What to do with old life raft?

[michael_w]

My boat came with an out of date liferaft, I raffled the right to pull the rip cord, with the proceeds going to Macmillan Cancer Support. A club member had recently died of bowel cancer and the charity was a great comfort in his final weeks.

 

[rogerthebodger]

Disposal of the pyrotechnics might be your biggest issue.

Jonathan

Take then to the bomb squad for disposal as was told to me by a local police who refused to handle them

Again a training school could use then as demos as the STCW school I went to

 

[Zing]

These are "commercial".
I was told they are good for 30 years.

I stopped using them because the servicing needed to be done every year, and cost about 1/2 the cost of a new liferaft.
A new liferaft did not need to be serviced for 3 years.

Maybe some last forever. Fibreglass ones for example. Mine was condemned at 16 years as being at its recommended end of life by the manufacturer, Zodiac. Service was refused. Others last less long. It was commercial rated SOLAS complying liferaft as my boat was a coded vessel. The current one is lifed at 12, but like you say, with cheap liferafts it’s cheaper to throw them away than endure annual service costs, which I have to go onto after I think it’s the second 3 yr service.

 

[Neeves]

I stopped using them because the servicing needed to be done every year, and cost about 1/2 the cost of a new liferaft.
A new liferaft did not need to be serviced for 3 years.

All too true

And we also worry about land fill

One might think the annual service is a bit onerous (as well as expensive). One might think a canister raft stored sensibly would last longer than a non canister life raft - but they are treated the same.

I had our LR serviced in HK by the same company that serviced rafts etc for Cathay Pacific. When we brought it to Australia we had it re-serviced to be advised the raft contained no flares, nor water.

Of course most rafts are never used. If you are not there when the raft is serviced (and it never crossed my mind to attend a servicing) how do you know its even been touched. Of course most rafts are never used.

Disposal, sensible storage, re-servicing - its all expensive and all a worry.

Jonathan

 

[Arcady]

Another vote for children’s paddling pool. My kids loved having a high-tech special paddling pool, but I’m not sure what the neighbours thought of a large bright orange monstrosity, sitting in the middle of our garden!

 

[snowbird30ds]

Put them in the back of someone you don't like's car and pull the cord through the window.....