When liferafts get old you can't have them certified which makes them worthless for most people but that doesn't mean you can't do it yourself. It's fun and when you're through you know the liferaft very well.

If you can find an older one that's perhaps 15 years old and out of date you could make an offer that would be based on checking it out. If it passes a couple of tests you make yourself you could self certify it. I opened our canister up, hand pumped the liferaft, checked the bottle and did a few other things before deflating and repacking it. I trusted it completely.

Another thought for you would be to stow your tender on deck instead of in the garage during a passage. A good dingy is a good liferaft. All you need is a well packed ditch bag to grab when you step up to the dingy.

Oops, wrote this and then saw the other posts re repacking.