Posted May 2013

We have been looking for a reputable service for our BFA Pacific ( now Zodiac) liferaft quite a while and found that Wilco Marine is the only licensed service station.

So we decided to contact them and have been offered a professional and quick service. The liferaft was picked up on board at Pier 21, we were offered the opportunity to attend the opening of the liferaft in the workshop. We were given very helpful explanations on how to handle the liferaft in an emergency situation, what should be packed into the liferaft and how to store it back on board the correct way.

We did not realize before, that it is very important to fix the liferaft in a certain position. If not, the gas cylinder might lose its full function long before the normal shelf-life of ten years. Finally, the liferaft was delivered back on board and storage controlled. Looking at the previous reports (below), we think, things have changed.

Wilco`s service has been a good choice for servicing our liferaft and also checking our epirb.

Herbert Grasshoff,

SY Schuessel,

Auckland, May 2013

Posted June 2012

I just read the article (below) about the Zodiac Liferaft being badly serviced in New Zealand and want to testify that I had a similar story to tell from many years ago, when I was in the Gulf Harbor Marina and had my Liferaft serviced (at that time it was Law to have a newly certified Liferaft before leaving New Zealand).

Years later I was in South Africa and had to service my Liferaft again. This time I was present when they opened it and I could not believe my eyes. The Liferaft was a total wreck, it did not open, it had a big opening on the side of the thread and all the water and equipment had not been changed in New Zealand, they were the original equipment from Europe!

I was shocked, if I had been in an emergency I would have been without a liferaft! In New Zealand, they presumably did not open the Liferaft, although I was charged the inspection fee and got an Inspection report it was never done. It may be a human error but it may have cost our lives.

Next time I would make sure to be present when they open it, to at least be sure that they do open it!

Peter Ross

Posted August 2009

Three years ago -2006- I acquired a yacht in Auckland, New Zealand. Needing a life raft in order to leave the country for Fiji I was referred to “Wilco Marine”, 23 Westhaven Drive, Auckland (09) 308 9166, which is a Zodiac certified service centre. The people there found me a six-person Zodiac second-hand life raft (in a soft bag) that they proclaimed in good condition, further claiming to have performed -as on my request- the appropriate servicing and certification (they affixed the customary sticker for the next due revision).

With the Zodiac carefully stowed away, I sailed over 2000 miles in the first year, facing offshore -among other weather- Tropical Storm 11P where fortunately I managed to bring home safely (but by a few slivers) both boat and crew.

This August, a revision is well overdue, I have brought the said Zodiac life raft to “Pamarine” 10 Chia Ping Road, Singapore 619978. They were very helpful and professional and took my raft in.

After opening it they found one major fault: the painter was never tied to the inflating canister, rendering the life raft in all effects completely useless. When inflated by pulling at the canister cord the raft failed miserably, popping out of its socket the whole safety valve. It did not even reach complete inflation.

The technicians there seemed quite appalled and sort of embarrassed at the scene. They saw little use or chance to make the raft usable again and suggested it be scrapped for good, at which point I just left it there at their facilities to be disposed of.

We are in the process of purchasing a new life raft from another manufacturer.

I politely suggest that Zodiac is more selective to whom it endorses to service its products. As in retrospect the carelessness of Wilco could have very well cost the lives of up to four people.

Thank you very much and hope to receive some explanation of how such enormous “oversight” might happen.

Best regards,

Francesco Silva

SY Keturah

Dear Francesco,

We were very concerned to receive your e-mail and have accordingly had a closer look at the details.

Firstly from the information you have provided us, we presume that the first service since you buying the raft was by Pamarine only recently and that the 2007 and 2008 annual servicing was missed. In January 2007 Zodiac issued “Service Station Info No.25” identifying a possible problem with the overpressure release valves. Service stations were instructed to carry out checks and replacements if required, at the next annual service. We feel that this issue may have been the cause of the raft failing to inflate completely.

With regards to the connection of the painter line, our job sheet for your raft records that this had been checked and countersigned by two separate service people. This job sheet also verifies that the second-hand raft sold to you was in serviceable condition at the time.

This said, there is always the possibility of human error, a factor that regular training and cross-checking systems are designed to mitigate, but if that has occurred in your situation then we offer our genuine apologies and assurances that the systems required by Zodiac for the correct servicing of liferafts are being continuously monitored by management and service staff to ensure these situations do not happen.

We would very much look forward to meeting with you on your next visit to New Zealand to discuss your situation, and to that end invite you to contact us.

Best regards,

Bernard Orme

Operations Manager

Wilco Marine