Cruising Sailors Forum Archive

The rubber dries out...

Mine failed after 18 years and I bought a new one. There were multiple leaks and the recertifier in Trinidad said it was unrepairable. In addition to that, any standing water in the canister will cause the rubber to rot.

When at the Annapolis boat show three years before it failed, some dealer offering trade-ins said that at 15 years old it was worthless.

It would be a fun exercise to blow it up and take a good look. As others said, don't use the CO2. the thermal shock damages the fabric. BTW, in the US, the CO2 tank must be hydro tested every five years. That was one of the most expensive parts of the repack. They claimed that the valves must be replaced and supposedly, a special gas blend is used.

IMO The whole liferaft industry is a racket. I was quoted a certain price, plus materials from the big Annapolis repacker. One of the "parts" was the certificate - a two part form that cost $175. When I challenged it I was told that it was required by Avon USA. And was also told they had very high liability insurance. In Europe and New Zealand Avon repacks are much cheaper and in New Zealand are only requires every three years.

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