switlik 6 man repack recertify

[garyd]

Call the repacker and he said bring it up $225.00 to repack recertify plus parts. It's $100.00 if he opens it and it's no good. The raft was manufacturered in 1988.

Has anyone ever opened one of these on their own? If so is it a big deal. The service center is about 1 hour away so I'd rather save the time and money if he's only going to open it and tell me it's no good.

The stainless bands are no big deal to cut and open. I guess what to watch out for is that it doesn't inflate. But if it is going to get repack anyway if it does inflate so what.

Are they a use once throw away. If not it would be a good exercise for us to actually use for practice then take it to get repacked. Even if it doesn't inflate there is a manual inflation.

Any experience out there?

 

[Passages]

I don't have direct experience but my inclination would be to deploy it for practice. Check for proper inflation, cracking and such. If all is good, have it recertified and repacked. If all is not good, realize it's 19 years old and retire it.

 

[Captned]

Deploy that sucker and post your results.. Should be interesting...

Capned
78 46 Conv

 

[Angela]

Deploy that sucker and post your results.. Should be interesting...

Capned
78 46 Conv

Hee hee hee....yeah, I want to know too! And pictures...we want pictures!

 

[Genesis]

WARNING WARNING WARNING!

DO NOT - NOT - NOT - NOT inflate using the CO2 cannister! That's a one-shot deal. Fire it and the raft is toast!

CO2 and water produces carbonic acid. This will eat at the raft's insides and condemn it. You can't get it all out either.

When they do the service they inflate it with AIR.

NOT the CO2 can.

The CO2 cannister is a one-use-and-the-raft-is-screwed device. It is intended to be used only once, and only when you REALLY NEED IT to be inflated.

I have been told this by multiple servicers. It may or may not apply to YOUR raft, but before I fired it as a "test" I'd call Switlik and ask them what they think.

 

[StratPlan61]

I'd like to read your results! I have the same situation with a 4-man BFG raft made in Europe. It is out of date, but may work fine - who knows?? The USCG told me I cannot have it onboard unless it is current for certification, even though it is not required equipment.
Not sure if I should pay to have it checked or toss it in the trash and watch the trash truck 'growing' as he drives off?

Bear'
1984 61' MY Strategic Plan

 

[Angela]

Karl, you just had to go and take all the fun out of it! LOL

However, now that you mention it, I think I had heard that before too - probably here on the forum, and probably from you.

Oh well, it would have been fun. I like those things where you press a button and they go BOOM.

 

[Genesis]

Yeah, I just don't want to see someone toast a $3,000 raft.

Those damn things are expensive, and quite honestly, are a major racket when you think about it. For what they want you can buy a RIB, and there's a lot more material and such in a RIB than there is in a raft.

They're priced on the basis of "how much is a raft worth to you when you hit a container offshore and have a 12" x 6" hole in the bottom of your boat?", and the "recertification" racket is just as bad if not worse.

And I've NEVER understood the attitude of the USCG on a RECREATIONAL boat about having an "out of cert" raft on board - preferring, instead, that you not have one AT ALL!

They don't stop me from having OUT OF CERT flares on board (so long as I have enough IN cert ones) so why do they bitch about an OPTIONAL piece of gear that's out of cert?

Never understood that one.....

 

[Walter P]

Karl, I agree with you that it doesn't make sense for the CG to deny a boat owner the right to keep an "experienced" but not recertified life raft on board. Frankly I intend to look into it as I have some friends at CG command. As you stated, expired flares are not only permitted on board but are encourged. We routinely advised boaters to keep their old expired flares on board and in the event the need to use flares presents itself to use the old flares first. It should be remembered that the required amount is considered a "minimum" by law.

The only possible reason to not allow uncertified life rafts is so as to not convey a false security to the boaters. PFD's (lifepreservers) must also be in good condition, otherwise they may not be legally carried aboard - even if the required number of good PFD's are on the boat. In an emergency everyone should be assured that the various life saving devices are functional and reliable. Having an uncertified liferaft certainly may cause loss of life by virtue of people depending on it rather than a PFD and having it fail.

