G
Guest
Guest
> THE BEST LIFERAFT SERVICE-SERVICE?-PROBABLY!
> (See Liferaft/Service/ Hire DEC 6th)
>
> On Thur Dec 6th MickP asked in PBO reader to reader net forum, for info on
> cost/value experience of getting liferafts serviced. Why buy and pay for servicing instead of renting? Is the UK more expensive were secondary thoughts from this thread.
>
> I told MickP that I had arranged to deliver my 1989 Avon 6 man Ocean
> Canister raft for a full service by Cosalt International Safety in
> Birkenhead today, and I was asked for an update on my
> experience. Here it is and I hope my story is as useful as my visit to
> Cosalt was to me.
>
> When I booked my visit with Cosalt in November Jeremy Green told me that
> as an organisation dealing in the main with the commercial market they
> were amazed how few yacht/boat owners had ever seen a liferaft deployed at
> all, let alone their own one! He encouraged me to take my own liferaft
> myself and promised that if I would do, they would start the Service there
> and then on arrival.
>
> They were as good as their word today. I checked in to the reception
> counter and John McLoughlin had my little 6 man canister trolleyed inside
> to the very brightly lit and polished red floored MCA Controlled Area.
>
> There was plenty of room. There was only "one" of the Irish Sea ferry,
> Seacat Rapide's 100 person liferafts actually inflated at the time in the
> same SOLAS Area; though there were others ready for their turn.
>
> I got my video camera ready and John pulled the Painter line. Two muffled
> gunshot sounds later and the canister parted neatly and the twin tube
> rings leapt out clearing the canister to reach full size in about 8 or 10
> seconds by my reckoning. Some things popped and hissed inside and then
> the roof canopy supports snaked upwards until the canopy was taut and the
> little lamp on the top lit up with a brave show of pride.
>
> During this time John had been taking notes and talked me through the
> process as well. "Note the pressure release venting as the tubes go hard,
> and also that the gas stays coming since the material relaxes".
> "See the frost"?
> "Best keep hands away until it melts if you can"." This is how you turn
> her upright if needed", "this is where/how you inflate the floor when
> ready," and much much more that I did not know then but do now!
>
> Then a quick check through the contents of the pack item by item. Really
> just to show me since it would be done again properly and logged after I
> had gone. What was in and what was out of date?
> Medical kit- some content out and some still in.
> Flares - some past the date and the rest by June next year = all out of
> date; and so on through the sponge to the fishing kit(God I hope I don't
> have to use it).
>
> A quick assessment of the general condition of the raft came next, (I
> expected the worst since its last check was in '98). " Not bad for her
> age" said John, " She has been kept dry,- the wet's the killer,- she will
> do some more years yet if properly cared for".
>
> I got a rapid tour of the rest of the facilities for rigging and testing
> of chute escapes and Canvas loft and more and more! All of focussed
> exclusively on safety. Cosalt Safety is not a service shop behind the
> chandlery affair. John was just one of 5 fully qualified SOLAS liferaft
> and systems engineers on the floor this morning, but I was fully convinced
> that John took my little 6 person job just as seriously as he did the
> Seacat's 100 person one next door. I learned a lot from my visit and will
> have much more confidence if the unthinkable happens. In my opinion Cosalt
> at Birkenhead probably have an ideal SERVICE for us amateurs.I have no connection with Cosalt.
>
> Cost?
> Cosalt charged £99.75 for the main service including repacking (£117.20
> inc VAT) plus the consumables which had to be replaced. Subject to
> confirmation Jeremy Green expects this to take the total in my case to
> about £150.00 (£176.25 incl VAT).
>
> Jeremy says that the £99.75 covers 4 - 6 person raft, but the consumables
> may be less. These are slack season prices available until mid/end
> February (I think), after then you will pay more as is normal in that
> industry as the season approaches.
>
>
> Contact for price and appointment Cosalt Safety Birkenhead.
