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View Full Version : Liferaft: Buy or Rent?



Ergo
12-03-2007, 12:47 PM
The biggest equipment mistake I made in outfitting for the TransPac was buying a liferaft instead of renting. Buying would only have made sense if I were going cruising after the race. The reason is the need to have the raft inspected annually, for each LongPac and each TransPac. The cost of buying a liferaft is about $3,000. The cost of each inspection is about $350 and when the CO2 cylinder needs to be replaced, about every five years, the cost can jump to about $1,000. The cost of renting a raft is about $400 per month.

One Race:
Purchase - $3,000
Rent - $400 ($800 if you rent for the round trip)

Two Races: (TransPac & Longpac)
Purchase - $3,350 (Purchase plus inspection)
Rent - $500

Three Races: (TransPac/LongPac/TransPac)
Purchase - $3,700 ( Purchase plus 2 inspections)
Rent - $900 ($1,700 two round trips & LongPac)

Four Races: (TransPac/LongPac/TransPac/LongPac)
Purchase - $4,050 ( Purchase plus 3 inspections)
Rent - $1,000 ($1,700 two round trips & 2 LongPacs)

Five Races: (TransPac/LongPac/TransPac/LongPac/TransPac)
Purchase - $5,050 ( Purchase plus 4 inspections, replace CO2)
Rent - $1,600 ($2,400 three round trips & 2 LongPacs)

The costs will vary but the concept won't.

Bill Merrick