This is an update and clarification on my offer to give away my raft.

First, the owner of the certification facility is unwilling to pack the
raft as it was. Regardless of what any other inspection station might
be willing to do (other interested parties have said their local
facility'd put it back like I got it), he will require a
refit/recertification. Until it's finished, he doesn't have a hard
number on the cost for that. However, it will be 1000-1200 expected,
he says. Virtually anything which can age, which causes inflation to
happen, plus all the consumables, will be replaced. In the case of the
inflation bottle, it will be hydrotested, and either refilled or
replaced, which is what I assume to be the cost variant. It also must
pass inspection - but given that it's held air for all but the last
couple of hours of the time required, and were it a valise style,
something he'd buy to rent, it seems likely that it will.

Until they have a financial commitment, they'll not proceed. However,
they're snowed under with work; please don't call them until you're
ready to commit to the recert.

If it weren't for the fact that it's aging, and we expect to be on the
boat for a very long time, I'd do it. I'd not have taken it in to
begin with, knowing the expense, otherwise; I fully expected it to
either fail, in which case I'd pay the condemnation fee, or pay
whatever it was to recertify. At worst, the cost would be only a
fraction of what a new one would cost - and even, if I were to step
down, as I intend, now, only a significant fraction of a valise-style
coastal 4-person. What I didn't know was the aging, vs failed-to-hold,
component. He'd not have offered to buy it were it a valise if it
weren't usable for some years - but we'll be out there for what might
be 20...

Second, if it requires shipping, the bottle makes it hazmat, which is
more expensive than simple weight-for-distance. They can do that, for
the extra charge. Same deal as to value received. Please note that in
no case do I get a dime. This is just to return to the groups which
have helped me in the past. But I would not have offered a pig in a
poke by not having it tested. A life raft which doesn't inflate is
worse than none, because you were expecting it to work and didn't make
other arrangements.

So, that's the bottom line. It will cost a significant sum for a free
raft - but minimally as much as a new one, and it will be certified the
day you get it.

Finally, here's a longer exposition on my decision:

What I didn't (know to) expect, but on reflection, led to my decision
to abandon it, is that, while it's still good for several years, the
rubber is starting to age. If you rub the exterior (why not the
interior, I can't figure), it isn't all smooth like the one inflated on
the floor next to mine. If you work at it, you can make it shred a bit
of stuff.

If we expected 5 or so years' cruising, I'd have gone for it. He said
it certainly (assuming it holds air and passes the inspection) would be
fine through the next inspection 3 years later. However, at some
point, the inspection will fail, and it will be condemned. It's also
6-person, and offshore, neither of which are on our horizon. Given
that new ones have 10 year warranties, and we expect to be out there
for more than that, I made the decision to go for a new 4-person,
coastal one, which will take up significantly less room, and cost only
a (significant) fraction more than recertification. We'll have to see
about where we'd store it as to valise or canister. Ideally, one could
pack a valise - if you had one, as we do - into a canister, but the guy
tells me it's somehow a different raft, and not just a different repack
pattern. The cost differential over the valise model for a canister
model is significant, and the rack is even more so. So, I'd considered
getting a valise style but keeping the can and rack. No such luck...

Knowing all I did today, I still would not have simply offered it for
free - because I have yet to see that it will pass inspection. I would
not offer a raft which could not pass inspection free or otherwise.
Now, having seen the realities of shipping, it gives me pause to
consider even an eBay or other source for my replacement, as I assume
they'd have the same issues - and, I'd not purchase one which wasn't
recently certified.

That's probably more than you wanted to know :{))

Again, please don't call them until you're ready to commit. They're
extremely busy...

L8R

Skip

Morgan 461 #2
SV Flying Pig KI4MPC
http://tinyurl.com/384p2 The vessel as Tehamana, as we bought her

"Believe me, my young friend, there is *nothing*-absolutely
nothing-half so much worth doing as simply messing,
messing-about-in-boats; messing about in boats-or *with* boats.
In or out of 'em, it doesn't matter. Nothing seems really to matter,
that's the charm of it.
Whether you get away, or whether you don't; whether you arrive at your
destination or whether you reach somewhere else, or whether you never
get anywhere at all, you're always busy, and you never do anything in
particular; and when you've done it there's always something else to
do, and you can do it if you like, but you'd much better not."


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