Home About Us Safety Marine Rigging Supplies Contact Us Retail Showroom LIFE RAFT INSPECTION You'll never know how important your Life raft is until you need it. We hope you never do. With over 23 years of experience servicing life rafts and safety equipment, we know how important great quality brands and parts are. This is why we sell and service the best names of life rafts and survival gear in the greater New Bedford and South Coast area. Our attention to every detail in the inspection and maintenance of life rafts and safety equipment throughout the entire lifecycle of your equipment is unsurpassed. We take pride in our reputation as the New England areas leading service provider of life raft safety inspection and certification. CALL: (508) 993-0010 Life raft Inspection Request LIFE RAFT INSPECTION Hercules has been servicing life rafts and inspecting fishing vessels, survival equipment since 1996 (23 years of experience). We've seen a lot in that time, and we know how important a life raft is to you. Just knowing that you have a properly serviced life raft on board can give you confidence while at sea not to mention how proper life raft scheduled services can increase the life of your life raft. "Seems rather simple that a life raft only needs to do two things– inflate and hold air. But you would be surprised how neglecting your life raft can cause either one or both of these simple things to fail". Hercules SLR (US) is a USCG service station #327. We have invested heavily in training our service technicians who are certified by both USCG, and Survitec for Life Raft Inspection and survival equipment. Why do we feel we are the most qualified company when it comes to life raft inspections and survival gear? First extensive training, second our knowledge and experience. Our business is in the heart of New Bedford at the center of one of the largest fishing fleets in the world. We talk to fisherman every day we listen, we learn, and we apply. We don't take short cuts; we treat life raft inspections seriously. A parachute has to open when the cord is pulled– and a life raft has to inflate and hold air. You need to have confidence in the people who inspect and repack your life raft. We perform life raft inspection services adhering to industry and manufacturing guidelines. Life rafts serviced at Hercules SLR are subjected to a rigorous inspection by fully qualified technicians to ensure it functions properly if needed in an emergency. Our life raft specialist Richard has been servicing life rafts for over 19 years! Life rafts are serviced in accordance with the applicable service manual and list of requirements. To learn what is involved with a life raft checklist click on the link below. Life raft Inspection checklist SALES & SERVICE Schedule a service appointment CALL (508) 993-0010 Or schedule an appointment SALES & SERVICE Schedule a service appointment CALL (508) 993-0010 Or schedule an appointment SALES & SERVICE Schedule a service appointment CALL (508) 993-0010 Or schedule an appointment SALES & SERVICE Schedule a service appointment CALL (508) 993-0010 Or schedule an appointment WHY YOU SHOULD HAVE YOUR LIFE RAFT INSPECTED. Storing a life raft in a shed or garage during the offseason can lead to vermin, insects, and water getting into the sealed casing. If it is a canister life raft (hard case), it should be stored on the cradle of the boat. Your life raft could be porous and leaking. This is usually caused by punctures or deteriorating fabric. Seams that are becoming unglued, separated or split could cause a leak that can't be detected until testing. Original equipment manufactured Inflator system value or hoses could be defective or porous. Another common problem is equipment that's old, outdated or that hasn't been tested in years. LIFE RAFT INSPECTION CHECKLIST Life rafts serviced at Hercules SLR are subjected to a rigorous inspection by fully qualified technicians. See what is included below. To start, the casing of the life raft is visually inspected. The life raft and gas inflation cylinder are removed and then inspected. The life raft is inflated and the technician checks the roping, glue, and life raft fabric. Any replaceable parts of the life raft are replaced if needed. All survival equipment in the life raft (flares, first aid, rations, etc,) are accounted for and inspected. The instruction manual for the life raft is replaced with the most up-to-date instruction manual. If any of the items are expired or defective they are replaced. If the life raft is equip with an EPIRB, it is inspected and then tested to the distributors regulations and replaced or repaired if needed. * For a more extensive look at our annual USCG certified inspection view the Code of Federal Regulations, title 46 volume 6, part 160, subpart 160.151-57. See PDF below. At the major inspections (5, 10, and 15 years) the life raft is placed under a more intensive inspection. It is first inflated with its own gas cylinder, assuring that the gas inflation cylinder is in working condition. Then the life raft is put under a Necessary Additional Pressure (NAP) test, where the life raft is inflated beyond full pressure to assure the structural integrity of the life raft is still in working condition. The seams between the floor and buoyancy chambers are checked. Regulations – Coast Guard, DHS PDF Hercules SLR (US) 44 South Street New Bedford, MA 02740 Get directions (508) 993-0010 Contact Opening Hours Monday 8:00 am – 4:30 pm Tuesday 8:00 am – 4:30 pm Wednesday 8:00 am – 4:30 pm Thursday 8:00 am – 4:30 pm Friday 8:00 am – 4:30 pm Saturday 8:00 am – 12:00 pm Sunday Closed Copyright © 2019 Hercules SLR (US) Inc.. All Rights Reserved. Design by Slocum Studio Home About Us Safety Survival Training Life Raft Inspection Aerosol Generator Marine Rigging Supplies Contact Us Retail Showroom Select a Language Portuguese Spanish