Life Raft (Inflatable, SOLAS)

What sets the inflatable life raft apart

Unlike a rigid lifeboat, an inflatable life raft carries no engine and no steering; it is a compact, stowed survival platform that only becomes usable at the moment of inflation, either by manual painter pull, automatic hydrostatic release, or davit launch depending on the installation. Its entire safety case rests on components the crew cannot inspect visually once the canister is sealed, which is why the service regime exists in the first place.

Main components

Container

A rigid fibreglass canister for deck-stowed rafts, or a soft valise for rafts stowed in a purpose-built cradle, protecting the folded raft from weather and UV.

Inflation system

A CO2 or CO2/nitrogen gas cylinder connected through an inflation valve, triggered by pulling the painter line, which fills the buoyancy tubes and erects the canopy in well under a minute.

Painter line and hydrostatic release unit (HRU)

The painter connects the raft to the ship and triggers inflation; the HRU releases the raft automatically if the ship sinks before the raft can be launched manually, a critical function with its own separate expiry date.

Canopy, sea anchor and equipment pack

The canopy protects survivors from exposure; the sea anchor limits drift; the SOLAS A or B equipment pack carries rations, water, flares, first aid and signalling equipment scaled to the raft's capacity.

Selection and sizing

Capacity is chosen to match or exceed the vessel's maximum complement, in whole-raft increments since a raft cannot be partially rated. Davit-launched rafts allow controlled boarding from deck height; throw-over rafts are simpler but require survivors to enter the water or board from a lower freeboard. Equipment pack type (A for unrestricted service, B for near-coastal) is set by the vessel's trading area, not by preference.

Regulations and class requirements

SOLAS Chapter III and the LSA Code set construction, capacity and equipment standards. Rafts require annual service at a manufacturer-approved shore station, where the canister is opened, the raft inflated, checked and repacked. The HRU has its own fixed service life, commonly two years, after which it must be replaced regardless of apparent condition, and periodic hydrostatic pressure testing of the raft fabric itself is required on a longer cycle, typically around five years or per manufacturer schedule.

Typical faults

• Expired hydrostatic release unit, which either fails to release the raft in an emergency or, worse, releases it prematurely in heavy weather.
• Canister corrosion or cracking allowing water ingress, which can damage the folded raft fabric or the inflation mechanism unnoticed between services.
• Painter line chafe or incorrect securing at the weak link, risking the raft being lost before boarding or dragged under with a sinking ship.
• CO2 cylinder pressure loss from a slow valve leak, discovered only at the annual service when the raft under-inflates.
• Missed service intervals, which invalidate the raft's certification even if nothing is physically wrong with it.

What to look for in a supplier

• Service performed only at a station approved by the raft's original manufacturer, not a generic life-saving equipment shop.
• Correct SOLAS pack type supplied for the vessel's actual trading area.
• Traceable service records and replacement part certificates retained for the survey file.
• Stock availability of HRUs and CO2 cylinders matched to the exact raft model, since substitutes are not always compatible.

A raft's canister looking clean tells you nothing about the HRU date stamped inside; check the expiry tag before assuming the raft is in date.