Seeking Recommendations for Life raft

[Exile]

Originally Posted by slug

If you lash a soft pack you may chafe thru ,deform ,crush or damage the raft
Hard case rafts only for deck storage

Soft packs for inside or protected lazzerette storage

Good points. Watertight lazarrete storage -- say in cockpit lockers -- could be pretty ideal. Or maybe inside a deck-mounted box. Neither are options on my boat, but available on plenty of others. Storing down below could be problematic given the weight as has already been mentioned.

[johnmort]

Originally Posted by Exile

I'm in the market to replace or possibly supplement my aging Givens and so am on the fence about whether to purchase another deck-mounted or a valise. What I find somewhat baffling is that the valise ones are neither moisture nor UV resistant, or at least not resistant enough to be stored anywhere but down below. I've wondered if a sunbrella cover could be fitted but would be concerned about potential interference with the release mechanism.

It seems to me that a weather protected valise-style that is lashed on deck could be the best of all worlds, but for some reason this is clearly not what these rafts are designed/intended for. Any comments/opinions appreciated.

You want to be able to deploy your raft in a minimum time, easily releasable is a must don’t cut corners on safety equipment, you liferaft is one of those insurances that we never want to have to use, but when the **** hits the fan that raft needs to be on deck ready to go stored below deck is the wrong place.
Should be an interesting conversation with the crew when you cannot deploy the raft because you cut corners on safety equipment

[slug]

The biggest danger ..and the reason you will jump into the sea fast ..is fire

Consider this when locating safety equipment

[MVDarlin]

Try to have it recertified before you buy a new one.

[RUSTYNAIL]

The more you pay for a life raft, the better the chances are of being safer and comfortable waiting to be rescued. Canopy and Buoyancy bags are important.
The most important thing is watching videos on proper deployment and how to turn them over in case they inflate inverted. That is very common.
If you don’t have unlimited funds, get something to get you out of the water.
I would have the life raft servicing company add a 406 PLB to the equipment pack no matter what type you buy. Rescue aircraft can fly to you at 150 to 400 mph to find you if you have a 406 MHz beacon. The food in a life isn’t fun to eat.
I remember some fishermen that almost died from hypothermia, then one finally read that they needed to manually inflate the floor, and the inside of the raft warmed up. Finally someone realized they were over due, and then they were rescued. I have lots of crazy stories to add if needed.

[surf_km55]

Originally Posted by kev_rm

I realize it's highly unlikely anyone has actually *used* one, but thought I'd ask the community how they have shopped for one. I have a long expired one (2005 service date) on the boat, so I believe I need to get a new one.

Crew size: 3 or 4.
Offshore: Yes - long crossings.

My boat came with a long "expired" Viking liferaft for 6 that I had recertified for a little over $600. Since the Viking Depot was local to me, I dropped it off....I was awestruck at their selection of liferafts, some as large as cars. Anyway, have yours inspected before buying new.... they will be be certain to let you know if it is serviceable or not. Good luck!

[piloto]

Originally Posted by gamayun

I am finally going to bite the bullet this year and do it at the boat show that's in April. That should give me time to save up for something that I'm guessing is going to cost more than $5K for a 6-person life raft with the cradle, but the costs range widely. From my research last year, there were also several ratings groups to look for that corresponded to them being "offshore" (ISO 9650, etc.) versus coastal. Not sure why there are so many rating organizations on the different rafts. Anyway, I'll be very interested in following this thread.

Switlik makes liferafts that do double duty, air and sea. That’s what’s on my Christmas list. Hi [emoji112]

[liferaft]

I am retired from running a life raft service facility. Beware of purchasing a raft in a foreign country and then attempting to bring it in to the US (unless it is on your boat). Shipping a raft by common carrier, be it a freight company, airline or FedEx can be an issue unless the inflation cylinder is approved by the US Department of Transportation. This is something customs will look for should you buy a raft in Europe and then have it shipped over here.

European companies who sell in the US have to pack their rafts with US approved cylinders. Cylinders can have multiple approvals but each one costs money and manufacturers tend to minimize their costs so it is unlikely that a raft destined for sale in Europe would have the proper cylinder in it.

