Check List

[Chris771]

Re: Waxoyl

Yes I like Waxoyl too Barry. Use it on 4WD chassis and boat trailers at home and on lots of things offshore.

Over the years we have tried every kind of coating on immersed steel hydraulic pumps, which go through a thermal cycling (& associated expansion/contraction) each dive and at the end of years of trying everything the black waxoyl works best, though it can be a bit dirty. For above deck handling winches and crane rams there is nothing better on the bits which are exposed to salt water.


Chris


ps: Like your smiley!

 

[Guest]

Re: Waxoyl

I have seen waxoly in Halfords, is that the same stuff? and how is it applied, does it need to be under pressure to fire it up the tubes? I guess it can't do any harm. I think I will probably pay the lift fee for the first launch, I will have better things to do than spend another weekend stripping the breaks and washing the trailer, and then having the worry that it is rotting from the inside out whilst lying in the trailer yard at MDL. And what on earth am I doing paying £1,800 for a trailer when I could possibly rent one the odd time I wanted to take it to the South Coast, that could be a lot of rentals, or pay for it to be transported by someone with a trailer. I wonder if there is a trailer time share scheme where you would have the use of a trailer at a lower cost?

 

[Guest]

Lifejackets

just bought 7 crewaver lifejackets, one is a childs 'sea toddler' with harness, one crewsaver with harness (manual gas), one with atuo gas (for the old mother in law) and the rest all manual gas. My thoughts were that I could use a safety line to a U bolt on the boat for the toddler in certain safe circumstances, and if it were a bit rough use the safety line tio hitch her to the adult jacket with the harness, which either my wife or I would wear. One thing which I am trying to make my mind up with is that they all came with 'free' thigh straps. I have never used these and was wondering if they are required, I understand that they are there to stop the jacket riding up over your head. Perhaps I should do as I suggest and jump in and see what the difference is between them on and off, but if someone has already done that I could be saved a soaking.

AND WHY re these things SO expensive, £79 for the toddler one!!

 

[BarryH]

Re: Lifejackets

Re the Toddler, when ours were smaller we used a car seat that you could strap them into. Use one thats easy to get them out of quickly and not loads of straps all over the place. Easier than having them trailing a safetyline all over the place tripping people up. They only really stayed in it when the going got a bit hairy or if mooring where one of us was out of the cockpit doing the rope bits.

Leg strap bits. I dont use them on ours as they did'nt come with them, but the kids ones did an get used all the time. Expensive, well its a boat thing and what would it cost to replace a wife/kid, if you could, if one of them went over! Now theres an idea................

<P ID="edit"><FONT SIZE=-1>Edited by BarryH on 09/02/2003 09:23 (server time).</FONT></P>

 

[Guest]

Re: Lifejackets

Re - replacement costs, kids impossible to replace, but some times I have been tempted with the 'new for old' polices available for wives, a lot cheaper than the jacket! L.O.L.

 

[oldgit]

Congrats on new boat.All bit scary at first but best fun in world later.IMHO.

Oooh look its still not dark and its nearly 5pm

 

[jon_bailey]

Re: Waxoyl

Trailer rental is not so easy with a boat because trailer needs to be set up each time to make sure c of g in the right place, rollers/ bunks are in correct positions etc..

Launching into salt water will cause corrosion problems that can only be delayed with washing, grease and other treatments. A regular service that changes bearings, brakes and cables is essential and will just have to happen more regularly if going into salt water, i.e. probably every year. Just needs to considered as part of the costs of boating.

If you have no intention of using the trailer for some time then a paid in lift will be a good idea first off, because at least it delays the corrosions process by say six months.

 

[whisper]

Re: Lifejackets

Hi. I've been in the water wearing lifejackets with and without thigh straps. I would strongly advise you to use the straps, which do indeed stop the jacket riding up your chest. Don't have to get wet now, do you!

 

[Chris771]

Re: Waxoyl & Lifejackets

Jon bears out what I said, you will only delay the inevitable, I would definitely go for a lift if it is a once only time into seawater.

