We think that using a life safety outfit that caters to commercial interests tips the scales in the leisure mariner's favor. In Trinidad there is a huge number of vessels such as supply boats, tugs, pipe-layers, jack-up rigs, CNG tankers, etc. A company in Port-of-Spain, Marine Consultants, services everything from rafts to marine electronics and does it right with factory-trained personnel. They have serviced our sailboat's Viking raft, MOM-9 and SEA sideband radio in a very professional manner and charged reasonable prices over the past 10 years. Much better than a business where the clientele consists mostly of yachties, we think. Seahorse's Givens SOLAS raft goes back to the manufacturer in Rhode Island, a short truck ride from our summer berth on Lake Champlain. Regards, John "Seahorse" Dave Cooper wrote: >Some of the stuff I've seen in rafts was just junk and the charge of the repack was astronomical for this "junk". Here is a good article on liferaft repackers. http://www.caribbeancompass.com/liferaft.htm Brad's parachute analogy is good. Sort of like some cars that have been in an accident and the repair shop doesn't repack and arm the airbags correctly. Lots of good they do for you when you discover this. ************************************** See what's new at http://www.aol.com