I'm not sure about that, but I can give some info on early inflatables.

1855 designs by Charles Goodyear




Earliest known USN inflatable life raft design used onboard ironclad monitors during the American Civil War

It's possible that this raft design may have been used on board the sloop of war, USS Constellation, in the 1850's.


Life raft which sailed from New York to England in 1866.

This raft voyage is also mentioned in literature, The Voyage Alone in the Yawl Rob Roy by John MacGregor.

Regards,

Tom