What Viking Liferafts do not tell you!

[Pete7]

Originally Posted by grantmc

About NZ$1,200 (USA$900 approx.) for the same Viking service (assumption that it's a non Commercial).

Yee gods, we didn't pay that for the new 4 man life raft (£600) and a service costs about £200. Okay its not a Viking but is an offshore liferaft.

Pete

[Larry Florida]

Originally Posted by messias

As there are a few countries that do not require you to have a life raft and/or any kind of inspection/certification, I´d like to make one question... maybe a stupid one, but nevertheless something that is really on the back of my head:

How difficult is it REALLY to inspect/service/repack a life raft? (i don´t have or need one for my kind of sailing)
But I do it myself to my life jackets... and I have been repairing all kinds of RIBS (both PVC and Hypalon), so... really... if you won´t need a certification of course, is it that hard?

Did not see life raft on the USCG list of required equipment - flares, life vest, fire extinguisher etc. Did I miss it?

When does a life raft become required by the USCG?

[ALLAN WARD]

As in Revelation's case l landed up in Trinidad needing to service my 4 Man Viking .
I discovered that only the Viking dealer was able to carry out the service and l was given an estimate that amounted to 10% more than l could buy a brand new unit from Viking in Capetown. I was assured that because of the outward appearance of my raft my final account would be probably be less . Once the raft had been inflated to inspect the contents l landed up paying the full amount . After a lot of haggling about currency ( SA Rand 14-1 USD ) they gave me a 10% discount .
Their story is that even though the interior and everything in it looked brand new, the expiry dates on the contents had been reached .

It's a Catch/22 situation . If the day comes when you need it and it won't inflate , telling your partner that you skipped the service because of cost would not make you very popular, particularly if the water is cold .

[Polux]

Originally Posted by Symphony

Very informative thread. Buying a life raft is more than a product, rather a long relationship

As any other safety product, from Epirb to inflatable life jackets, fire signals to fire extinguisher they all have time for mandatory revisions. The same in many countries with the boat itself.

Why it should be different with a liferaft?

[chouliha]

Originally Posted by gjorgensen

$2108 is highway robbery for a liferaft repack. My Winslow 6 man raft costs around $500 to vacuum pack, certified for 3 years. I think Viking rafts are cheaper than that locally here in San Diego.

Interesting that your winslow was so reasonable to repack. We also have a winslow 4 man raft and since there is no authorized service center in Mexico we carried it by bus back to SD and had it shipped to Florida for repacking. The repacking center in SD did not have any parts for our model raft in house. Clearly not even close to $500!! The second time we were in Central America—- No authorized center there. Again the same in South America. Why use an authorized service center - the only reason being if there was something needed replacing like. a valve, etc it would have to come from the factory or closest authorized center.

We had it repacked in Ecuador at a non authorized service center(see “Other Good Stuff”) in our website for details. Bottom line they could not get it repacked in the same size in a custom valise that was built to fit in a certain locations. The other boat we shared a taxi with had a different brand raft in a hard case. They could not pack it tight enough to get it sealed..... GRRRRRR

Now trying to get the life raft repacked in French Polynesia — Again no authorized service center.

Point being - Before purchasing ask to see the list of authorized service centers around the world. Then call one and ask about the charges for repacking

Good luck

Chuck
Jacaranda

[taxwizz]

Originally Posted by Seymore

Years ago I bought a 4 year old life raft (I've forgotten the brand), took it in to a service facility and they refused to service it. The PO had missed the mandated two year(?) service requirement. Later I read a Practical Sailor life raft review that said this particular life raft manufacturer used a fabric that tended to split when it remained folded tightly for 3 years, as in a packed life raft, and the USCG had accordingly stopped certifying them.

I think that many of us would like to know the brand "to avoid".

[taxwizz]

Originally Posted by Pete7

Yee gods, we didn't pay that for the new 4 man life raft (£600) and a service costs about £200. Okay its not a Viking but is an offshore liferaft.

Pete

Hi Pete;
What brand do you have for that price?

[svrevelations]

Originally Posted by messias

As there are a few countries that do not require you to have a life raft and/or any kind of inspection/certification, I´d like to make one question... maybe a stupid one, but nevertheless something that is really on the back of my head:

How difficult is it REALLY to inspect/service/repack a life raft? (i don´t have or need one for my kind of sailing)
But I do it myself to my life jackets... and I have been repairing all kinds of RIBS (both PVC and Hypalon), so... really... if you won´t need a certification of course, is it that hard?

In my case, South African Maritime Authority (SAMSA) requires a valid certification of your life raft - failing this, you cannot get their vessel Certificate of Fitness (COF). Without this COF, you are not allowed to sail in South African waters - nor can you leave the country. These rules apply for South African registered vessels - I guess they have to obey International Law when it comes to foreign registered vessels. This means, inspecting and re-packing one's own life raft is simply out of the question.

[svrevelations]

I got my life raft back today and ALL the items they replaced. It is an absolute joke! A ripoff beyond believe! I cannot believe that I had to pay so much money for the few items they replaced. I will take a picture of the goods they replaced and post it here soon. You will fall on your back! I must be the dumbest, thickest, richest damn idiot or clown in town!!! On top of that, I must be wearing a huge sign that says "RIP ME OFF!". What a bunch of crooks!

[taxwizz]

Originally Posted by Revelations

I got my life raft back today and ALL the items they replaced. It is an absolute joke! A ripoff beyond believe! I cannot believe that I had to pay so much money for the few items they replaced. I will take a picture of the goods they replaced and post it here soon. You will fall on your back! I must be the dumbest, thickest, richest damn idiot or clown in town!!! On top of that, I must be wearing a huge sign that says "RIP ME OFF!". What a bunch of crooks!

You sound like you were really delighted with their service eh?

[CaptTom]

Maybe this is a really dumb question, but here goes:

If life rafts are so fragile that, even being hermetically sealed and packed in a case, they need to be checked every year (or three), then wouldn't opening up the seals, pulling them all apart, maybe inflating them, and folding them all back up again shorten their life even more?

Would it make more sense to pack the non-perishable parts (the raft) separate from the consumables? Obviously connect them so you could reel in your consumables once inside the inflated raft.

[Pete7]

Originally Posted by taxwizz

Hi Pete;
What brand do you have for that price?

This one, gone up a little since we bought it but still a sensible price that encourages folk to buy one.

Seago Sea Cruiser Valise Liferaft ISO9650-2 - Arthurs

[messias]

Yep... unfortunately life rafts seem to be nothing else than a (BAD) expensive dinghy with a (also bad) ballast system...and with a tent on top...



Yes, they can save your life, but technically... they´re nothing more than a bad dinghy with a lid.

[Seymore]

Originally Posted by taxwizz

I think that many of us would like to know the brand "to avoid".

I don't remember. It was in Practical Sailor in around 2003.

[Seymore]

Originally Posted by Revelations

I got my life raft back today and ALL the items they replaced. It is an absolute joke! A ripoff beyond believe! I cannot believe that I had to pay so much money for the few items they replaced. I will take a picture of the goods they replaced and post it here soon. You will fall on your back! I must be the dumbest, thickest, richest damn idiot or clown in town!!! On top of that, I must be wearing a huge sign that says "RIP ME OFF!". What a bunch of crooks!

Google for chandleries and service shops in China. US chandlers, for example, get their stuff from China. It's time to cut out the middleman. Riding on US chandleries, Chinese chandleries have developed competence, there's a market for yachts in China.

It'll cost, what, $100US to ship a liferaft to China, $75US for the inspection and $35US to ship it back.