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Safety & Lifesaving
Life Rafts
Life Rafts covers SOLAS inflatable liferafts for offshore units, throw-overboard and davit-launched, including self-righting types, with their cradles, hydrostatic release units and single-fall raft davits. A packed raft cannot be judged by looking at its container. Its value rests on the last service certificate, the station that issued it and whether the maker still supports the model.
How an inflatable liferaft deploys
The raft sits folded in a GRP canister or a valise, with a CO2 or CO2 and nitrogen cylinder attached to its buoyancy tubes. A throw-overboard raft goes over the side from its cradle. Pulling the painter fires the cylinder head and the raft inflates in the water. If the unit sinks first, the hydrostatic release unit frees the canister at a depth of no more than 4 m (13 ft), and the raft inflates and breaks free at the weak link.
A davit-launched raft is inflated alongside the embarkation deck while hanging from a single fall. The crew board it dry, and the davit lowers the loaded raft. An automatic release hook lets go once the raft is afloat.
Configurations
| Type | How it launches | What it suits |
|---|---|---|
| Throw-overboard | Thrown or float-free from a cradle | Secondary capacity, low stowage heights |
| Davit-launched | Inflated at deck, lowered on one fall | High freeboard and dry boarding |
| Self-righting | Either method, rights itself on inflation | Rough-weather areas, smaller crews in the raft |
Pack type matters too. A SOLAS A pack is the full equipment set for international voyages. A SOLAS B pack is reduced, for short international voyages. Most flags expect SOLAS A on a MODU.
Key specifications
| Parameter | Why it matters | Typical units |
|---|---|---|
| Capacity | Counts toward the survival craft total for persons on board | Persons |
| Approved drop height | Rafts stowed above 18 m (59 ft) must be a type drop-tested from that height | m or ft |
| Packed mass | Manual handling, cradle and davit hook rating | kg or lb |
| Service interval | 12 months, or a flag-approved extended scheme | Months |
| HRU type | Reusable units need servicing, disposable ones need replacing | Reusable or disposable |
Standards and servicing
The LSA Code covers liferafts in sections 4.1 and 4.2 and raft davits in chapter 6. SOLAS chapter III regulation 20 requires servicing at intervals not over 12 months. The flag may extend that to 17 months where it is proper and reasonable. Some makers run extended service schemes that a flag approves for named models, and those hold only while the raft stays inside the scheme.
Service stations work to IMO resolution A.761(18) as amended and must be approved for the make. At each service the station unpacks the raft and inspects the fabric, seams and floor. It runs the pressure tests the guidelines call for at the raft's age and checks the cylinder and inflation head. It renews expired equipment and repacks the raft. Older rafts get additional pressure tests.
Failure modes and what a service finds
- Seam adhesion failing on older rafts, found by the pressure tests
- Porous or abraded buoyancy tube fabric and floor damage
- Corroded inflation heads, leaking valves and cylinders past their test date
- Water inside a cracked canister, which damages fabric and pack contents
- Painter or weak link damaged by UV or chafe
- Hydrostatic release units past their marked date
A station can condemn a raft. Some refuse models the maker no longer supports with spares and service manuals.
Documentation
- Last service certificate, with the station name and its approval for the make
- Data plate showing make, model, serial and manufacture date
- Type approval certificate accepted by your flag
- Record of any repairs and pressure test failures
- For a davit-launched raft, the davit and release hook approval and load test
Integration on the unit
Check the cradle and lashings against the container size. Check the stowage height against the approved drop height, and the HRU against the raft mass. A davit-launched raft needs a davit rated for the loaded raft, a matching automatic hook and an embarkation position that keeps the raft clear of the hull. Mixing rafts and davits from different makers needs the flag or class to accept the combination.
Unused surplus, used or new
An unused surplus raft still in its sealed canister is a good buy if a station approved for that make will service it before it goes on board. A used raft with an unbroken 12-month record and a supported model can serve for years. A raft with missed services, a damaged canister or an unsupported model often costs more to recover than a new one. Treat any used disposable HRU as scrap. Naventr can pass your questions on the service record to the Seller. For rigid survival craft, compare lifeboats and davits. VIKING and Survitec are the best-known liferaft makers.
FAQ
Frequently asked questions
How often does a SOLAS liferaft need servicing?
At intervals not over 12 months, at a service station approved for that make, under SOLAS chapter III regulation 20. The flag may extend a single interval to 17 months where that is proper and reasonable. Maker extended-service schemes apply only to approved models kept inside the scheme from new.
Can I put a used liferaft straight into service?
No, not without a fresh service at an approved station. Nobody can check a packed raft without opening it, so the station unpacks it, runs the pressure tests, renews expired pack items and issues a new certificate. The raft goes on board with that certificate.
Are hydrostatic release units reusable?
Reusable hydrostatic release units are, provided they are serviced every 12 months with the raft. Disposable units are never serviced. They are replaced at the expiry date marked on the unit, and a used disposable unit has no further use.
Can a liferaft be stowed higher than 18 m above the waterline?
Yes, if the raft is a type that has passed a drop test from at least its stowed height. The LSA Code tests rafts for an 18 m drop, so check the approval certificate for the drop height before you fit a used raft at a high station.
What is the difference between SOLAS A and SOLAS B liferaft packs?
A SOLAS A pack is the full emergency equipment set for international voyages, with more rations, water and pyrotechnics. A SOLAS B pack is a reduced set for short international voyages. The pack type is marked on the container and the service certificate.
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