Walt

 

[Genesis]

Nonsense.

In the event of emergency you sure as hell aren't deploying a raft without putting on PFDs first.

At least not unless you want a Darwin Award.

 

[Boss Lady]

Regulated vessels "have" to have a compliant raft. I do believe that a recreational user can have what ever they wish aboard. If that is not the case I would like to know about it, since it does not make any sense. I carry the mandatory current USCG flares aboard just to show the coasties, but I have a supply of surplus military flares, star cluster and real parachute flares, that are sealed and I feel quite confident that these will work fine since I have fired all kinds of ordnance, some dating back to WWII and have never had a dud yet. The military flares I have provide more altitude and longer duration than the common stuff for boaters. If I choose to carry a life raft, whether it be new, recertified, or out of date certification, I see it as better than nothing. I also see a coastal rated raft as better than nothing. I do have an off shore SOLAS rated raft that will get recerted before use but, I do believe that a raft is still up to the boat captain on a recreational vessel. I think they are very important to have aboard and just might save your life.

 

[fixin-to-cruise]

I had 2 8-man Zodiacs recertified in 1/03 by a place in Miami. They opened up the raft and it did not auto-inflate. The original quote for recertification was $195 each ($390). I asked questions about additional charges and was given a quote for $828 for both. That included new $93 hydrostatic releases, $35 parachute rocket, $13 hand flare, $12 seasickness tablets, $44 smoke signal, $15 medicine box. They managed to bump the price to $950 with D-cell batteries, $36 per raft for the plastic bands, clips and seam tape, etc.

When one raft was opened we found that some water was beginning to get into the raft. After another year or so the raft would have been badly damaged. That made the $950 worthwhile.

I'm ready for another (overdue) repack and think I'll do it myself. The inflation bottles will need a hydrostatic test and I can buy most of the supplies cheaper. Opening the raft seems to be no big deal but ask the manufacturer how to avoid the auto-inflation.

To repack they used a plastic raft packing bag and attached a vacuum to shrink the raft. You'll need that bag, the bands and seam tape too. Consider adding a bottle of vodka for sterilizing and pain-killing if you're stranded at sea.

If the Coast Guard gives me any grief about the expiration date I'll just tell them that if the boat sinks we promise not to use an out-of-date raft, we'll just swim next to the raft until they arrive!

 

[Reelin]

First off that is bull that the raft is toasted if it is inflated with CO2.

I watched the service center auto inflate my raft at a repack. I beleive it is every 5 years that they are required to do a full test.

 

[Chapeaux!]

First off that is bull that the raft is toasted if it is inflated with CO2.

I watched the service center auto inflate my raft at a repack. I beleive it is every 5 years that they are required to do a full test.

I have friends that had same experience. The service center they took their raft to for recert asked if they wanted to be there when the raft was deployed, since they planned to deploy it as part of the test .....they elected to, and when it was, both top and bottom tubes filled and then the bottom one deflated immediately. Catastrophic material failure, the raft was so old. They got to purchase a new one.

I had similar experience with raft on Chapeaux! PO had not recerted for many years. Immediately after purchase of boat, I took raft to service center to determine if it could be recertified. When it was opened, the mfg date was 1/'80, the year Chapeaux! was built. Needless to say, the raft was worthless, rusty tank, valve and rotted material...a real danger to anyone who would have the misfortune to try to save themselves with it. Perhaps the best policy is not: "Any raft is better than no raft".

 

[Genesis]

Well, actually, "any raft IS better than no raft"

One of two tubes will keep you afloat.

The alternative with no raft is you go in the drink with PFDs. Not catastrophic in WARM water if you have an EPIRB, but I'll take dry (even if with reduced freeboard) over WET.

 

[Chapeaux!]

Well, actually, "any raft IS better than no raft"

One of two tubes will keep you afloat.

The alternative with no raft is you go in the drink with PFDs. Not catastrophic in WARM water if you have an EPIRB, but I'll take dry (even if with reduced freeboard) over WET.

