Life ring - location/mounting

[Johny London]

I'm getting fed up with the life ring cluttering up my stern cabin - time it was up on deck where it belongs.

 

I've seen them on hatches, on the roof, and on the stern. But I've no idea if they are tied down or what. I don't want someone nicking it.

 

Your recommendations would be welcome as it's a little job I hope to tackle this week, thanks.

 

 

[NickF]

Surely it has to be in easy reach when you are on the tiller and not tied down. If you have to faff about going to get it or untying it you will probably be too late.

[Naughty Cal]

Our life sling is under the cockpit table tied off to the boat.

 

Table isn't normally in place when underway at sea.

[Martin Megson]

Mine just sits on the roof although as a single hander there's no one to throw it if I fall off

[Tonka]

do not bother, get a throw line instead. far better and smaller

[Ray T]

do not bother, get a throw line instead. far better and smaller.

 

We've got one of these:

 

 

One issue I see with a life ring, if you don't get the throw right it may hurt the M O B!

Edited December 11, 2016 by Ray T

[Lysander]

We carry both a life ring and a throw line. I would always prefer to use the life ring as I'm not a very accurate rope thrower and consider a life ring will give more confidence to a non- or weak swimmer. The life ring doesn't get nicked because we put it in the man-cupboard when we are not either on the move or with the boat. Always kept on the hatch and not tied down - it needs to be immediately available.

Edited December 11, 2016 by Lysander

[ditchcrawler]

When we are on rivers mine sits on the roof over the rear mushroom vent so that it cant get blown off and is not tied down. When on canals it is hanging on the wall inside the engine room.

[GUMPY]

what's a life ring?

Oh those orange polo mint shaped things.

Mine live in my lockup haven't been out for years

[NB Lola]

Leave it on the roof with some big lead weights to stop it being stolen, just make sure you never use it.

Edited December 11, 2016 by NB Lola

[RD1]

For years our life ring, has been in the way where ever we put it, when we leave the boat it lives in the heads, it used to be placed on the dash board in front of the windscreen, but it restricted the view. We tried it under the helmsman's seat, but after a time the rope got tangled with mooring pins, hammer and waste bags, making it difficult to deploy in an emergency. The cabin roof was a no no, as if the canopy was up it was time consuming to lower the canopy and try to go down a narrow side deck.

Then I had a brain wave...

 

The floor in the cockpit is quite low, and if you sit on the rear seat, your legs are dangling, so a few weeks ago, I set about making a false raised floor, 26" wide and 241/2" deep. and 6" high, this makes it very comfortable to sit now, getting out of the boat is easier.

The lifebelt sits under this false floor, so simply lift the cover, slide out the lifering, and lower the floor back.

The false floor is strong enough to be jumped on. There is no reason to keep anything on the floor, only people's feet lol,

I have a label to place on the cover to advise other members of the crew.

 

Might not work for others, but it seems to work for us.

Richard

[Scholar Gypsy]

I have rather a lot - including one I fished out of the Thames tideway a few years ago that I suspect I should give back to the PLA.

 

The one nearest to the camera is on a short line and clips on to a fixing point, that one gets put away when I leave the boat. The other two live on the roof most of the time. One has a very long line and would take some time to deploy. I also have a heaving line just inside the stern doors - see second photo - I suspect I would use this first.

 

 

[pearley]

We have a throwline on a hook just inside the stern doors. On the Cam a couple of years ago when a sail boat capsized I realised I had no idea how to use it. Just as well the sail boater was in no danger! Was fun spending the rest of the afternoon practising with it.

[mross]

Life ring should be within reach of the helmsman. I bring it in when we are away from the boat but I don't think they get knicked very often.

[Rob-M]

My life ring is at home in the garage, it has been replaced on the boat with a throw line which is hanging just inside the rear hatch.

[FadeToScarlet]

Mine sits on the cabin top near the front of the boat. Mostly so it's visible in case someone falls into the river when we're not around, so a passed by can use it.

[Johny London]

It seems I'm not alone in my concerns for having it pinched if left outside - and also not alone in finding it difficult to accommodate. I'm leaning towards trying it on the hatch, perhaps with some kind of simple device for holding it in place that might make it appear well secured, when in reality it is ready to deploy at a moments notice. (a central bolt with a bit of wood going across but not really fixed?)

What are all the bits of rope round them for?

[mross]

holding on to

[haggis]

Our life belt is on the roof just in front of the slide when we are boating and it is fixed to a small loop on the roof with a long bit of string/rope. Iain has "doctored" the rope in such a way that when lying on the roof it is just a few feet long but when thrown the rope uncoils. I don't know what type of "knot" he used but it means that the life belt is always ready to be deployed but the rope doesn't lie around getting tangled in things on the roof. Looks neat too.

 

haggis

[howardang]

Our life belt is on the roof just in front of the slide when we are boating and it is fixed to a small loop on the roof with a long bit of string/rope. Iain has "doctored" the rope in such a way that when lying on the roof it is just a few feet long but when thrown the rope uncoils. I don't know what type of "knot" he used but it means that the life belt is always ready to be deployed but the rope doesn't lie around getting tangled in things on the roof. Looks neat too.

 

haggis

Chain hitch?

 

Howard

[haggis]

Chain hitch?

 

Howard

Quite possibly! It looks like a chain :-) I must ask him

 

Haggis

[ditchcrawler]

Quite possibly! It looks like a chain :-) I must ask him

 

Haggis

[Ray T]

Quite possibly! It looks like a chain :-) I must ask him

 

Haggis

I believe it is a chain of slip knots one after another

 

 

I have made some curtain tie backs using this method. In the picture pull the upper line and it comes undone. Pull the lower one it doesn't.

 

Actually called a Noose Knot here:

 

http://www.animatedknots.com/noose/index.php?Categ=basics&LogoImage=LogoGrog.png&Website=www.animatedknots.com#ScrollPoint

 

Edited December 12, 2016 by Ray T

[haggis]

That looks like it Ray. I have been puzzling over the one Brian posted but I don't think it would come undone the way the one on our life belt does. Iain thinks it is a chain hitch so Howard wins the prize :-)

 

haggis

[ditchcrawler]

That looks like it Ray. I have been puzzling over the one Brian posted but I don't think it would come undone the way the one on our life belt does. Iain thinks it is a chain hitch so Howard wins the prize :-)

 

haggis

That is because the end is tucked through the last loop so that it doesn't come out.