What is the problem with transporting a liferaft.

[Sneaky Pete]

Does anyone know of a courier firm who will transport a valise liferaft from London up to Glasgow, Scotland I have had a couple of them say that because there is compressed gas they won’t touch it. Maybe someone knows of a way round this problem.

 

[superheat6k]

Wrap it up and don't tell them what's inside, if they asked explain its a dinghy, in which case you aren't lying.

 

[Falling Star]

I had an Avon 4 man canister life raft collected from Cornwall and delivered to me in Colchester last year. The only couriers that I could find willing to do it were UPS. Cost was about £60 I think. Weight was 33kg. They were advised what it was beforehand and it arrived no problem. Obviously you have to ensure it is well packaged.

 

[winsbury]

Usually they have flares inside too...couriers wont like that either!

 

[sailorman]

Does anyone know of a courier firm who will transport a valise liferaft from London up to Glasgow, Scotland I have had a couple of them say that because there is compressed gas they won’t touch it. Maybe someone knows of a way round this problem.

Use interparcel & state liferaft job done.
well thats what i did after selling one on ebay
interparcel around £10 for up to 30kg

 

[z1ppy]

liferafts are classified as dangerous goods under transport regulations (Class 9 UN 2990. life saving appliance, self inflating).

if UK domestic it should fall below the threashold for specially trained drivers and vehicles but even so, most of the big courier companies dont understand the rules of cant be bothered.

i think Citylink will take class 9 domestically.

 

[Robert Wilson]

I sent my canister to a buyer in Sussex, and he sent his valise to my service agent in Aberdeen. Try AJG Parcels, Inverness. I think it cost us both about £30.

 

[winsbury]

liferafts are classified as dangerous goods under transport regulations (Class 9 UN 2990. life saving appliance, self inflating)..

This is exactly the issue - regardless of whether you declare it as a dinghy or liferaft or anything else, all couriers will require you to have ticked a box or otherwise agreed that it doesnt contain dangerous goods. Flares and compressed gas are most definitely classed as dangerous for this purpose. The fact that someone else may have lied on the form and 'gets away with it' doesnt affect the fact that if something were to go wrong, and particularly if someone gets hurt; you will be liable.

You might be surprised how powerful this stuff is...

I bought a secondhand liferaft off fleabay last year and it turned out to be ****. What was interesting was that the cylinder had rotted away from the carcass of the liferaft so when we did a test inflation the cylinder completed departed from the boat and quite literally took off spaying snow-like freezing CO2/N compound around the warehouse in a terrifyingly noisy white cloud. Luckily no one was injured save for some ringing in the ears but it was a very close call. I was extremely surprised by the violence of the gas escape, powerful enough to launch a 20Kg or so cylinder a couple of meters in the air and leave some paint marks on our racking at head height to prove it.

 

[Ross D]

Use interparcel & state liferaft job done.
well thats what i did after selling one on ebay
interparcel around £10 for up to 30kg

Interparcel is just an online booking service, they deal with 100's of bookings a day and do not read what you type into the box where you say what it contains. There is a detailed prohibited items list on Interparcel (and all other courier bookers) you are required to read it and tick a box to say that you are not sending any of the items on the list. While they do not explicitly state liferafts, they do state "Dangerous goods - eg Explosives / Fireworks / " and "Fire Extinguishers / Life Jackets" and "Hazardous materials eg Compressed Air & Empty cylinders / Items containing any gases " which pretty much covers no liferaft.

I agree you can simply ignore the list, with Interparcel or any other couriers put it in a box and state liferaft on the booking form, no one will check what you have typed and probably it will go without incident. But you will be liable if there is a problem, think of a liferaft blowing up in a transit van on the motorway at rush hour, or the flares going off.

Ross

 

[Tranona]

Notice that Gaelforce are offering free delivery on liferafts which suggests that transport is not a big issue.

 

[z1ppy]

Notice that Gaelforce are offering free delivery on liferafts which suggests that transport is not a big issue.

