Horseshoe Buoy

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bluerm166

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Having replaced my yellow Ocean safety horseshoe lifebuoy 4 years ago amongst other reasons because dark blue/black stains (like bluestain in timber) were spoiling it's appearance I now have the same highly visible stains on the cover of the replacement Ocean Safety buoy .I haven't applied any agressive materials such as solvents etc ( the plastic cover is easy to wipe with a moist cloth ) and its been in a normal marine environment .
Has anyone found a way of overcoming this - short of covering it up ! - or have you found a buoy with superior UV ? protection that retains the smartyellow appearance ?
 
Have had Baltic and Ocean Safety ones, both look OK for about 2/3 years, then go stained, then the plastic gets crumbly/sticky and cracks. Baltic sell new covers.
 
We keep nice new ones complete with drogues and lights in the cabin until we head offshore or sail at night.
We leave a couple of old ones on deck peramently.
I sprayed the old ones white with a rattle can of Ford Sierra white that was cluttering the garage. Looks OK several years later.
 
I bought 2 new ones this year complete with LED lights. I made covers for them secured with Velco - very easy to remove when we can go for a sail... and of course kept nice & clean in the meantime!
 
pvb said:
I reckon horseshoe buoys are a waste of time, almost impossible to throw and very difficult to use if you're in the water.
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I have also heard they’re a waste of time for pretty much the same reasons.

Ive had crew try to throw regular rings and even the biggest and fittest can’t get them very far from effectively a ships deck that’s stable and maybe 6/8 ft up.

W.
 
Spirit (of Glenans) said:
What's the point of having them mounted on the transom while the boat is berthed? Mine stay in the v-berth when the boat is not in use. They're in reasonable condition and I can't remember how old they are. (Doesn't say much for the amount of use the boat gets?).
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One of mine once got used becuse a person fell in a marina from a nearby boat.
I'm sure it made no difference, but I'd have felt bad had it not been there and ready to go.
 
Spirit (of Glenans) said:
What's the point of having them mounted on the transom while the boat is berthed?
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Not having to shift them about when you want to go for a quick sail.

Obviously bringing a couple of lifebuoys on deck and putting them into their holders doesn't take all that long on its own. Neither does any other preparatory job. But add two dozen of them together and before long you have a big faff before and after each outing. Fine if you only go away for a week at a time, but if you like to daysail then it gets annoying, at least for me.

Pete
 
PilotWolf said:
I have also heard they’re a waste of time for pretty much the same reasons.

Ive had crew try to throw regular rings and even the biggest and fittest can’t get them very far from effectively a ships deck that’s stable and maybe 6/8 ft up.

W.
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They are not really intended for throwing very far.
The theory we work to is that a horseshoe complete with light and drogue can be chucked over the side, within seconds, by the helmsman.
It's a marker and the MOB, if conscious can swim to it.
That, essentially is what they are for.

If your MOB drill is different they may not be the right piece of equipment.
 
TernVI said:
They are not really intended for throwing very far.
The theory we work to is that a horseshoe complete with light and drogue can be chucked over the side, within seconds, by the helmsman.
It's a marker and the MOB, if conscious can swim to it.
That, essentially is what they are for.

If your MOB drill is different they may not be the right piece of equipment.
Click to expand...

I’d have check to be sure but I don’t think they’re even approved for inspected vessels here.

W.
 
Spirit (of Glenans) said:
What's the point of having them mounted on the transom while the boat is berthed? Mine stay in the v-berth when the boat is not in use. They're in reasonable condition and I can't remember how old they are. (Doesn't say much for the amount of use the boat gets?).
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Likewise for mine, even when I've sailed single handed as there would be no one on board to deploy them that I was aware of!
 
I replaced my old “horseshoe” lifebuoy last year with a rigid plastic orange ring type. Reasons? Will probably be more resistant to weathering. Easier to throw. Won’t get blown off downwind when in the water. I notice that RNLI fit them on their lifeboats and I presume that they’ve researched the subject.
Mike
 
They are mandatory on coded uk yachts and are very easy to use correctly.

Should you have a man overboard, put the helm over immediately, centre the main sheet and go straight back to the casualty. Pass close by and pass them the safety equipment to hold onto and mark their position. Sort yacht out then go back and pick them up.

This is a simple drill taught extensively and I've personally carried it out literally thousands of times. There are other tips, that's a basic outline, but please ask if anyone wants to know more. Happy to talk about it. ?
 
Thanks for the feedback. Not much of a service life is it. Might try a Baltic one so as to later replace the cover.Agree that added to the other faff of leaving mud berth it will stay mounted with the lines and light correctly placed to feed straight off.
 
I had some left over fabric after making a replacement throwing strop bag.. Orange because it was on special offer at Point North!
Only took a few minutes .. front panel, rectangle around the curved edge and a seam around the back edge for elastic. Much easier to put away two covers than the horseshoes and all the gubbins attached to them.
20201105_152658.jpg
 
Part of our routine is to put out our throwing line and horseshoe collar before we leave and to take them in when we leave the boat - for a minutes’ work, I think it’s worth it - both are now 8 years old and in more or less perfect condition.
 
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