another reminder....

[Phoenix of Hamble]

To check your lifejackets....

I've not checked mine since start 2006, and found this evening, after finally getting around to checking them, two that had 'fired'..... neither had blown up, so don't know what had gone wrong, although firing mechanism not in great nick, so probably to blame..... new firing heads and gas cylinders ordered... and lifejackets sitting inflated by hand on the table at the moment, and seem to be staying up just fine.

Scarily, it was both the kids crewsavers, and both had the original firing kit from 1999....... neither child would have found it easy to blow them up manually.....

So, go check them NOW!

 

[FullCircle]

Well come on then, what about the rest of the seacheck?

 

[Sixpence]

That's not a nice thought Neil , I take it you can't even tell how long ago they went off

 

[CliveG]

Checked them all before we launched.
Most where new last year.
All o.k. with the cylinders in tight.

The one older one is a manual only.
The rest are autos.
I am still not sure which are the best.
A real wet deck operation could set an auto off.
Get knocked out and go over the side with the manual and it would be of no use.

What did the sea check chap say on the subject?

 

[Phoenix of Hamble]

Oh yes..... very good.... well worth doing, if nothing else to get an independent view of your preparedness, and someone neutral to discuss issues like manual or auto EPIRBS etc

Nothing else too much of great concern found though....

Perhaps a little more thought into what is stuffed at the bottom (as opposed to the top) of lockers, some additional D-Rings in the cockpit, and of course, to check the lifejackets /forums/images/graemlins/blush.gif.... and a bit of a nudge that it would be good if SWMBO could reach the bucket from the bottom of the Lazarette etc....

And one other interesting comment..... where is the gas bottle in the liferaft cannister?.... perhaps would make sense to mount that weight at the bottom of the cradle, so that a] the weight isn't on top of the liferaft itself for the next 2 or 3 years, and b] its easier on the pushpit if that weight is lower....

 

[Phoenix of Hamble]

Firmly in the auto camp....

 

[Emjaytoo]

Ours are all Auto-Hammar Crew Savers. Have checked the cylinders and they were all tight. What do you mean by

" two that had 'fired'..... " ?

 

[machurley22]

Those auto jackets which use a dissolving tablet in the firing mechanism will eventually inflate by absorbing atmospheric moisture.

 

[Phoenix of Hamble]

Whereas I believe the Hammars are fired by water pressure....

The first clue that led to the discovery was to unscrew the cylinders completely and discovering a pinprick hole in them, and they were obviously light.....

 

[Emjaytoo]

Will unscrew mine and check them again.

 

[Cornishman]

Just goes to show you the value of getting a FREE RNLI SEACheck. I have "clients" who call upon us once a year at the beginning of each season. They know that we have updated ourselves by attending training sessions during the previous winter.

 

[Phoenix of Hamble]

Couldn't agree with that more.....

Certainly given me food for thought on a couple of areas....

Its free... it takes an hour and a half or so.... and once again... its free!

 

[Stork_III]

Not the Hammar one, hydrostatic pressure required, in the water not on a deck with any normal wave.