heard of one guy that discovered the one-way valve was back to front and it could never have inflated. he had had it serviced multiple times and they never picked up on it!). I allowed the blow-off valves to operate. I left it inflated for 48 hours to check for leaks.

Checked the firing head operation and reset it.

I picked and pulled and poked at all the seams, to check the glue was fine. I bounced around on the tubes to convince myself it wasnt going to fall apart.

I checked the contents of the kit. Despite being ticked off on the last professional repacking, the flares and first aid kit were missing. I bought new. I replaced the SOLAS approved torch that had a bulb with the strength of a small firefly with two LED torches, each was around 10 times brighter than the SOLAS one, and current consumption was less than half, so they will last longer. I kept the packets of water, even though technically out of date, its just water. New sea sickness pills, new spare batteries, added some glucose tablets and foil blankets and a few other bits and bobs. Replaced the glue in the repair kit.

Checked the manual inflation pump, deflated it and double checked the deflation bung was correctly replaced and tight.

Repacked, reconnected the cylinder and repacked it. I reconnected the firing head only when I was confident it was packed and made sure the painter was in a direct line to the firing head so it would release when required, and the head was in a straight line to where the painter exited the case.

Re sealed, signed the card and put it back on the boat.

Given that the flares and first aid were missing, yet signed off on previous inspections, and similarly I have heard other reports of missing deflation plugs, untied painters, blah blah blah ... I would NOT trust anyone to do this job apart from either myself, or a professional packer ONLY IFF he/she allowed me to observe the whole process.
Click to expand...
Thank you - your report is very encouraging.

Well I have opened the valise in the living room, and all appears in clean, dry and very good condition. I am a bit concerned at inflating it, for fear of how do I get all the air back out, but I could bring a vac pump home from work to assist.

My use, if required, would only ever be day time use in what are normally fairly busy waters. So it is unlikely we would be in the raft longer than an hour.

The cylinder is in good condition, although clearly out of date. On my bathroom scales it matches the gross weight marked, but I have accurate parcel scales at the office so I can further check this with those.

I have requested a quote for a professional inspection and repack, as last time I did this on my Turbo 36 the inspector was sanguine that older rafts regardless of their age were generally better made and will easily outlast most modern ones.

If I decide to inflate it I will update further.

IMG_2087a.jpgIMG_2100a.jpgIMG_2102a.jpg
 
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pcatterall said:
Yes, this is a dilemma with some of us. I have done a similar check as above myself. There are enough reports about incorrectly packed LRs following 'professional' examination to make me ( at least) feel not entirely confident in the LR sat on the deck. perhaps we will have to pay for it so as to get the certificate then do our own DIY check!?
Click to expand...
Not to mention creditable reports from, IIRC, the far east of canisters being found to contain rocks instead of life rafts after services.
 
The last time i had a liferaft tested and recertified I was invited to watch the process. The tester emphasised the importance of using "dry" air or inert gas to effect inflation. If that practice is not observed, apparantly there is a danger of moisture being precipitated onto the inner walls of the liferaft. If the raft is then repacked with damp innards the seams may be affected over a period of time. Makes sense to me.
Mike
 
If the tubes are suctioned properly prior to packing, the amount of water left in them from 'wet' air will be minimal. Especially if you , like Superheat, have the very enviable support of the Domestic Manager and can do the liferaft service in a warm room with a soft carpet !

If one is really picky, then a compressor with a moisture trap will remove nearly all the Rel Hum.
 
Well I inflated it with my air compressor, although one fill valve didn't open under the lower flow from the compressor until I directly applied the air supply to that valve only. I am sure with the massive pressure surge the cylinder would provide it would have opened just fine.

Once inflated I left it for several hours whilst I went all over it looking for any deterioration. No issues at all, apart from the boarding ladder missing, so I have made one from some 8mm rope.

I discovered the emergency bag and within it a RORC pack including 3 somewhat out of date hand held red flares - April 2004, so 16 years past the use by. Anyway I took these into the garden and fired all three which all worked pefectly. I have decided not to replace the flares as I have a grab bag with the boat's own supply in anyway.

The torch didn't work as the bulb had gone and the installed batteries were past it, but the spare set lit up the spare bulb like new. But it is an old filament bulb, so not very bright, so I have replaced it with a modern superbright LED torch with strobe and SOS flash functions.

My initial attempt at re-packing has not passed muster, so once the cylinder has been weighed I will be using some cargo straps to get the pack really tight.

IMG_2105a.jpg
 
The reports from statutory casualty investigations are full of incidents of professionally packed rafts not working when required...none that I have read which caused deaths...but possibly like bad parachutes ....dead men tell no tales...

My raft was through two parking stations both of whom picked it incorrectly with out of date supplies and when I tested it it would not inflate using a compressor attached to the tube which was attached to the bottle. I found the fault to be a valve which was either stuck or assembled incorrectly or both...
My suspicion is that it was a manufacturing fault and the service stations only inflated through the topup valves...

So please do not knock self examination/servicing...
 
LittleSister said:
Shocking that missing/faulty/unchecked items following 'professional' servicing seem from these tales to be almost the norm, rather than am extremely rare occurrence.
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I suspect they are not the norm, but probably more common than many people expect ... after all, how many of us actually check the newly serviced raft? Most go straight back to the service centre 3 years later for another £350 fee ... where the error is either rectified or possibly not ... but it seems there are few reports coming back from service centres of these issues ..
 
I must say the response to this thread has been interesting. I already will not have anyone else work on my boat as I do not trust what they might do. Looks like I will be extending this principle to the raft from now on.

Having a life saving device you absolutely expect will work upon demand and without preparation and at any time, that may fail due to a numpty is simply unacceptable.
 
Is it possible to use a vacuum bag for compressing the raft?

We once used one on a double bed memory foam overlay. It turned into a close relative of an ironing board. Took three days to recover!
 
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pandos said:
The reports from statutory casualty investigations are full of incidents of professionally packed rafts not working when required...none that I have read which caused deaths...but possibly like bad parachutes ....dead men tell no tales...
Click to expand...

I would love to get copies of any reports referred to above are out safety regulation authority insist on a certificate from an authorised "professional" life raft service station.

I always insist on the return of all outdated flares, batteries and water following service. This does not prove replacement but gives an good indication.

When I test my inflatable life jackets I use a low pressure 12V inflection pump to inflate it and the reverse the pump to deflate and remove all the air.
 
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