Yup. Or they have a carriage agreement with one of the couriers that is able to take class 9 dangerous good domestically. (There are a few)

Many people mis declare dangerous goods for transport. 99.9% nobody knows. I think the valuejet crash in the us some years ago was due to an oxygen generator being sent undeclared.

 

[winsbury]

Notice that Gaelforce are offering free delivery on liferafts which suggests that transport is not a big issue.

It can be done legally provided you are completely open with your carrier and check their terms and conditions. My liferaft was serviced by Survivetec in Southampton and they use a courier to pick up and return but cant for the life of me remember who it was.

 

[MASH]

Why not just call a liferaft service or sales agent and ask who they use?

Sorted.

 

[alant]

Does anyone know of a courier firm who will transport a valise liferaft from London up to Glasgow, Scotland I have had a couple of them say that because there is compressed gas they won’t touch it. Maybe someone knows of a way round this problem.

Did a delivery for a certain forumite, Dubrovnic to Corfu a few years ago.

He had a liferaft sent by British Airways as hold baggage, out/back/out, without telling them what it was.
Interesting watching them use the 'bit of long rope' attached, to lift it at Dubrovnic airport check in.

 

[Sneaky Pete]

Notice that Gaelforce are offering free delivery on liferafts which suggests that transport is not a big issue.

I phoned around a few of the online chandleries with the view to buying a seago life raft they said they post direct using Tuffnell’s transport however you require an account with them I have since discovered UPS will transport class 9 and I am hoping to use a company called XDP based in Birmingham they assure me they will transport life rafts, so as they say.

WATCH THIS SPACE.

There are the forumites who say that compressed gas is dangerous goods however there is about 100Ltr of diesel, a calor gas cylinder, 4Ltr of petrol compressed CO2 and flares in the life raft and life jacket and a offshore flare pack all within a 1 meter radius of where I stand in the cockpit do I feel endangered.

 

[sailorman]

I phoned around a few of the online chandleries with the view to buying a seago life raft they said they post direct using Tuffnell’s transport however you require an account with them I have since discovered UPS will transport class 9 and I am hoping to use a company called XDP based in Birmingham they assure me they will transport life rafts, so as they say.

WATCH THIS SPACE.

There are the forumites who say that compressed gas is dangerous goods however there is about 100Ltr of diesel, a calor gas cylinder, 4Ltr of petrol compressed CO2 and flares in the life raft and life jacket and a offshore flare pack all within a 1 meter radius of where I stand in the cockpit do I feel endangered.

check em out
https://www.interparcel.com

 

[PhillM]

I used www.Anyvan.co.uk and got a guy called Les who has his own van and does part loads from anywhere to anywhere.

Cost me £140 to get an engine lifted in Glasgow and dropped in Southampton and the same to take it back, but that another story.

If you don't mind which day or how long it takes (within readon) you can get a really good price from him and others on that site.

His number is : 07868 849836

Feel free to tell him I recommended. No connection, etc.

 

[Robert Wilson]

I sent my canister to a buyer in Sussex, and he sent his valise to my service agent in Aberdeen. Try AJG Parcels, Inverness. I think it cost us both about £30.

Additionally, I told AJG that mine was a life raft, albeit completely wrapped. They accepted it without comment. Not sure who was the carrier was which brought the Seago up to Aberdeen (Survitech, Dyce) but it was quite plainly "a liferaft" as it was unwrapped!

 

[MASH]

He had a liferaft sent by British Airways as hold baggage, out/back/out, without telling them what it was.
Interesting watching them use the 'bit of long rope' attached, to lift it at Dubrovnic airport check in.

It would no doubt have been interesting visiting him in a Croatian jail had they pulled it a little harder.
The selfishness, stupidity and utter irresponsibility of some people just beggars belief.

 

[Sneaky Pete]

Does anyone know of a courier firm who will transport a valise liferaft from London up to Glasgow, Scotland I have had a couple of them say that because there is compressed gas they won’t touch it. Maybe someone knows of a way round this problem.

The final instalment of the story is that XDP did deliver the life raft for under £25 within 48 hours and it hadn’t been inflated so thanks very much XDP. So it may give some confidence when buying on internet auction sites that you can use a handful of carriers to ship the goods.