Ever wondered if your keys would float?

None of my keys would float but hopefully not an issue.
Car key - when boarding/leaving this is inside a waterproof pack inside a waterproof bag, along with phone and wallet. (Lesson learned the hard way)
Boat key - not needed as I use a combination padlock. (Lesson learned when I had to hacksaw through my old padlock)
Boat ignition key - kept below at all times.

It all saves reliance on bulky floats or risky gadgets.
 
Boathook said:
What about on of those round cork ones ?

I can't see whether type of float you are using so maybe a test showing the various types and what they will support :)
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The round cork balls are a bit too big for an average pocket. I made a float out of of a cork sanding block, cut down to the minimum that would work with my keys. The flat rectangle isn't exactly comfortable, but does sit in a pocket better than the ball.

I've also developed the habit of always clipping keys onto my belt.
 
chriss999 said:
Boat key - not needed as I use a combination padlock. (Lesson learned when I had to hacksaw through my old padlock)
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I'd driven down after work from Bristol to Topsham (90 miles and nearly 2 hours), got my dinghy out of the yard and into the water, rowed out to my mooring only to find I didn't have my boat key. After contemplating and dismissing breaking into the boat, I had to row ashore, then drive back to Bristol to get the key, and back to Topsham again. Having learned my lesson I subsequently bought a combination lock to the boat.

The next time I visited it was pitch dark and I had great difficulty reading the numbers to open the combination lock! Gallingly there would have been several torches in the boat if only I could get into it! I think I eventually managed it using the light from cigarette lighter, but struggled to light it in the wind, let alone keep it alight while I wrestled two-handed with the lock to align each digits. If I remember correctly I soon reverted to a key operated lock, but kept a spare key in the car at all times - if I could get to the boat, I could into the boat.
 
Do floating keys (including the Davis one) not just float away on the tide?

I am going to patent a sring based one to solve that problem: "Tide resilient means of protecting small personal items".
 
dgadee said:
Do floating keys (including the Davis one) not just float away on the tide?

I am going to patent a sring based one to solve that problem: "Tide resilient means of protecting small personal items".
Click to expand...

Yes, they do. The sight of your brightly coloured float drifting away is just as depressing as that circle of bubbles when they sink immediately. I said above - key chain, sprung reel, elastic, plain lanyard, is the first step.
 
My boat key has no float... as it is on a loop of bright pink 2mm Liros and lives in the glove box in the car, then pops over my head and tucked inside my shirt when going out to the boat, with the car fob and house key ring cow-hitched on as well, then the whole lot is cow-hitched over a grab-rail inside the companionway, and I have an identical loop with spare boat key which is kept at the club.

If the car fob ceases to work because it gets dunked, then there's a metal key inside that can be used.

The engine start key remains aboard on its own piece of string tied to a bar just next to the internal engine panel.

Another piece of pink Liros line is used to tie the coolant cap to the side of the engine bay... trying to recover that from the deep bilge under the tank aft of the engine lump wouldn't be funny!
 
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