Then if you can find fresh to launch into subsequently the problem will never occur.

Regarding Waxoyl, you can buy sprayer cans with little flexible hoses which can be inserted through holes in the structure and pushed along as far as it will go and then sprayed whilst withdrawing the hose (about 6mm dia as far as I recall). From experience waxoyl sprays best when heated. When I have sprayed it in the past I have always put the spray can in a bucket of hot water whilst I am spraying and then topped it up with kettles of boiling water to keep it hot. when you finish make sure you blow all the Waxoyl out of the lines by inverting the spray can until air comes out. If you do not do this, the Waxoyl hardens and it is a b*gg*r to get it flowing next time as I discovered the first time.

Regarding lifejackets, I wear commercial inflatable helicopter ones each time I fly offshore and also do Offshore Survival training every few years (lots of jumping into pools with wave making machines, sometimes in darkness, sometimes from 5m platform - great fun!) wearing a variety of different types of lifejackets which we are liable to encounter.

Bottom line is, if you intend to use the lifejacket in emergency fit the crotch strap. If it is cosmetic only don't bother. Remember when you enter the water you may not necessarily remain conscious. The lifejacket then needs to inflate and rotate you onto your back whilst supporting your head to keep nose/mouth out of water.
If you are unconscious and lifejacket has ridden up around your neck it is not going to do that, especially important with children. Remember you will not necessarily be in a position to instantly help them. If child falls overboard at speed it will be at least a minute before you can get back to pluck them out. You need to know that child will be floating at proper attitude.

I do like the idea of securing young children with safety line which allows movement without possibility of going overboard.

Things I have learned both on survival courses and as a diving instructor, your chances of survival depend mainly on the things which happen within the first three minutes of emergency situation developing. e.g. did you get emergency call out in time, is everyone wearing enough clothing for thermal insulation, has liferaft been made ready/correctly deployed, if personnel are going into water, either clip safety lines (or rope) together which will keep everyone in group. Keep everyone occupied looking for lifeboat/helicopter - if they are doing something much less likely to panic. Keep hand held radio charged and in waterproof bag, also have smoke floats in zipped bag at grab point. Then when you go into water you have all the things you need to help helicopter/ lifeboat find you easily.

Chris

 

[Guest]

Re: Lifejackets

That's good enough for me, cheers, just working out how to fit them on is the next problem, but crewsaver give you a CD for the PC with each one, I will have a look on that.

 

[Guest]

Re: Waxoyl & Lifejackets

Thanks to you all for your most helpful advice, it shows that there are people with varying experiences on the forum, learning from those seems to be the smart thing to do. I will get my boat lifted, first problem solved and peace of mind. I will get the trailer waxoyled when I have a bit of spare time, but before it's first dip. The trailer is a bunk trailer, does that still need to be set up for my boat? and if so I guess the dealer would do that, or do I need to ask them to do that? Re the lifejackets, I guess the straps are the way to go, if you are going to ear it, then you may as well do it properly. The straps are a bit of a pain I would think, getting tangled when stored, but when you are in the water and it is riding high up your neck as you gradualy slip out of it to your possible death, it would be too late to wish you had not left the straps in the bag.

We carry out fire drills at home with the kids, it is very useful as they have confidence in what to do and the escape routes depending on where the fire could be. It may sound daft to some but, but some people have homes with no opening window in the bedrooms gig enough to escape from, in that case other routes need to be thought out. When a fire occurs it is just one panic, you hope that any practice you have had comes into play.

I will be doing the same on my boat, there is no reason at all why you could not have a small laminated card just to go through a check list of safety proceedure with the crew, where the equipment is, how to use the VHF in an emergency, call signs, mob equipment & drills e.t.c. The well publicised story of a skipper going overboard and nobody knowing what to do re-inforced this for me.

I know that there are a lot of people who are against everything, but that is their choice, I just want to be at peace that I have done my risk assessment and can justify the reasons for my decisions with anyone, should a tragedy happen, and know I could not have done any more.