> Lynn Ritchie or Jeremy Green
> 0151 650 5600
> jeremy.green@cosalt.co.uk <mailto:jeremy.green@cosalt.co.uk>
>
> (See Liferaft/Service/ Hire DEC 6th)
>
> On Thur Dec 6th MickP asked in PBO reader to reader net forum, for info on
> cost/value experience of getting liferafts serviced. Why buy and pay for servicing instead of renting? Is the UK more expensive were secondary thoughts from this thread.
>
> I told MickP that I had arranged to deliver my 1989 Avon 6 man Ocean
> Canister raft for a full service by Cosalt International Safety in
> Birkenhead today, and I was asked for an update on my
> experience. Here it is and I hope my story is as useful as my visit to
> Cosalt was to me.
>
> When I booked my visit with Cosalt in November Jeremy Green told me that
> as an organisation dealing in the main with the commercial market they
> were amazed how few yacht/boat owners had ever seen a liferaft deployed at
> all, let alone their own one! He encouraged me to take my own liferaft
> myself and promised that if I would do, they would start the Service there
> and then on arrival.
>
> They were as good as their word today. I checked in to the reception
> counter and John McLoughlin had my little 6 man canister trolleyed inside
> to the very brightly lit and polished red floored MCA Controlled Area.
>
> There was plenty of room. There was only "one" of the Irish Sea ferry,
> Seacat Rapide's 100 person liferafts actually inflated at the time in the
> same SOLAS Area; though there were others ready for their turn.
>
> I got my video camera ready and John pulled the Painter line. Two muffled
> gunshot sounds later and the canister parted neatly and the twin tube
> rings leapt out clearing the canister to reach full size in about 8 or 10
> seconds by my reckoning. Some things popped and hissed inside and then
> the roof canopy supports snaked upwards until the canopy was taut and the
> little lamp on the top lit up with a brave show of pride.
>
> During this time John had been taking notes and talked me through the
> process as well. "Note the pressure release venting as the tubes go hard,
> and also that the gas stays coming since the material relaxes".
> "See the frost"?
> "Best keep hands away until it melts if you can"." This is how you turn
> her upright if needed", "this is where/how you inflate the floor when
> ready," and much much more that I did not know then but do now!
>
> Then a quick check through the contents of the pack item by item. Really
> just to show me since it would be done again properly and logged after I
> had gone. What was in and what was out of date?
> Medical kit- some content out and some still in.
> Flares - some past the date and the rest by June next year = all out of
> date; and so on through the sponge to the fishing kit(God I hope I don't
> have to use it).
>
> A quick assessment of the general condition of the raft came next, (I
> expected the worst since its last check was in '98). " Not bad for her
> age" said John, " She has been kept dry,- the wet's the killer,- she will
> do some more years yet if properly cared for".
>
> I got a rapid tour of the rest of the facilities for rigging and testing
> of chute escapes and Canvas loft and more and more! All of focussed
> exclusively on safety. Cosalt Safety is not a service shop behind the
> chandlery affair. John was just one of 5 fully qualified SOLAS liferaft
> and systems engineers on the floor this morning, but I was fully convinced
> that John took my little 6 person job just as seriously as he did the
> Seacat's 100 person one next door. I learned a lot from my visit and will
> have much more confidence if the unthinkable happens. In my opinion Cosalt
> at Birkenhead probably have an ideal SERVICE for us amateurs.I have no connection with Cosalt.
>
> Cost?
> Cosalt charged £99.75 for the main service including repacking (£117.20
> inc VAT) plus the consumables which had to be replaced. Subject to
> confirmation Jeremy Green expects this to take the total in my case to
> about £150.00 (£176.25 incl VAT).
>
> Jeremy says that the £99.75 covers 4 - 6 person raft, but the consumables
> may be less. These are slack season prices available until mid/end
> February (I think), after then you will pay more as is normal in that
> industry as the season approaches.
>
>
> Contact for price and appointment Cosalt Safety Birkenhead.
> Lynn Ritchie or Jeremy Green
> 0151 650 5600
> jeremy.green@cosalt.co.uk <mailto:jeremy.green@cosalt.co.uk>
>
