Danbuoy - inflatable or old skool?

[Tintin]

Alas, my telescopic danbuoy has finally died, the weight casing split, and the float cracked and broken. And the horseshoe is faded and grey (much like me these days).

I sail offshore and am considering the inflatable ones.

What puts me off is annual servicing, and a fear that, when its needed it may not inflate.

But to not have a pole-like encumbrance in the way would be good.

Thoughts?

 

[Kwik Decision]

I have an inflatable danbuoy, which I check and blow up each year, with the life jackets. No problems so far, but its never been used in anger so to speak.

 

[Neeves]

An answer for you is to find a way to retain an old school Danbuoy such that it is not an obstruction. Thousands of yachts have old school Dan buoys - why not you.

Hi tech, is inflatable hi tech?, is great until it isn't - a pole simply works and are proven over decades.

We sailed to Tasmaniia's SW coast. We had a pole and a new tech version. The new tech version was not cheap and sat in the aft cabin (to minimise any damage, UV etc etc), the pole sat on the life lines and was retained to a stay and immediately accessible to the helm.

The only time we had a MOB, different yacht, we lost sight of the casualty very quickly in biggish seas (but did recover her). The experience crystallises thoughts.

Why not use the search function for similar threads and then start a new thread "How do you carry, store, your Danbuoy"

As you know threads are free

Jonathan

 

[ylop]

Our danbouy also suffered a similar fate. Some have longer service intervals. Some can be DIY serviced, some need Ocean Safety to do it if it’s ever going back in the box…

The traditional Dan bouy has some fit and forget appeal. But looking round boat yards and marinas most seem to be fitted and forgotten - does the light still work, is the line tangled in stuff, etc.

 

[Ed Sned]

I actually replaced my inflatable with a new old-skool one from Jimmy Green.
The first reason will perhaps rightly be dismissed as I can't remember the source, but I read in a magazine that when a bunch of these were tested, a surprising amount encountered problems properly activating, usually thanks to something like the mini-drogue getting wrapped around it. I used to inflate and check mine every year, but there was always that nagging doubt that it would snag on something.

Second, there was a comment made on another forum after a MOB in a recent very windy race in the US, where the light weight and bigger surface area of an inflatable meant that the Danbuoy was laid pretty flat and also set off downwind at about 4 knots (clearly the drogue wasn't that effective - or maybe too effective which resulted in the dan buoy being laid flat?). My new-old Danbuoy has a much taller mast, a bigger flag (and light) but a much smaller mast cross-section. I've put a piece of split pipe-lagging around the flag to prevent it flogging to pieces or being trashed by UV, which is tied back to the push-pit to come off when lobbed over the side.

 

[RunAgroundHard]

I will go for the inflatable type next. Fed up with Dan Buoy style sitting there deteriorating, awkward to deploy and generally falling to bits. If you want to go for the pole type, don't buy the ones with the ACR light . This light is converted with a plastic tube, white colour in my case to fit on the pole. The light is LED and appears to be good, but its watertightness is woeful and soon the battery will be trashed and the corrosion spreading to the LED, the LED clear housing fills with condensation. Also, the plastic mushroom head pins, that hold it to the pole and used on the trigger for the light by pulling out to activate when the string goes tight, swell up inside and are too tight. So if you see one at a good price with this light, don't buy.

 

[Ed Sned]

RAH, that's useful feedback, thank you. I think I have exactly that light, so I will check it carefully.

 

[Supertramp]

I rebuilt mine using an old fishing rod, a linesman's flag and a section of plastic pipe to cover the flag. I have a ketch with plenty of deck clutter so it blends in unnoticed in the "safety corner" with lifebelt, liferaft and lifebuoy light.

Technology aboard has its place but I like simple, repairable gear.

 

[KevinV]

I rebuilt mine using an old fishing rod, a linesman's flag and a section of plastic pipe to cover the flag. I have a ketch with plenty of deck clutter so it blends in unnoticed in the "safety corner" with lifebelt, liferaft and lifebuoy light.

Technology aboard has its place but I like simple, repairable gear.

I so often see danbouys with flags rotted off, or tied round the pole to protect them from UV - rendering the thing useless

 

[Neeves]

I so often see danbouys with flags rotted off, or tied round the pole to protect them from UV - rendering the thing useless

If you have an appropriate stay you can cut a length of water pipe to give 2 pieces. Attaching with cable ties one piece of pipe to the bottom and the other at an appropriate height. The Danbuoy weight sits in the bottom pice of pipe and the top section of pipe houses the top of the pole with the flag wrapped loosely (but hidden from UV). Lift the device and it is freed from the lower pipe, let go - and it falls into the sea.

Jonathan

 

[KevinV]

If you have an appropriate stay you can cut a length of water pipe to give 2 pieces. Attaching with cable ties one piece of pipe to the bottom and the other at an appropriate height. The Danbuoy weight sits in the bottom pice of pipe and the top section of pipe houses the top of the pole with the flag wrapped loosely (but hidden from UV). Lift the device and it is freed from the lower pipe, let go - and it falls into the sea.

Jonathan

Neat - wouldn't work on my boat, but a clever idea. My statement that I see a lot of knackered or useless ones stands though.

 

[ylop]

Technology aboard has its place but I like simple, repairable gear.

Are you using foam filled ship style lifejackets too? Because it strikes me that if we trust the same "technology" to work on a lifejacket. I'm not knocking the old school ones. I'm sure there are ways to make them work practically like Neves describes, perhaps if I was sailing oceans my risk of failure (and expected need) v's chance someone will tangle a line in it balance would be different. (Mine got caught in a line going through the Crinan Canal and broke a mounting bracket and kinked the "telescopic" tube).

