Clipping my VHF and PLB to a lifejacket

[Crazy-Diamond]

Hello all, I have a KRU lifejacket, with my hand held VHF and PLB attached at the front. I have tested this placement with the jacket inflated and these items are covered up and not easy to access when inflated, but my reasoning is that I'd rather have them with me in the water and a bit tricky to get at, than have them on the boat as I watch her sail away. No doubt someone will have an opinion about that. The pic below shows the arrangement.



Anyway. I need a new lifejacket as this one is a little long in the tooth. I am struggling to find one that would allow a similar placement. What do other people do with their VHF and PLBs? By definition going overboard is not expected, and having these two devices on my person at all times is critical. I've looked for supplementary belts etc. There are pouches that go on the side of a lifejacket, but I fear these will be somewhat obstructive to movement.

Very interested to hear if anyone has other solutions?

G

 

[tyce]

I went the pouch route, bought a hard wearing one of eBay that the waist strap goes through. Just wear it on my side and never really notice its there. Only a PLB though.

 

[fredrussell]

I just keep my (waterproof) phone in my pocket. Couldn’t be dealing with all the clutter really, but I don’t do any offshore and sail in an area with plenty of mobile coverage.

 

[prv]

I don't feel the need for such thorough precautions, but if I did I would mount the PLB inside the jacket in a position that puts it on top of the inflated bladder. How easy that is will depend on the jacket; mine has a couple of extra bands of bladder material running across which are well placed for mounting accessories, whereas the older CrewSavers were notorious as a blank expanse of inflated fabric to which even the light had to be attached by hooking it around the inflation tube.

VHF you presumably want accessible in normal use - for battery charging if nothing else - rather than tucked away inside the jacket. So I'd move it to the side section of belt, as far forward as it will go, so that it's not jammed between the two lobes of the bladder when it inflates.

Pete

 

[Crazy-Diamond]

I don't want to hide the PLB inside the uninflated unit - as if I needed to use it without been overboard I'd have to inflate the jacket. The VHF isn't used much as I have a fixed one below decks.

 

[prv]

if I needed to use it without been overboard I'd have to inflate the jacket.

...or unzip it.

How much difference is the extra thirty seconds going to make in an emergency on board, compared to the time it takes the Coastguard to receive and handle the signal, confirm a real shout, task assets, launch, and transit?

Pete

 

[V1701]

Apology for thread drift but does anybody else who sails solo choose the plb always attached to LJ in preference to clipping on? The way I see it unless I make sure that if when clipped on I'm definitely definitely not going to go over the side (difficult to achieve) then I probably stand more chance of surviving if I do go over if I'm not getting dragged along by the boat but have a PLB (and possibly a phone or HH VHF as well)?

 

[prv]

I probably stand more chance of surviving if I do go over if I'm not getting dragged along by the boat but have a PLB (and possibly a phone or HH VHF as well)?

I think that depends where and when you sail. If you end up watching the boat sail away from you, VHF in hand, in a busy sailing area in late summer then I think you have an excellent chance of being picked up in minutes by a passer-by in a RIB with no real harm done. Like my mate who tripped off the pontoon last week and his biggest concern is claiming work expenses with the receipts that are now a pile of mush.

Do the same thing well offshore in February and I reckon you might be in a pretty bad way before the lifeboat finds you, if it does at all. So the least-worst option might be to stay attached to the boat and hope that adrenaline somehow gets you back over the toerail.

Pete

 

[Crazy-Diamond]

If I am single handed and need to clip on I use a short tether and clip onto something close to where I need to be - like the mast. This ensures that if I fall I will still be on the deck. When going to and from the cockpit I am not convinced that any tether arrangement would keep me on the deck, and is more likely to see me being dragged to my death. Therefore I don't clip on until I get to where I need to be. I can slide along the side decks on my bum, using both hands to hold on etc.

My reasoning for this is that if I fall whilst going to and from the cockpit I would rather be floating in the water (with my VHF and PLB) with at least the option of sustaining my life, rather than 10 seconds left as I get dragged by the boat.

A waterproof phone in my pocket is not something I would consider. A PLB is the correct piece of kit for me. I do sail at night, and all year round.

I don't want to unzip the life jacket to get at the PLB. If I slipped and was semi conscious I have better chance of activating it if I just have to press the button. Getting it out of the jacket? No thanks.

What I'd like is a life jacket I can attach these pieces of kit to, if it exists?

 

[lw395]

The best thing is to stay in control of your footing etc and not risk going over the side.

The next best thing is to be clipped on so that if you do slip, you don't go over the side.
Clip to the middle of the boat or the high side and if you slip, you remain on deck.
PLB Probably Locates your dead Body.
Handheld VHF transmitting from in the water, I reckon there's lots of scenarios where you just wouldn't be heard.

As for not wanting to inflate the LJ to use the PLB, if you expect the coastguard to go to the expense of handling a PLB transmission and maybe sending lifeboats or choppers, you can damned well buy a rearming kit.

I'd want the VHF where I could use it without taking it off the LJ, I use mine for e.g. calling QHM as well as in race management, so close to my ear where I can hear it without turning it up, handsfree and where I can speak into it without faffing.

Having the gadgets obstructing the tether area is just silly. If you fall on your tether you will probably rip them off the belt.