My point was more that a used, recertified raft is a reasonable alternative to a raft you don't know whether it will inflate, or one where the only tube that did inflate will fail like the first one did, after a few hours in the water, putting you right back in the drink and usually during a storm, when you need it the most. Why pretend that you have a safety device, when you really don't know if it will let you down? No, any raft is NOT better than NO raft...it is, in fact, NO raft. I know!

In Feb. '05, we were hit by lightning off Grand Bahama. Lightning started small fire that self-extinguished, but not before there was a lot of smoke in boat. We thought we were going to have to abandon ship, if the fire continued...couldn't find where to fight the fire, as it was in pilothouse wall. So, I told my guest, as I alternated between the helm and trying to find out where the fire was, to ready the raft for the four of us to get into. This was the raft of my previous post, (thought it would be ok for just one trip to the Bahamas) that was found to be rotten. Fortunately, as time went by, the smoke cleared and we decided we didn't need to abandon ship. Didn't deploy the raft, but it made me wonder if the uncertified raft would have been any good to us. I didn't know how old it actually was (25 yrs). Upon return to Stuart, I took raft to be certified. The rest is told in the previous post.

http://www.adrift-again.com/zapped.htm

 

[Genesis]

Please don't get me wrong - I'd far rather have a known-good raft than an unknown raft.

But I'd rather have an unknown raft than NO raft! And I don't agree they're equivalent - they MIGHT BE, but they might also NOT be.

If the boat's on fire and my choice is an uncertified raft or none at all I'll take my chances with the uncertified one - you can bet I won't leave that "uncertified" raft sitting on board while I go in the drink!

BTW my view on this is that THE piece of "must have" gear in warm water is the EPIRB (and of course PFDs.) In water colder than 80F you've got a hypothermia problem and in under 75F you've got a SEVERE problem if you sink, EPIRB or no, because you may well be dead by the time they get resources out to you.

If I'm going "seriously offshore" I want a WORKING raft.

 

[doc g]

I ,also have been told that if a raft is inflated w/CO2 that it is history. I've also read about rafts which were certified and deployed and began to leak and fall apart after a long period of time ,again supposedly due to the CO2 inflation . The guy who repacks in our area uses compressed air to check them for leaks when he recerts rafts. Maybe it has to do with the material the raft is made from? It certainly seems like a trip to the cleaners ,last time mine were done it was just short of 2 K. That is for (2) 8 person rafts......Pat

 

[Chapeaux!]

If I'm going "seriously offshore" I want a WORKING raft.

That may be where we agree to disagree. For my money, "seriously Offshore" is nearly anywhere you go where you can't walk back and stay dry. You really have described all the reasons why a known reliable raft is absolutely imperative (exposure issues, not to mention predators in saltwater). Your comments about epirbs are on the spot. There are many histories of people floating around in perfectly good rafts for a long time, and running out of water just a few miles offshore because the searchers just didn't see them, or passing vessels didn't see their last flare.

But back on the subject. The cost of the rafts is really high and the cost of recerts seems to be out of the realm of reality. But, in contrast with the cost of any of our boats and the annual cost of owning them, the cost of this piece of essential safety equipment is reasonable enough that no one should be without. If you're faced with needing to leave what WAS a perfectly safe boat to get in a raft, you sure will want to know that it won't be like jumping out of an airplane, only to have the "D" ring come off in your hand. There are alternatives...Coastal (which are cheaper) rather than offshore rafts and second hand (certified) rather than new. But in any case the choice should be to have a raft you know is safe.

 

[Genesis]

Well the exposure issues don't apply everywhere, and while the predator issue is REAL, more people get hit by lightning than eaten - and if you've ever been in a plane over a beach, you'd be SHOCKED at the number of sharks within FEET of the swimmers.

The exposure issue is REAL and IMHO is THE argument for the raft IF you have the EPIRB - at least reasonably close to the US. If you're going "seriously offshore" (meaning away from the United States) where rescue might be a day OR TWO away, then hell, you NEED a raft. Same if the water's colder than you can survive in for 12-24 hours.

But this is not EVERY situation. I have, and will, gone offshore to fish or dive without a raft on the boat.

What I WON'T do is go offshore without an EPIRB.