 

[rogerthebodger]

I have 2 homemade dan buoys using 2 fishing net floats a lead weight made from old wheel balance weights and a flag held in a fabric tube.

The dan buoys are held on my Taga in the same way as described by Neeves and easy to grab from inside my Pushpit.

One of my dan buoys have a life buoy attached with a floating line attached to the boat the other id free floating the one attached allows the help to circuit the MOB and maneuver the MOB towards the boat.

 

[Supertramp]

Are you using foam filled ship style lifejackets too? Because it strikes me that if we trust the same "technology" to work on a lifejacket. I'm not knocking the old school ones. I'm sure there are ways to make them work practically like Neves describes, perhaps if I was sailing oceans my risk of failure (and expected need) v's chance someone will tangle a line in it balance would be different. (Mine got caught in a line going through the Crinan Canal and broke a mounting bracket and kinked the "telescopic" tube).

Strangely, yes!

I use a 150N flotation gilet for rowing ashore or in benign conditions as its more comfortable and wont inadvertently inflate in the bottom of the dinghy (!). Liferaft serviced by Seago. The normal lifejackets are automatic, checked and serviced by me including a 275N one for worrying conditions. Oldest ones disposed of before failures appear. But the real difference is that they are not stored outside in wind, rain and UV. I wouldn't have a problem with an inflating Danbuoy but why bother when the old one is still functional.

I would demount my Danbuoy and Navtex aerial if in a canal as I agree they are vulnerable. Mine sits on the side I don't usually berth on.

 

[ylop]

I wouldn't have a problem with an inflating Danbuoy but why bother when the old one is still functional.

Oh no I'm not advocating people rush to throw out functioning stuff. I have a Seago-3-in-1 and think its contents are probably better protected than my lifejackets!

I would demount my Danbuoy and Navtex aerial if in a canal as I agree they are vulnerable.

In hindsight that would have been wise!

 

[RunAgroundHard]

MOB is a rare event, likely one you will never experience. The cost of an inflatable dan buoy is significant compared to the pole style. Factor in that inflation styles are serviceable items with expiring parts, and therefore a bigger overhead, is it worth it spending extra money on a device that will probably never be used?

I may still go for the inflatable because it’s neater.

 

[Dockhead]

An answer for you is to find a way to retain an old school Danbuoy such that it is not an obstruction. Thousands of yachts have old school Dan buoys - why not you.

Hi tech, is inflatable hi tech?, is great until it isn't - a pole simply works and are proven over decades.

We sailed to Tasmaniia's SW coast. We had a pole and a new tech version. The new tech version was not cheap and sat in the aft cabin (to minimise any damage, UV etc etc), the pole sat on the life lines and was retained to a stay and immediately accessible to the helm.

The only time we had a MOB, different yacht, we lost sight of the casualty very quickly in biggish seas (but did recover her). The experience crystallises thoughts.

Why not use the search function for similar threads and then start a new thread "How do you carry, store, your Danbuoy"

As you know threads are free

Jonathan

I agree with this. The "old skool" telescoping Danbuoys are bomb proof and nothing to futz around with in case of an emergency.

I mount mine OUTSIDE the pushpit and they are hardly in the way at all.

 

[ylop]

The cost of an inflatable dan buoy is significant compared to the pole style.

Perhaps not as big a difference as you might think though:

e.g. to try and make some sort of fair comparison:

Inflatble danbouy (flag), horseshoe, light, drogue: £220 maybe less if you shop around. 3 in 1 System - made by Seago Ltd - Lalizas have something similarly priced with same sort of features. Ocean Safety are £300 ish for their equivalent.

OR
horseshoe bouy £30-60 depending if you need a bracket etc
+ danbouy £80-£160 depending on design, bracket etc.
+ lifebouy light £15-50 depending on quality, bracket etc
+ drogue £10-20

So you are looking at £135-290 for a 'pole style' solution depending on whether you are replacing the bits or need pushpit mounts etc.

Factor in that inflation styles are serviceable items with expiring parts,

Certainly a consideration - Sea-go you can DIY and is just like lifejacket servicing, the Ocean Safety my research said you'll never get it back in the container yourself!

 

[Dockhead]

Are you using foam filled ship style lifejackets too? Because it strikes me that if we trust the same "technology" to work on a lifejacket. I'm not knocking the old school ones. I'm sure there are ways to make them work practically like Neves describes, perhaps if I was sailing oceans my risk of failure (and expected need) v's chance someone will tangle a line in it balance would be different. (Mine got caught in a line going through the Crinan Canal and broke a mounting bracket and kinked the "telescopic" tube).

Sure, but it's still one more inflatable device to test every year and regularly change/weigh the gas bottles etc.

I don't think there's anything wrong with the inflatable ones if that's your fancy, but I'll take simple if it works as well. Non-inflatable life vests do NOT work as well, so I don't have them. But my pole type danbuoys are mounted outside of the pushpit and have nary a problem with tangling lines in them. YMMV.

 

[Neeves]

The OPs reason for looking to auto inflate rather than a traditional pole had nothing to do with the effectiveness of either - the motivation was that the traditional pole entangled with other gear. It seems daft to spend, quoted Stg220 without looking at why others carry old style poles that don't tangle. There is very little to go wrong with the traditional pole and if the flag deteriorates surely it is not beyond the wit of man, or woman, to make a new one and/or store the Danbury down below when not at sea.

But maybe Stg220 is just loose change to some.

The most likely time to have a MOB event is when the weather is poor and a simple pole has minimal windage compared to the self inflating type. Before singing the praises of self inflating devices I would encourage people to inflate their device and try ir in 50 knots of wind with big seas. They do have a worrying tendency to lie flat.

Jonathan