Although I have been retired for a couple of years, there was (and I believe still is) a major difference between Coastal and Offshore rafts. Yes, equipment is one, but ballasting, boarding ladder/platform, insulated floors, size (floor square footage per person) and even material that the buoyancy tubes are constructed from can be different. Do your homework!

[Fi2010]

Find out what the inspection and repacking costs are. How often does the life raft need to be inspected? How often do the valves need to be replaced? This is usually where the true costs of a life raft are hidden.

In the USA, many of the life rafts are imports. If the raft is made in the USA, then the valves and other hardware are imports. Most of the ditch kits and other items placed inside the life raft are frequently imports. We believe Daterex Inc. supplies most of the US life raft companies with H2o and food. They’re a big importer.

In the past, many of the life rafts were a complete joke. Built with what looked like two inner tubes with a piece of plastic glued to it. Most of the life rafts are now built very well. This is good.

One thing to consider is lead time. How long will it take to receive your life raft? At our last boat show a life raft company sold life rafts at an all time low price. We heard from customers how it took months before the life raft could be delivered. Good question to ask. Especially, if you have a tight schedule.

[liferaft]

Originally Posted by Fi2010

Find out what the inspection and repacking costs are. How often does the life raft need to be inspected? How often do the valves need to be replaced? This is usually where the true costs of a life raft are hidden.

In the USA, many of the life rafts are imports. If the raft is made in the USA, then the valves and other hardware are imports. Most of the ditch kits and other items placed inside the life raft are frequently imports. We believe Daterex Inc. supplies most of the US life raft companies with H2o and food. They’re a big importer.

In the past, many of the life rafts were a complete joke. Built with what looked like two inner tubes with a piece of plastic glued to it. Most of the life rafts are now built very well. This is good.

One thing to consider is lead time. How long will it take to receive your life raft? At our last boat show a life raft company sold life rafts at an all time low price. We heard from customers how it took months before the life raft could be delivered. Good question to ask. Especially, if you have a tight schedule.

Not true about the valves. Switlik and Winslow who both manufacture rafts in the US purchase their valves from Mirada, another US company. Datrex food and water are also a US product, made/packaged in Louisiana.

[Fi2010]

We've been told something different by the manufacturer reps. So maybe we're both correct. Sometimes US parts are used, sometimes not. However, Switlik is likely more prone to US made. Hence the higher price. We're good with higher price as long as the quality is good.

[johnmort]

Originally Posted by Fi2010

We've been told something different by the manufacturer reps. So maybe we're both correct. Sometimes US parts are used, sometimes not. However, Switlik is likely more prone to US made. Hence the higher price. We're good with higher price as long as the quality is good.

Not just price the correct equipment, as in a swim platform, ocean liferafts with just a ladder are extremely difficult to get into, everybody looking at buying a liferaft needs to take a safety at sea course to understand what this equipment is all about, so they make an informed decision when spending thousands of dollars,plus understand how to use it

[Fi2010]

Originally Posted by johnmort

Not just price the correct equipment, as in a swim platform, ocean liferafts with just a ladder are extremely difficult to get into, everybody looking at buying a liferaft needs to take a safety at sea course to understand what this equipment is all about, so they make an informed decision when spending thousands of dollars,plus understand how to use it

US Sailing's Safety at Sea online and hands on courses are very good. We recommend them. Keep in mind that US Sailing tends to promote specific product without listing all available sources. So going to the boat shows and/or checking out competing manufacturers' websites and videos are good ideas.

[liferaft]

Originally Posted by Fi2010

We've been told something different by the manufacturer reps. So maybe we're both correct. Sometimes US parts are used, sometimes not. However, Switlik is likely more prone to US made. Hence the higher price. We're good with higher price as long as the quality is good.

With recreational marine rafts, Switlik and Winslow are the only two US manufacturers I am aware of. Others import hulls and outfit them here, thus the foreign parts. Hardly built in the US.

[Fi2010]

There's different levels of US Made. The rules vary between the Federal Government and States. In one state, a company like Winslow, might be able to claim US made. In another state, with different rules, Winslow might not be able to claim US made. It's all related to the parts a company chooses to incorporate. Even if they have all the machinery to put it all together.

Certain parts are no longer made in the US, giving manufacturers no choice, but to import. And just because a company purchases parts from another US manufacturer doesn't guarantee they're actually receiving American made. In the end, what matters is the equipment is built to last and to save lives.