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Liferaft servicing: when is it due, and how do you plan it on a long passage?
Short answer
A liferaft has to go to a service station approved by the maker at the intervals the maker sets,
where it is opened, inflated and checked.
The hydrostatic release has its own expiry date.
Before a long passage both should be in date.
The liferaft is the one piece of kit nobody wants to use, which is exactly why its service gets put off. Yet it sits for years in its canister or valise while salt, sun and changes in temperature work on the fabric, the valves and the gas cylinder. The maker therefore sets the intervals at which an approved service station opens it, inflates it, checks it holds pressure and repacks it. The pyrotechnics, water and other items in the emergency pack that carry an expiry date are replaced at the same time.
When the service is due is shown on the data plate or the service certificate. Intervals vary by maker and model, and some newer rafts have longer ones. Separately, the hydrostatic release unit, which frees the raft if the boat sinks, has its own expiry date and on many models is simply replaced. Check the cradle, the straps and how the painter is made fast to the boat. Make sure the raft suits the voyage too: offshore rafts built to ISO 9650 Part 1 come with an emergency pack for more than 24 hours.
On a long passage plan the service around the route. Approved stations exist in the main sailing hubs but not everywhere, and the work often takes several days, so if the due date falls during the voyage, have the raft serviced before an ocean crossing and keep the certificate. Whether an overdue service matters after a loss depends on the policy wording: many policies require that mandatory safety equipment is on board and in working order. In an emergency the only raft that counts is one that actually inflates.
Worth remembering
Serviced
inflates, emergency pack complete and in date
Overdue
no one knows if it will work when needed
A liferaft is only as good as its last service.
Questions
What owners ask us about this
How often does a liferaft need servicing?
As often as the maker sets for that model. The interval is on the data plate or the service certificate and differs between makers and versions.
Can I service my own liferaft?
No, only a service station approved by the maker may open and repack it. You can check the cradle, straps, release unit and expiry dates yourself.
What does a hydrostatic release do?
It frees the raft when the boat sinks, so the raft floats up and inflates. It has its own expiry date and on many models is replaced as a whole.
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