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Life jackets.


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We do for tunnels, locks, and if and when we get on to rivers.  The logic is that if one of us goes in, the other has enough on their hands to manage the boat for the first few moments, with less worry for the wet one who should at least be floating.  Oh yes, and the dog wears one too - ashore around locks and aboard when the boat is moving. We call it her 'boat coat' since 'life jacket' or 'bouyancy aid' seem a concept too far for a dog who hates water, has no intention of falling in, and who would not enjoy being made to practice swimming in it to prove its value to her. 

On a similar safety note, having stood beside our boat while it was out of the water for surveying, we realised we wouldn't have a hope of climbing back on from anything like deep water, so we're getting a ladder.  There was a previous thread on here about this, and the reality really hit us when we realised that with head and shoulders above the water line, we'd just be able to reach the taff rail supports but not pull our wet clothed bodies up and out. We hope a rope-type ladder, fastened on to a taff rail support and quick-releasable, should do the trick.  But rather like the dog and the 'boat coat', we're not keen to have a practice to check it works... 

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I have at least six up to date self inflating lifejackets onboard. I only wear them on rivers. The logic for this is I and others are bloody numpties. If you are on a boat and fall off and knock yourself unconscious or have a medical problem and fall off etc etc without a lifejacket can you breath underwater? Answer is no you cant, it dont matter wether you can stand up in it, wether its forty fathoms or six inches deep you will likely drown. Wear the bloody things and do as I say not as I do.

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1 hour ago, Rob-M said:

Generally on a river and whenever I'm moving a boat whilst volunteering for CRT.

Will cruising in the hours of darkness on the BCN Challenge warrant one?

In answer to the question everyone on board will wear them on rivers because I insist and my daughter wears one at all times. My wife often wears one as well as she is a poor swimmer.

I wear mine when single handing.

JP

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I tend to assess the risks and the likelihood of going in. On a warm summer's day on the canal I probably won't wear one, but on the same canal in the depths of winter I probably would- increased likelihood and severity of falling in. 

Similarly, having just come up the Thames, I wore one from Brentford up as far as Reading, but would've worn one all the way had it been raining or slippery.

 

It does need bit of thought, as they can bring hazards of their own, e.g. straps tangling in centre paddle gear when crossing a GU wide lock. But it's just a case of assessing the risks, and if the likelihood or severity of falling in outweighs the smaller risks of wearing a lifejacket, on it goes.

9 minutes ago, Captain Pegg said:

Will cruising in the hours of darkness on the BCN Challenge warrant one?

In answer to the question everyone on board will wear them on rivers because I insist and my daughter wears one at all times. My wife often wears one as well as she is a poor swimmer.

I wear mine when single handing.

JP

I will probably wear one then, because being tired will mean I'm more likely to make a silly mistake.

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5 hours ago, ianali said:

We are wearing them but very few do. Who here does? 

I usually wear one.   I should wear it more often than I do,  but in winter on quiet swing bridgey and locky canals I defo do.

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7 minutes ago, Captain Pegg said:

No less than I can in daylight. You've lost me there.

JP

I just meant that they are needed all the time daylight or dark if you cannot breathe underwater. I was trained in survival on and around water by the very best training establishment in the World in the early 70s and even back then we wore lifejackets partialy inflated if we were outside of guard rails or any chance of going overboard. Simply put we should all wear them but we rarely do.

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1 hour ago, mrsmelly said:

If you are on a boat and fall off and knock yourself unconscious or have a medical problem and fall off etc etc without a lifejacket can you breath underwater? Answer is no you cant,

I blame Darwin. 

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And do we all use the crotch strap?

The only bit of "Narrow Dog to Carcasonne" I actually laughed at was where he's discussing the employment of the crotch strap; "He's going to all right Mrs Darlington, the crotch strap saved his life but he's not the man he was.  Oh, you want us to throw him back in?"

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