Life jackets, really?

[LadyG]

I wear a lifejacket if I'm at all concerned and keep a good grip on the boat all the time, it's only common sense, even in summer, surfaces can be surprisingly slippery, you have to be careful.

[magnetman]

I fell in the cut under a bridgehole while walking about 20 yars ago. Mid winter. Slippery stones. 

 

Luckily I had someone with me who helped to get me out of the unexpectedly deep water. I think if it had been just me I might not have survived it due to cold water effect. We were not far from the boats so went back in took wet gear orf and sat by the fire. 

Edited August 2, 2023 by magnetman

[LadyG]

1 hour ago, robtheplod said:

Regarding servicing... is this yearly regardless of use?   I've worn mine for about 2hrs in the last few years and it lives in its original bag....... its a Crewsaver Crewfit 165N 

I think you should check it visually after about four years, there will be a date, and it's probably wise to replace on the date, but in my experience they last much longer if hanging loose in their bag, unused, and kept in dry conditions. Those that are worn daily, I would check every year.

7 hours ago, Bubblebuster said:

When going through or hanging around locks maybe, but for just cruising along? And why are some so expensive anyway!

Some are more expensive than others because they are subject to more research and quality control and advertising.

If you want one with a crotch strap and auto inflate that will cost more than ones without.

When I was doing salty water racing I always had a bouyancy aid, regardless of the conditions when I set off, if things got wilder, or overnight,  i'd wear an auto lifejacket with crotch strap , lifeline, and light. 

Single handed, I think one has to act responsibly with respect to safety equipment.

Edited August 2, 2023 by LadyG

[rusty69]

We need Mr bizzard to invent some kind of automatically triggered flare device. Preferably using meccano. 

[GUMPY]

Life jackets without crutch straps are not worth wearing, they will come off over your head on inflation.

Another tip if they are the bobbin type and you store them on the boat unscrew the gas bottle, it will prevent premature inflation.

 

 

 

[Paul C]

1 hour ago, magnetman said:

I think the reason these things don't matter is because people basically don't fall into empty locks. 

 

 

They do, but only very occasionally, and only after several normally foreseeable things which could have prevented it, were sidestepped. For example (its the only one I can think of that springs to mind) the Drum Major incident was because there were people in the boat while it was in the lock. If we trained people to have all passengers off the boat while in a lock, we'd have probably avoided that accident. But it was a hassle getting them off....so it didn't happen. And when the boat sunk, they couldn't get them off in the rescue situation and one/some died.

 

That's why I advocate training instead of extra equipment, so people are aware and rare occurrences become things that never happen.

[Iain_S]

2 hours ago, magnetman said:

I was given a couple of auto lifejackets by a neighbour and put them in a locker. One day I spilled something on one of them (tea, water, beer I really don't remember) and it went orf. Scared the bejesus out of me and also completely wedged itself in the locker. 

 

I don't know if there is a straightforward deflation option but I could not access the bottle to unscrew it so got the sword cane out and stabbed it. Dealt with. 

 

That was scary ! The hissing sounded like an imminent attack by a large reptile like we used to get on safari in Africa back in the day. 

 

The foam ones may be okay but restrict movement. 

 

 

All the ones I've had dealings with have a "manual" inflation tube, on the left hand side, opposite the cartridge. This has a valve which can be depressed to deflate the jacket. 

[Momac]

6 hours ago, rusty69 said:

It should definetly be in the BSS. One jacket for each crew member. 

Don't give them ideas .

 

[rusty69]

2 hours ago, magnetman said:

I was given a couple of auto lifejackets by a neighbour and put them in a locker. One day I spilled something on one of them (tea, water, beer I really don't remember) and it went orf. Scared the bejesus out of me and also completely wedged itself in the locker. 

I used to wear my auto inflate life jacket in the tender until one day a passing boat soaked me. The life jacket went off (as it was self inflating), gave me a hell of a scare. I only wear a buoyancy aid in the tender now.

 

I unfortuantely bought some cheap jackets once (seago), which I didn't realise had a recall notice associated with them until about 3 years after I purchased them. They did change them FOC after 3 years, but we had been living in igonorant bliss for some time.

 

These days, and thanks to @Alan de Enfield we have some rather nice crewsaver 275N jackets picked up pretty cheap a few years ago.

 

Thanks Alan.

[Momac]

2 hours ago, magnetman said:

I was given a couple of auto lifejackets by a neighbour and put them in a locker. One day I spilled something on one of them (tea, water, beer I really don't remember) and it went orf. Scared the bejesus out of me and also completely wedged itself in the locker. 

 

I don't know if there is a straightforward deflation option but I could not access the bottle to unscrew it so got the sword cane out and stabbed it. Dealt with. 

 

[magnetman]

The sword cane was more fun.

 

 

[Alan de Enfield]

23 minutes ago, rusty69 said:

These days, and thanks to @Alan de Enfield we have some rather nice crewsaver 275N jackets picked up pretty cheap a few years ago.

 

Thanks Alan.

 

The oly problem with them is that they are dual bladder so there are 2 sets of everything to service / replace.

 

Some more werre advertised last year and I picked up another couple. Pefect for Winter use when wearing extra thick clothing.

