A life raft canister is a rigid, durable fiberglass or plastic container designed for deck-mounting that provides protection for the rafts stored inside against the elements and UV rays. They are typically installed in cradles with hydrostatic releases for automatic deployment if the vessel sinks, with water pressure triggering inflation. The canisters can also be manually launched by throwing them overboard and pulling a 25- to 100-foot-long painter line to trigger inflation. Life raft canisters are a common sight on many modern naval ships as well as some commercial vessels.

Hellenic Ship Model has produced a 1:350 scale 3D printed life raft canister set which contains a total of 30 individual canisters, with ten each on three separate print rafts. The print rafts come in a zip lock bag stored inside a clamshell plastic box. Each canister rests on its cradle and the entire part is attached to the print raft with thin attachment points for easy removal. Each canister is nicely done and I can’t think of an easier accessory to use. As the photos show, two of the canisters came loose from the print raft on its journey from Greece to Long Island, New York.