Liferaft - from eBay?

[twohapence]

Hi

So if it all goes terribly wrong and you're about to step off the yacht - would you feel happy having bought the liferaft on eBay?

Not sure I would. Owning a multihull means that my boat is unsinkable. Fire now - that's a different story. Should I pay top dollar for top safety kit?

And yet - there's any number of second hand liferafts for sale. If you buy one it'll need a service. Say £125 plus £40 carriage both ways to add to the cost. And if it fails the survey at service you've lost whatever you paid. If it fails at sea then it'll be the last lesson that life will teach you.

Thoughts?

Cheers,

Two.

[s/v 'Faith']

A used (uncertified) life raft is a pig in a poke.... and can be a great deal if it passes certification... or a real waste of $$$ if it does not.

Feeling lucky?

[S/V Alchemy]

See "wife from mail order". The warranty situation is similar.

[twohapence]

Originally Posted by s/v 'Faith'

A used (uncertified) life raft is a pig in a poke.... and can be a great deal if it passes certification... or a real waste of $$$ if it does not.

Feeling lucky?

Sounds like something from Dirty Harry - "Feeling lucky, punk?"

For me the answer is - No!

I'll buy a new liferaft and pray that I'll never need to use it.

[Stumble]

I wouldn't buy any raft that was uncertified, regardless of the source. Unless the purchase was contingent on it passing certification.

[Astral Blue]

Originally Posted by twohapence

Hi

Owning a multihull means that my boat is unsinkable.

Haha! I'll buy that for a dollar...

Catamaran sinks on rocks in heavy seas - News - Virgin Islands Daily News

[jstevens]

Stumble hit on the issue. There has to be some assurance that raft will pass certification. You may not get back the shipping and certification cost, but at least it wouldn't be a complete write off. Going with a new raft serves well for the first couple of years of cruising, but it can fail re-certification just as easily as a used one and then your are out the cost of a new raft.

BTW, I've heard anecdotal reports of certified rafts failing to open. Nothing is certain.

John

[solarbri]

It was last seen floating...
"It was a total loss, gone," Wentworth said. "It was last upside down heading west."
Just saying...