Lifejacket recommendations for River Trent

[Spudwynk]

We're soon hoping to be permanently based from Sawley Marina with our 58ft narrowboat.  We still need to buy lifejackets and as we are new to boat ownership looking for recommendations on what to buy. Assume we need one for everyone onboard?

[LadyG]

Yes you need one per person, they are rated in size, so children particularly small kiddies need good fit, with crotch strap. They will be,made of a buoyant material.

For adults I prefer the automatic, that is to say they inflate if you fall in. Some are not totally automatic, best to avoid them.

Try Midland Chandlersr, Force Four,  or a yachting chandler near you.

The crotch strap is to hold you in the lifejacket if you fall in.

Do ask for advice from the retailer. There will be two sizes, essentially adult, and large adult. 

Edited August 8, 2022 by LadyG

[Cas446]

If you are fitting kids out, then make sure they can operate the buckles themselves. Arriving at a lock and then spending 10 minutes helping the kids get their jackets on does not make you very popular. This time of year there is no way you can expect them to keep them on all the time.

 

 

[Alan de Enfield]

28 minutes ago, LadyG said:

children particularly small kiddies need good fit, with crotch strap. They will be,made of a buoyant material.

 

 

This is very, very bad advice.

 

The jackets made with floation included are called 'buoyancy aids' and are designed for people who can swin and are concious - you need to be aware of what is happening because 'buoyancy aids' will make you float face-down (YES - face into the water, so you have to be able to turn yourself over).

 

To be called a 'lifejacket' it is a requirement that it will rotate you to 'face-up' within x-seconds.

 

The reason that 'automatic' lifejackets are suggested is to cover the possibility that when you fall overboard, you hit your head on the boat on the way down and are incapable of 'pulling the cord' to fire the lifejacket.

 

'Normal' adult lifejackets are rated at 175 newton, BUT, if you are likely to be boating in the Winter with thick clothing, or, are not much of a swimmer you can get 275 Newton lifejackets (I have 275  newtron lifejacket, SWMBO has 150 newton)

 

DO NOT buy a secondhand life jacket - they need to be serviced annually and have a service schedule, you have no idea how well looked after the 2nd hand lifejacket is or even if it is safe to use.

 

It is you and your families life , it's worth spending £100 each for decent safety equipment.

Edited August 8, 2022 by Alan de Enfield

[LadyG]

Read the description, eg Plastimo child lifejacket. Midland chandler's.

Edited August 8, 2022 by LadyG

[Momac]

1 hour ago, Spudwynk said:

 Assume we need one for everyone onboard?

 

There is no legal requirement but we always wear lifejackets when under way.

 

 

 

 

[mrsmelly]

1 hour ago, Cas446 said:

If you are fitting kids out, then make sure they can operate the buckles themselves. Arriving at a lock and then spending 10 minutes helping the kids get their jackets on does not make you very popular. This time of year there is no way you can expect them to keep them on all the time.

 

 

If your kids cannot breath underwater, the time of year is irrelevant.

[Cas446]

1 minute ago, mrsmelly said:

If your kids cannot breath underwater, the time of year is irrelevant.

Nice.. 

[mrsmelly]

1 minute ago, Cas446 said:

Nice.. 

It wasnt meant to be nice, or otherwise. It was just a factual response. I have had fifty years experience, some of it professional, on ships and boats and wearing a lifejacket isnt a choice thing. To be honest, when narrowboating unless I was on a river I didnt wear one ( I am stupid ) however, my kids/grandkids were not given a choice until they were adults.

[Scholar Gypsy]

I use this firm, who also supply parts for the regular maintenance

https://www.lifejackets.co.uk/child-lifejackets/childrens-gas-lifejackets/c20

 

One advantage of inflatable ones is that, if fitted properly, it is easy to forget you are wearing them. The ones with big foam ears etc are bulky and a bit awkward.


If anyone is not convinced about crotch straps, please watch this video from the RNLI
 

 

[peterboat]

50 minutes ago, mrsmelly said:

If your kids cannot breath underwater, the time of year is irrelevant.

Remember when you couldn't pass through a lock without having a life jacket on? Fortunately I had some as mine was an ex share boat, but the boat behind wasn't allowed through 

[Cas446]

27 minutes ago, mrsmelly said:

It wasnt meant to be nice, or otherwise. It was just a factual response. I have had fifty years experience, some of it professional, on ships and boats and wearing a lifejacket isnt a choice thing. To be honest, when narrowboating unless I was on a river I didnt wear one ( I am stupid ) however, my kids/grandkids were not given a choice until they were adults.

Then the above should have been your response, not your cheap jibe for a rather inappropriate laugh - it degrades a useful thread. I let my kids take their jackets off when inside the boat, that's all I was saying.

[Jerra]

44 minutes ago, mrsmelly said:

It wasnt meant to be nice, or otherwise. It was just a factual response. I have had fifty years experience, some of it professional, on ships and boats and wearing a lifejacket isnt a choice thing. To be honest, when narrowboating unless I was on a river I didnt wear one ( I am stupid ) however, my kids/grandkids were not given a choice until they were adults.

I was the same, then one Christmas I stood on the edge of an empty lock looking down, and thought with all this gear on and at your age if you go in there you won't come out alive.  They are second nature now. 

[Spudwynk]

Loving reading the conversation but any tips on decent brands. Sounds like auto inflation isthe way to go.

[malp]

6 minutes ago, Spudwynk said:

Loving reading the conversation but any tips on decent brands. Sounds like auto inflation isthe way to go.

 

Crewsaver or Baltic would be a couple of decent brands to look at.

[LadyG]

8 minutes ago, Spudwynk said:

Loving reading the conversation but any tips on decent brands. Sounds like auto inflation is the way to go.