[rusty69]

Just now, Alan de Enfield said:

 

The oly problem with them is that they are dual bladder so there are 2 sets of everything to service / replace.

 

Some more werre advertised last year and I picked up another couple. Pefect for Winter use when wearing extra thick clothing.

That's ok. There is only one of me, and I am irreplaceable. 

[LadyG]

11 minutes ago, rusty69 said:

That's ok. There is only one of me, and I am irreplaceable. 

I bought one, buy I found it rather bulky when I was doing locks, so I'll replace with a standard one.

[rusty69]

Just now, LadyG said:

I bought one, buy I found it rather bulky when I was doing locks, so I'll replace with a standard one.

You couldn't have done. I'm not for sale. How much money you got? 

[LadyG]

Make sure your lifejacket has both a crotch strap and a whistle, if you get stuck in a lock, it's best to 

dot dot dot dash dash dash  dot dot dot"

[Tonka]

11 minutes ago, LadyG said:

Make sure your lifejacket has both a crotch strap and a whistle, if you get stuck in a lock, it's best to 

dot dot dot dash dash dash  dot dot dot"

dot dot dot splash splash dot dot you mean

[magnetman]

2 minutes ago, Tonka said:

dot dot dot splash splash dot dot you mean

dot dot dot splash splash splash glug glug glug bye bye bye 

 

 

[blackrose]

I have lifejackets onboard for when I used to do the tidal Thames but I've only worn one once on the canals about 15 years ago after a frozen Christmas on the GU. The ice was starting to thaw so I decided to make a move (single handed). It only took one lock for me to realise how dangerous it was walking across icy lock gates so I went in and grabbed a lifejacket. I should probably wear them more often but I don't want to look like a twat. Mind you, I'd probably look more of a twat floating face down in the river.

Edited August 2, 2023 by blackrose

[haggis]

This thread reminds me of what happened  to  one of our  friends when we were on our way to the Festival of the Sea in Edinburgh. He had on his life jacket and while someone else was steering he was getting something out of the small pointed space in the bows. He lay on his front and worked his way into the space, which was a bit damp. His life jacket inflated and he was stuck and because he was not used to life jackets he didn't know how to deflate it so he stayed where he was till it went down a bit. He was glad that his life jacket was faulty and did start to go down😄.

When we were locking into Leith Docks we, on our little Sea Otter, were behind The Matthew and when I stood in the bows the top of their rudder was several feet above me. Quite an experience. 

[clunk]

A couple of years ago I was traveling down the canal, one lock away from the river, so had already put on my life jacket. A bloke came by us on his mobility scooter and somehow ended up in the canal in front of us. Hard to say if the lifejackets made things harder from our point of view assisting him. Should it have been him wearing one instead of us?

[Slim]

2 hours ago, rusty69 said:

I used to wear my auto inflate life jacket in the tender until one day a passing boat soaked me. The life jacket went off (as it was self inflating), gave me a hell of a scare. I only wear a buoyancy aid in the tender now.

 

I unfortuantely bought some cheap jackets once (seago), which I didn't realise had a recall notice associated with them until about 3 years after I purchased them. They did change them FOC after 3 years, but we had been living in igonorant bliss for some time.

 

These days, and thanks to @Alan de Enfield we have some rather nice crewsaver 275N jackets picked up pretty cheap a few years ago.

 

Thanks Alan.

Yes, I got one of those as well. Passed it on when I sold the boat a few months ago. It was my 'winter wear'.

 

[howardang]

2 hours ago, blackrose said:

I have lifejackets onboard for when I used to do the tidal Thames but I've only worn one once on the canals about 15 years ago after a frozen Christmas on the GU. The ice was starting to thaw so I decided to make a move (single handed). It only took one lock for me to realise how dangerous it was walking across icy lock gates so I went in and grabbed a lifejacket. I should probably wear them more often but I don't want to look like a twat. Mind you, I'd probably look more of a twat floating face down in the river.

Better look like one than to be a dead one.

 

Howard

[Tom Morgan]

As a CRT volunteer lock-keeper, I wear a life jacket for six or seven hours at a time.  You very soon stop noticing that it's there.  But when you fall in - properly fall in, head first,  as I once did - it's very comforting to feel the "pop" as it inflates and turns you onto your back.

 

Edited August 2, 2023 by Tom Morgan

[magnetman]

It is an interesting thing to think about how a lifejacket could cause problems for someone who is constantly on and off their boat which may have a small stern deck like a trad narrow boat, may involve using ladders and ropes etc. 

 

Ideally you want to be wearing as little as possible for these activities. 

 

Lock keeping activities it makes sense as you are not getting on and off boats on a regular basis. 

 

On balance it may be safer for single handed boat operators to not wear a life jacket under any circumstances for a number of different reasons. 

 

Lifejacket gives you a false sense of security - it does not mean you will survive falling in.

 

Lifejacket is extra gear when ideally you want to be wearing nothing. 

 

 

 

 

 

 

8 minutes ago, Tom Morgan said:

... But when you fall in - properly fall in, head first,  as I once did - ...

Out of interest what were the actions which preceded this event? 

 

It sounds a little unusual and an explanation may help others avoid the same rather unfortunate mishap.