If you are afraid of being dragged by the yacht, slow down before going forwards.

 

[Plum]

Hello all, I have a KRU lifejacket, with my hand held VHF and PLB attached at the front. I have tested this placement with the jacket inflated and these items are covered up and not easy to access when inflated, but my reasoning is that I'd rather have them with me in the water and a bit tricky to get at, than have them on the boat as I watch her sail away. No doubt someone will have an opinion about that.

Very interested to hear if anyone has other solutions?

G

I sail mostly single handed, clip on in moderate to high risk conditions, and have a PLB on my lifejacket at all times. The PLB is mounded on the oral inflation tube (it's the Ocean Signal PLB1 that comes with a clip for the purpose) as I believe if I was in the water with an inflated LJ it is the only reliable location where I could activate it and keep it activated hands-free. Once activated you need to keep the aerial out of the water and the oral inflation tube is the highest point. If I need it when not in the water it only takes a second to open the LJ cover to expose it. I always wear my LJ and its good to know the PLB is always with my. I do not carry the vhf on me. If I were to buy a new LJ I would take my PLB and check it fits inside the LJ cover before buying.

Also, if you need spectacles for reading, make sure you a familiar with how the extend the aerial and activate it without your specs.

Www.solocoastalsailing.co.uk

 

[Spirit (of Glenans)]

Hello all, I have a KRU lifejacket, with my hand held VHF and PLB attached at the front. I have tested this placement with the jacket inflated and these items are covered up and not easy to access when inflated, but my reasoning is that I'd rather have them with me in the water and a bit tricky to get at, than have them on the boat as I watch her sail away. No doubt someone will have an opinion about that. The pic below shows the arrangement.

View attachment 93250

Anyway. I need a new lifejacket as this one is a little long in the tooth. I am struggling to find one that would allow a similar placement. What do other people do with their VHF and PLBs? By definition going overboard is not expected, and having these two devices on my person at all times is critical. I've looked for supplementary belts etc. There are pouches that go on the side of a lifejacket, but I fear these will be somewhat obstructive to movement.

Very interested to hear if anyone has other solutions?

G

That looks like an Ocean Signal Rescue1 PLB which is designed to pack inside the LJ and be activated by the inflating bladder tensioning a length of cord, at least that's how it works on my Crewsaver Ergofit 160n Pro Auto LJ.
On a cruising boat, where there is plenty of space and life is more relaxed, I generally keep the HH VHF in the pocket of my oilskins, but when I was a keelboat instructor I used to keep it clipped to the upper strap of the LJ harness, at my shoulder where (a) it could be used for hands-free VOX transmission, and (b) it was less likely in a crowded cockpit where anything can happen,to get in the way or get snagged.
It's always advisable to connect your h/h VHF to your LJ with a cord safety line, as well as clipping it on, and if it gets splashed with salt water, give it a rinse under the tap at the end of the day, so that the charging contacts don't get corroded.

 

[Tintin]

Apology for thread drift but does anybody else who sails solo choose the plb always attached to LJ in preference to clipping on? The way I see it unless I make sure that if when clipped on I'm definitely definitely not going to go over the side (difficult to achieve) then I probably stand more chance of surviving if I do go over if I'm not getting dragged along by the boat but have a PLB (and possibly a phone or HH VHF as well)?

No. A PLB isnt an alternative to clipping on.

 

[MarkCX]

Agree about clipping on.
Does anyone have any actual statistics for PLB response times around the UK coast?

 

[lw395]

Agree about clipping on.
Does anyone have any actual statistics for PLB response times around the UK coast?

The PLB system is not really designed for a fast response.
Hours not minutes!

 

[MarkCX]

That’s what I thought. A long time to be floating around! I’ll carry on focussing my efforts on staying on the boat.

 

[prv]

The PLB system is not really designed for a fast response.
Hours not minutes!

+1

COSPAS-SARSAT envisages a ship's crew floating in lifeboats or liferafts mid-ocean. That's why the battery life on an EPIRB has to be at least 48 hours, hopefully enough time for another ship to divert and reach them. In the UK the Coastguard aim for a reasonably speedy response - and I believe what was formerly spread between Falmouth, Kinloss and Fareham is now all centralised at Fareham, which may cut some of the coordination delays we've seen in previous MAIB reports - but a PLB is still not an ejection handle instigating instant rescue.

Pete

 

[Crazy-Diamond]

Can anyone give any help to find a lifejacket that I can attach my VHF and PLB to? That was my original post, not a request for a discussion on clipping on and all the opinions that come with it, or for the merits of PLB vs VHF vs mobile phones etc. If I had mentioned how to use my anchor then obviously I expect a huge amount of opinions!

 

[boomerangben]

I suppose the value of a HH radio depends on how busy the waters are where you fall in. But I could quite easily see a conversation going.... “Mayday, Mayday, Mayday, Ive fallen over the side of my boat”, “What is your latitude and longitude”,”Ummm”. Whilst you are keen to have somewhere to clip you radio, I would rather have somewhere to clip flares to. Quite frankly whilst many HH VHFs are waterproof, you cant hear transmissions and nobody can here you if you’ve got water in the mic/speaker.

 

[Crazy-Diamond]

That’s what DSC is for.
Anyone got a lifejacket suggestion? Anyone? Anyone?