New offshore liferaft needed - where to buy?

[Daydream believer]

If the LR is packed with flares then the service interval will be 3 years.
I discussed a new LR with Premium at Burnham on Crouch & I will be buying one from them. I forget the make but it is made by the same people that make them for Ocean.
Because they buy direct & because I always go to them for service, Premium have offered a reasonable discount.
They also explained the problems with servicing on cheap LRs. Some suppliers buy from a Chinese supplier for a while then change. As a result certain parts change, which mean these parts are difficult to service or cannot be sourced . This results in greater cost.
So they advised that, who ever I buy from, I should consider availability of parts, quality & service cost as well as initial cost.
I had to wait 6 months when Ocean had a problem with the filling unit for their air bottles, which broke & they could not get another for ages.
Premium's hire rates also seem to be fair, but I want a deck canister, not a bagged one, as I cannot imagine getting a LR on deck on my own in rough seas. It is difficult enough when the boat is on the hard.

[mainsail1]

I have bought 3 Seago Offshore liferafts in a row. They seem to be the least expensive and come with a 3 year warranty and are vacuum packed. I keep them for about 4 years then trade in for a new one without ever servicing them. No idea if they would work as not sunk yet but certainly a cost effective way of having a liferaft onboard.

[boatmike]

I bought a Seago 4 man self righting offshore raft in 2002. It followed me on 3 different boats and I am ashamed to say was never serviced until last week before fitting to boat 4. Universal Safety in Southampton serviced it (£365 all in) and I was there when it was inflated. Frankly it would have gone on for another 18years! Looked as new when inflated and the vacuum packing had obviously done its job. The only criticism of it is that as a canister type it is bloody heavy and I worry about my ability to deploy it single handed. I suppose the old adage of "never step down into a liferaft" means that if sinking it would float off the deck....... The only advice I would offer having done full training on boarding one of these things is "don't economise". Self righting in my opinion is an essential feature. I found it difficult enough turning one over in a swimming pool when I was 35. Wouldn't want to try that at sea now I am 77!! Full marks to Seago though. Quality kit!

[Daedelus]

Mrs D and I did the sea survival course and as a result Mrs D insisted on self righting and a really good set of "steps " to climb into it. We found that the Viking rescyou version fit the bill. Her view was that a liferaft you can't get into is useless.

It's not cheap and requires 3 year services but as Mrs D said - How much is your life worth?

[pvb]

It's not cheap and requires 3 year services but as Mrs D said - How much is your life worth?

When I bought my current liferaft 5 years ago (Ocean Safety ISO if you're interested), the dealer told me that the vast majority of liferaft purchases are driven by the insistence of the skippers' wives.

[JBJag27]

If the LR is packed with flares then the service interval will be 3 years.

Recreational use ones might be more variable, but the commercial ones service intervals are 3 years in a container and 1 year in a bag.

[michael_w]

https://www.suffolkmarinesafety.com/

Did me a good deal when I traded my ancient Lifeguard raft for an Avon one.

[LadyInBed]

https://www.suffolkmarinesafety.com/

Did me a good deal when I traded my ancient Lifeguard raft for an Avon one.

How much did you get off for the trade in?
I wouldn't have thought that the old one had much if any value.

[Seven Spades]

There is only one make of life raft that is fit for purpose and that is Viking self righting models. They are the best built life rafts and the offshore packs have more in them than the bare minimum of other brands. They are however not the cheapest.

[Graham376]

There is only one make of life raft that is fit for purpose and that is Viking self righting models. They are the best built life rafts and the offshore packs have more in them than the bare minimum of other brands. They are however not the cheapest.

Others may well have a different opinion as there are other self-righting rafts around with a selection of SOLAS and other packs.