Used Life Rafts?

[SomeGuyInaShirt]

After watching a bunch of youtube videos of people inflating 40+ year old life rafts I am considering buying a slightly used one to save money. I looked into budget rafts and it looks like $2200 CAD is the cheapest new raft I can get and tgat raft had bad reviews so maybe I can get a better one for cheaper. Lots of rhetoric floating around about how you should spend your money because it can save your life and all that but I'm on a low budget and these are the choices I have to make. Odds are my boat won't sink and I'd rather have a good light air sail and more cruising money. What do you think?

[MicHughV]

Life rafts typically have to get re-certified every few years. Not sure where you are planning to get yours. If from an individual, you need to check the certification due date.

Getting a liferaft re-certified is not cheap.

They can be packed in a plastic valise or fiberglass case. So this needs to be addresses. A fiberglass case will require a metal frame on deck.

If purchased from a place that services liferafts, you can ask to see it blown up.
There are many life raft manufacturers, making all types of liferafts, from coastal to offshore and everything in between, one tube, two tubes, inflated floors, etc, etc, etc. Shop around.

When you find yourself stepping into one, that will not be the time, to second guess your motives to save money. That is a false economy that can cost you your life.
Next thing you'll be telling us, you'll travel with out-of-date flares as it cost less money to get up-to-date one's.

Would you go on a long road trip, with a spare tire that is not inflated ? Off course not, same analogy applies here.

Hope some of this sinks in.

[Rucksta]

I sold an old life raft on the condition it passed inspection at the Service Centre.
Repacking and service was the buyers responsibility if it passed.
Disposal was mine if it failed.

It passed.

The purchase price + the service cost came to 75% of the purchase price of a new raft.
I got peace of mind and a new raft and reduced recertification costs.
The buyer got a vintage life raft.

First service on the new raft was three years and came to less than half the cost of service on the old raft.

Old raft was certified for one year only.

Do your own math in your market, maybe rhetoric & value judgements will no longer be factors

[SomeGuyInaShirt]

Originally Posted by Rucksta

I sold an old life raft on the condition it passed inspection at the Service Centre.
Repacking and service was the buyers responsibility if it passed.
Disposal was mine if it failed.

It passed.

The purchase price + the service cost came to 75% of the purchase price of a new raft.
I got peace of mind and a new raft and reduced recertification costs.
The buyer got a vintage life raft.

First service on the new raft was three years and came to less than half the cost of service on the old raft.

Old raft was certified for one year only.

Do your own math in your market, maybe rhetoric & value judgements will no longer be factors

Oh good points, i didn't know receetification was so expensive! Yikes

[SailingHarmonie]

It is very difficult to get a firm quote for the recertification price, because there is no way to know before it opened what needs to be replaced. Everything needs to be good until the NEXT certification date. It ranges from 30% to 75% of the cost of a new one. If a raft is out of date, it gets more expensive the longer out of date it is, simply because more of the supplies will need to be replaced.

Some rafts require recertification every year, some every 3 years. I don’t know any longer than that.

A 40 year old raft has the potential to be a dangerous thing to have around. Don’t forget there are high pressure gas bottles in there that need testing and inspection.

[dlj]

I just went through this same exercise - I'm preparing for an off-shore trip and as I'm getting folks to join me, they all wanted me to have a life raft. The boat had one from 1984 - it was not going to pass recertification - that was crystal clear. I looked at second hand rafts and by the time it was all said and done, getting them recertified and ready to go - the cost savings just wasn't worth it. So I bought a very well respected name new and I can tell you - I'm so glad I did.

dj

[MicHughV]

We have a place here in town that services life rafts. I've been in there several times to watch. It's quite a time consuming process to get a raft re-certified and I can see why it's so expensive. Getting it back into it's case or valise again, requires a special procedure and tools.

As dlj posted above, there comes a point of limited returns, where getting a new one is the only viable and sensible option.

As an option to save money, and seeing that the OP is singlehanding, a small 4 man raft should do the trick. Single tube rafts are also cheaper than a double tube, etc, etc.

Which brings me to another point. A raft certified for 4 people is not an easy chair. the occupants inside will be scrunched up with nary an inch to spare. Movement inside the raft will be extremely difficult. 2 people is really optimum for a 4 person raft.

As pointed out before, when you really need it, you'll be glad you got the best available.

[GILow]

Originally Posted by SomeGuyInaShirt

After watching a bunch of youtube videos of people inflating 40+ year old life rafts I am considering buying a slightly used one to save money. I looked into budget rafts and it looks like $2200 CAD is the cheapest new raft I can get and tgat raft had bad reviews so maybe I can get a better one for cheaper. Lots of rhetoric floating around about how you should spend your money because it can save your life and all that but I'm on a low budget and these are the choices I have to make. Odds are my boat won't sink and I'd rather have a good light air sail and more cruising money. What do you think?

