Winslow Life Raft Re-Certification

UPDATE, OCTOBER 2017: A CRUISER MAY NO LONGER WITNESS THEIR LIFE RAFT BEING SERVICED, BUT WINSLOW DOES A GREAT JOB FOR YOU.

I tried to have one of Winslow's authorized service centers re-certify our life raft on a call and walk-in basis, but to no avail.   They said it would take about two weeks from the time we delivered the life raft.  So I called Winslow's toll-free number and got Andy.

Andy said we could "come by next week any day but Monday" and we could watch the process and could have the life raft back the same day.  Great!  How about Wednesday?  "Try to arrive before nine AM."

Barb and I took a mooring in Vero Beach City Marina and rented a car (Enterprise: they pick you up) to bring our life raft to Winslow in Lake Suzy, arriving at 8:30.

 Here's Andy....

Barb is standing on the floor of the large area where the life rafts are received, inspected, tested, re-certified and repacked.  About 90% of Winslow's business comes from the aviation industry.  If you were to look in the right overhead compartment, you might spot a Winslow life raft next time you fly. To Barb's right were two of the large inflatable slides that airliners deploy in a water landing being serviced.  That kind of business!  For being just a small part of their business, everyone, including the president, Gerard Pickhardt, treated us like we were their best client.

 

This life raft belongs to S/V Jupiter's Smile.  Note the "MAX PACK DIMS"

This is the vacuum packed raft out of its "valise." In an emergency, you'd never see this.

You'd clip the rip cord/tether to a cleat on the distressed vessel, toss the valise over the side and...

the silver bottle inflates everything automatically...

...except the insulted floor.  There is a hand pump for that.  Notice several handy features (boarding ladder, flashlight, heaving line) inside a Winslow...

...and outside too.  If the raft inflates upside down, the "Right Line" is used to flip it over.

The life rafts almost always inflate right side up, but just in case that Right Line strap is shown running horizontally with three orange grip loops attached and a cord in the center.  Climb on top, grab the cord, lean back and over she goes.  The five bags fill with water, adding ballast to keep the life raft stable.  One of the orange, water-activated chemical batteries is shown hanging just to the left of center.

These battery cells, once immersed, produce electricity for the light on top of the raft and the light inside the raft under the arch.  Our raft was due for service over two years ago.  We were in Panama and wanted service done right - not almost right - so we waited.  The life raft would have functioned, as we saw today, but these batteries probably wouldn't have...

But there are two other flashlights packed aboard and one still worked perfectly.  Duane is checking and replacing flares, medications, batteries and foodstuffs in the survival kit; things that were also outdated.

The pressure relief valves are being tested here.  The sea anchor drogue is next to the soapy-water spray bottle.  No leaks were found and the pressure test confirmed it.

The raft is repacked and ready to be vacuum sealed, but...

...not until it is the final check list is checked and the raft is photographed.

The vacuum pack is first checked to show that it doesn't leak, it is then put under a vacuum and pressed and shaped to the specified dimensions.  I didn't pick an "off the shelf" package although they have that available.  I had measured and specified the dimensions so I could perfectly fit the life raft valise in our cockpit lazarette.  

Certified until February, 2014.  

The process took about six hours and much of that was waiting for the pressure tests.  Duane explained everything about the life raft and answered questions and we had a tour of the plant as well.  No photos of that - industry secrets preserved.  Had we thought to bring other personal items - copies of passports, cash, glasses, a credit card, anything really - it could have been put into the survival kit and sealed.  It will wait until next time.  It was a very rewarding day.  My confidence in our life raft is complete and my satisfaction with the Winslow company is as well.    I HOPE WE NEVER USE THE RAFT!

The official factory tour may be viewed at http://www.winslowliferaft.com/factory_tour.asp