I will just be using my boat locally, but then expand once I have got to know the boat, I will also hope to take it to the South coast on the trailer and perhaps to Scotland where the Lochs and sceneray are beautiful

Thanks again,

 

[Guest]

Re: Waxoyl & Lifejackets

Chris,

I looked at the lifeboat situation, firstly they are very expensive, secondly I would have little storage space, thirdly I would never intend at the moment to go anywhere that would be far away from other boaters. Due to these reasons I have not bought one. I have however boat a good quality blow up kids boat (for two kids) I intend to keep that inflated in the cuddy cabin if I am concerned at all about the conditions we may due to unforseen circumstances get in. I would intend to put my 14 mth old daughter in that with us in the water safety lined together holding onto the sides, we would all of course have our lifejackets on. It would not take long for cold water chill the core of a small child, I would hope keeping her out of the water or at least not fully submerged would lengthen our survival time. Don't know what anyone elses views are, but seems better than nothing at all.

 

[hlb]

Re: Waxoyl & Lifejackets

Would strongly suggest you refrain from number one option and take on mark two. Stay aboard main boat till it your sure it has sunk. IE You are stud on highest position of boat and your head is now going under!! Now get in kids dinghy.

<font color=blue> Haydn

 

[Guest]

Re: Waxoyl & Lifejackets

I agree haydn, thanks for re-inforcing it.

 

[BrendanS]

Re: Waxoyl & Lifejackets

The laminated card with instructions and procedures is a very good idea. We had an incident last year in the club I belong to, where a skipper was taken ill while at sea. Skipper and wife were helicoptered off to hospital.

We put onboard a friend who was on board my boat. Very experienced. He had to take the now skipperless boat back to base, with me accompanying. He couldn't work out how to change channels on the unfamiliar radio which was mounted very low where he couldn't easily see it, and a set of simple instructions would have made a big difference

 

[Guest]

Re: Waxoyl & Lifejackets

Thanks Brendon, I don't feel such a pratt now L.O.L. see perhaps I have got a use. I think that when you go into something new you see things that others take for granted or get used to, a bit like when you first move into a house you have all the good ideas, but after a while if you have not done them, they get forgotten and left.

Cheers

 

[Chris771]

Re: Waxoyl & Lifejackets

I don't have a liferaft either, but do have a good 2.4m dinghy. Ref being in water, it is surprising how much insulation you gain from having several layers of clothes. Even though they are wet they do greatly slow the flow of water around the body, so the wet clothing near the body is at a higher temperature than the surrounding sea and the overall cooling is less. Even a thermalite woolly hat greatly helps.

As Haydn said, never go into the water until you have no other choice, also remaining with the mother craft also makes you easier to find, people and boats drift at greatly different speeds. So whilst it is still there, remain with it. Even if it is swamped and still just floating it is still a better place to be than in the sea.

Chris

 

[Guest]

Re: Waxoyl & Lifejackets

Thanks Chris, It is also interesting how your body heat can be retained better by drawing your knees up towards your chest. I believe some people think that by kicking and splashing around you keep warm, but that is not the case IMHO.

 

[BrendanS]

Re: Overboard

We've done a few exercises with the club to help show this point. Plan beforehand, work out tides etc. At appointed time (in dark) chuck readily identifiable object overboard, then fleet try to find it half an hour later

OK, very appoximate. But main point is most people cannot calculate tide and wind drift. Scares the hell out of most when they realise how far drift is (done off Osbourne Bay area)

No chance of finding target realistically, but makes a huge impression, and teaches a great deal

 

[oldgit]

Re: Word of advice.

On first trip out .Take a friend etc,but do not invite granny plus half the street or any anybody else you happen to meet in the way to the launch.Less pressure to go out and do something when mybe something really needs sorting first .Also less people to complain when you are about to spend your first night out stranded on perishing mud bank .IMHO.

Oooh look its still not dark and its nearly 5pm