I've now successfully deployed two old life rafts, both at least 20 years old. Both had been stored in hard valise cases.

The first was on the lawn at home, the second was in the marina beside boat on a calm sunny day.

In both cases they inflated fully and easily in seconds.

In both cases they were limp and drooping within a few hours.

Imagine how bad they would have been in a storm. I doubt they would have supported a person after an hour.

New life rafts are not that expensive, or better still, hire a raft if you've got a long journey planned.

But don't be mislead by YouTube videos that only tell half the story. Mine looked pretty impressive inflating. We even have videos of the event. But that's the first 20 seconds. It's the next 24 hours that matter.

[SomeGuyInaShirt]

Good points made by all, I appreciate you sharing your wisdom. Have any of you had experience with the 4 man Crewsaver ISO offshore raft? Thats the cheapest new one I could find.

[dlj]

Originally Posted by SomeGuyInaShirt

Good points made by all, I appreciate you sharing your wisdom. Have any of you had experience with the 4 man Crewsaver ISO offshore raft? Thats the cheapest new one I could find.

Where are you sailing to need the raft? It's not jut about the raft, it's also what it carries. There are different requirements - or recommendations - depending upon how far you are from rescue.

dj

[Jammer]

Originally Posted by SomeGuyInaShirt

After watching a bunch of youtube videos of people inflating 40+ year old life rafts I am considering buying a slightly used one to save money. I looked into budget rafts and it looks like $2200 CAD is the cheapest new raft I can get and tgat raft had bad reviews so maybe I can get a better one for cheaper. Lots of rhetoric floating around about how you should spend your money because it can save your life and all that but I'm on a low budget and these are the choices I have to make. Odds are my boat won't sink and I'd rather have a good light air sail and more cruising money. What do you think?

Where are you going to sail?

For most coastal cruising a liferaft is of doubtful utility. As posted upthread certification, repair, and repacking costs make older rafts uneconomical.

[MicHughV]

Certainly invest in an EPIRB.

Getting into a liferaft is one thing, but really, the optimum solution is a quick rescue.
Rescuer's can't find you, if they don't know where you are.

Without an EPIRB, rescuer's won't even now a problem exists for you, and you'll be basically on your own.

[SomeGuyInaShirt]

Originally Posted by Jammer

Where are you going to sail?

British Columbia, West Coast of USA and Baja Mexico initially. It would probably be wise for me to hang out in Mexico for a few years though and spend the off season back in Canada working because when I head into the South Pacific, it doesn't look like that'll be an option until quite a ways to the west and i don't want to rush through the Marquesas.

Kind of considering an EPIRB and drysuit as I'll be a maximum of 200nm offshore until I head into the South Pacific and I can't afford a drysuit and life raft.

[dlj]

Originally Posted by SomeGuyInaShirt

British Columbia, West Coast of USA and Baja Mexico initially. It would probably be wise for me to hang out in Mexico for a few years though and spend the off season back in Canada working because when I head into the South Pacific, it doesn't look like that'll be an option until quite a ways to the west and i don't want to rush through the Marquesas.

Kind of considering an EPIRB and drysuit as I'll be a maximum of 200nm offshore until I head into the South Pacific and I can't afford a drysuit and life raft.

So you don't need a Solas A package in the life raft at this point. But when you are heading into the South Pacific, that's what I'd want.

I'd ask whoever you might consider getting a life raft from if they have the Solas A option, and if it can be put into the raft in a future recertification. So you could save some $'s now, and then put some more in later when you are heading off to the South Pacific. Just a thought.

dj

[Bobby Lex]

IMO if you are going offshore you need BOTH an EPIRB and a liferaft.

They serve different purposes.

The liferaft keeps you alive while you wait for the EPIRB to summon rescuers. A liferaft also makes you much easier to spot by rescuers. And EPIRBS can fail. Or get left behind in the chaos of an emergency.

MicHughV gives very wise advice in post #2 above. Some equipment purchases are discretionary. New sails. A dinghy motor. A generator. Even an engine, perhaps.

Other equipment purchases are not discretionary -- especially for offshore voyages. Jacklines, tethers and harnesses. Bilge pump(s). Spare/emergency rudder. First aid kit. And an EPIRB and liferaft as well.

"I can't afford it" applies to discretionary bells-and-whistles gear. Not basic keep-you-alive safety gear.

If you can't afford it....then you can't go until you can afford it.

Bob