If you are buying online you can pick what you like, they'll all be Certified. I'd think a lot depends on personal fit, some are more comfortable than others but not many places inland would have a big stock to try them on.

The yachty ones for active use tend to be more expensive, but not really needed on a narrowboat or cruiser.

 

[BEngo]

Notwithstanding AdeE's remarks on second hand lifejackets, there are from time to time second owner, brand new Crewsaver double chamber lifejackets for sale.  These have been retired from oil rig escape vessels, usually because the actuator or gas cylinder is lifex, and are still in OEM packaging with a service sheet.  I have two, and they are the genuine bedouine.

 

Alan has posted details previously, so a forum search should find the vendor.

The actuator tablets and the gas cylinders are readily available on line.

 

Or try findafishingboat.com where IIRC the vendor advertised them

 

 

N

 

[Alan de Enfield]

35 minutes ago, BEngo said:

Notwithstanding AdeE's remarks on second hand lifejackets, there are from time to time second owner, brand new Crewsaver double chamber lifejackets for sale.  These have been retired from oil rig escape vessels, usually because the actuator or gas cylinder is lifex, and are still in OEM packaging with a service sheet.  I have two, and they are the genuine bedouine.

 

Alan has posted details previously, so a forum search should find the vendor.

The actuator tablets and the gas cylinders are readily available on line.

 

Or try findafishingboat.com where IIRC the vendor advertised them

 

 

N

 

 

 

Good point - I also have 2 of them.

 

By secondhand I did not mean 'still in manufacturers vaccum pacakging but retired due to Oil companies renewal policy'. I was more referring to someone "giving up boating, been sat in the lazarette for years - never been used"

 

Or, "I have blown it up every year to check it works" they should not be blown up by 'mouth' as the damp air in you breath can start to break down the internal bladder.

[MrsM]

If you are mooring at Sawley you will get a credit with Aquavista when you sign the contract - £250 for leisure users, £500 for residential. Might be worth signing now and using the credit to go towards your lifejackets. The marina sold crewsavers when we took out our contract and posted the order to us. I haven't checked that they still do this but it's worth having a look as you are going to be a customer.

[TheBiscuits]

3 hours ago, Cas446 said:

Then the above should have been your response, not your cheap jibe for a rather inappropriate laugh - it degrades a useful thread. I let my kids take their jackets off when inside the boat, that's all I was saying.

 

Nope.  If you were offended by that just re-read it and check if your reaction was to the comment or because you'd been pulled up short.

 

My five year old has a "Pirate Suit" - an automatic life jacket with crotch strap that cost a tenner more for the skull & crossbones embroidered on it, simply so he would wear it.  He can't stand the foam rubber sweaty uncomfortable life jackets with the big collar.  His "Pirate Suit" scarf with a strap he will and does wear all day.  My automatic lifejacket is less bother to wear than a jacket when boating.

 

You might not like Tim's comments, but you would be well advised to heed them.  Unless your kids have gills, obviously.

[TheBiscuits]

2 hours ago, LadyG said:

If you are buying online you can pick what you like, they'll all be Certified.

 

Tripe.  The foam rubber emergency lifejackets are cheap, nasty and uncomfortable.  They are designed for fitting to passengers - usually under protest - when a passenger vessel is already sinking as a better alternative than nothing.

 

You couldn't pay me enough to wear one for active daily boating.

 

We have explosive scarves ... Or fully automatic offshore lifejackets as they are better known.  And they get checked and serviced annually, or more often if there are any big river trips on the plan.  You really don't notice you are wearing one unless you fall in ...

[Steve Buxton]

We are new to boating and went for Crewsaver Crewfit 165 for the adults and a Crewsaver Crewfit 150 for the grandchildren. This was after reading lots of varied advice bit I don't think I ever saw anyone else recommend 275N lifejackets for inland non-tidal waterways. They fit well and are reasonably comfortable. Apart from this really hot weather you tend to forget you are wearing them. Rules for us are river or locks you wear them, canal recommended but we don't insist. Definitely suggest automatic.

We bought online from a chandlery down south at a reasonable price. Some of the big locks on the non-tidal Trent can be a bit scary.

[TheBiscuits]

33 minutes ago, TheBiscuits said:

My five year old has a "Pirate Suit" - an automatic life jacket with crotch strap that cost a tenner more for the skull & crossbones embroidered on it, simply so he would wear it. 

 

https://www.lifejackets.co.uk/bluewave-childs-black-automatic-150n-lifejacket-with-harness/p46

 

One of these as it happens.  I was looking for a picture and found them at nearly half price!

[TheBiscuits]

 

Wrapping a kid - or an adult! - in sweaty foam rubber during a heatwave is incredibly stupid.  Nearly as daft as expecting them to want to wear it.

 

If you've saved a few quid by only buying sailing or canoeing buoyancy aids instead, they are of limited use as an emergency lifejacket - both of them are designed to help you stay afloat long enough to get back to your upside down dinghy or canoe then hold on to that to stay afloat.

[Alan de Enfield]

9 hours ago, Steve Buxton said:

I don't think I ever saw anyone else recommend 275N lifejackets for inland non-tidal waterways.

 

We were based on the non-tidal River Trent (at Newark) and it was very common that we'd be out in all weathers in all 4 seasons.

Wrapped up like a Yeti in January with air temperatures of Zero (or less) and water temperatures not much higher if we fell off the boat, or slipped whilst operating the locks we'd have a huge amount of clothing that would become soaked and very heavy. Not being a strong swimmer I elected to use a twin bladder 275 Newton automatic lifejacket.

 

I make no recommendation - it is impossible to do so, as I have no idea what you wear, what time of year you go boating or you swimming abilities (maybe when knocked unconcious)

I simply explain what I use, and why, you can make your own decisions to suit your situation.