Visit our Popular Forums

chuckr · 19-07-2012, 08:03

sitting in trinidad and asked the local safety store that was recommed to us to give me a quote on recert a 4 person offshore zodiac liferaft -- we got back the usa cost of about $1,900 -
the wanted $6 for a duracell "d" battery - $50 for a parachute flare - $20 for a hand held flare - and when i mean battery or flare i am talking about just 1 --

what has anyone else paid for a recert - we will head to grenada or st martins and get it done there

thanks
chuck patty and svsoulmates
in trinidad for hurricane season

bruce smith · 19-07-2012, 08:10

I just had my 4man Avon done in Antigua,about$1200.and they gave me a bag of old flares and bits and they pick up and deliver.so,I guess I would recommend them.Seagul Inflatables I think is the name,right in foulmouth

RUSTYNAIL · 19-07-2012, 20:06

Did this price include the 5 year inflation test with the CO2 bottle, after that test the CO2 bottle will need to be sent out like a dive bottle and be hydro tested, then refilled with CO2. Sometmes that test and all the new stuff makes it almost worth buying a new life raft. If the raft is ten years old, future servicing will probably start showing pin hole leaks in the tubes from the cold CO2 inflation test. The annual tests only use compressor air slowly pumped into the tubes to check for leaks.

bobconnie · 19-07-2012, 22:07

In wonder how many life rafts there are on sail boats around the world ??? and is there anywhere that shows how many have been used in the last 20 years ?? and if there is, how many of the boats did not sink ?? just wonderd, cus the darn things are sure expensive !!

jeremiason · 20-07-2012, 05:34

Quote:

Originally Posted by bobconnie

In wonder how many life rafts there are on sail boats around the world ??? and is there anywhere that shows how many have been used in the last 20 years ?? and if there is, how many of the boats did not sink ?? just wonderd, cus the darn things are sure expensive !!

I have found no worldwide statistical data on who, where or why liferafts were deployed...

I have also found no statistical data on how many people paid boat insurance premiums, but never filed a claim...

With that said, I have had several first hand accounts on the use of liferafts and from them have gathered that without them, people would have died.

I consider my liferaft and insurance policy, that I pay a annual premium on in the form of repacking.

Sabbatical II · 20-07-2012, 05:42

If cost was the prime consideration with a life raft, why have one at all? I've just bought a 6 man Zodiac raft from a salesman claiming a perfect safety record. No one has ever returned one of his rafts to say it didn't work.

chuckr · 20-07-2012, 06:39

bruce smith -- thanks - we are headed that way after hurricane season -

chuck

hellosailor · 20-07-2012, 08:13

" If the raft is ten years old, "
Forunately the raft in question is a Zodiac, and Zodiac follows the guidance of the French government and simply condemns their rafts as unfit for service at ten years of age. No authorized Zodiac dealer will repack them or service them at that point.
Apparently Zodiac had some issues with gluing seams and seam failures, and they decided that the proper way to solve that problem was by condemning the rafts before all the bad seams could fail.

Chuck-
If you are unaware, even in the US the USCG has seen gross failures by repacking stations. You really might want to BE THERE to witness the unpack and repack, no matter where it is done.

RUSTYNAIL · 20-07-2012, 08:48

I believe your concerns were clearly answered, but I want to add some more.
If you need help way offshore, expect to be rescued by a merchant vessel after a fixed wing aircraft locates you. The life raft allows additional time for rescue personnel to get to you. Staying alive in a life raft is only part of the emergency evacuation plan. If I had a fixed dollar amount for my survival plan, my first dollars would go into an EPIRB or PLB that floats to make my stay in the life raft very short. Most of the time, you need to stay with the vessel until the last minute. It makes for a larger target so you can be found. If you added a hand held VHF radio, that would help a merchant vessel find you. We are rapidly getting out of the dark ages and getting rescued is becoming more cost effective for the people being rescued, and for the ones doing the rescue.
Three main things to plan for:1) Proper notification and position. 2) Be prepared to handle the environment you are in while waiting for rescue personnel. 3) Be able to give a good radar signature or electronic signal when rescue personel get close.
I've inspected hundreds of life rafts during their servicing cycle, and older ones tend to have lots of pin hole leaks. Good luck and happy sailing. You are living my dream.

belizesailor · 20-07-2012, 09:13

After being quoted an outrageous amount by Winslow for servicing, I did my own last year. Very glad I did. Learned lots. Know the raft first hand now and could stock it the way I wanted it stocked.

This approach is not for everyone, but it sure worked great for me. See the thread on this subject here on CF: "Life Raft Self-Service".

chuckr · 20-07-2012, 13:53

hello sailor -- it is only 3 1/2 years old so no issue there - trinidad is just a rip off - one of our friends took his in to another place and was told $500 but when i told him est and the breakdown he is concerned of his final bill -- and yes i will be there when they unpack it and repack - specially down here

rusty nail - we actually have 3 epirbs on board - 2 personal and 1 big one - we also can put out distress calls via the hf and have 3 handhelds on board of which one is in the ditch bag and we rotate the batteries very 6 months or so

belieze sailor - let me do some research on that -- thanks

thanks to all
chuck

LeaseOnLife · 20-07-2012, 16:11

We had ours serviced in St Lucia.

Contact:
francis at internationalinflatable.com

He wants you to be there when they service it.

**David M** · 20-07-2012, 18:07

Quote:

Originally Posted by Sabbatical II

If cost was the prime consideration with a life raft, why have one at all? I've just bought a 6 man Zodiac raft from a salesman claiming a perfect safety record. No one has ever returned one of his rafts to say it didn't work.

Is that the same thing as stating that no sky diver has ever returned a reserve parachute saying that it failed to work?

donradcliffe · 20-07-2012, 19:51

I had a 4 man raft repacked in Trinidad, and the bill was about $600-700. I've paid from $500 to $750, depending on where I was, and only have it done every three years. A Solas parachute flare is going to cost about $40 in the US, and they have to pay import taxes on them there.