life span for lifejackets?

G

Gerry

Well-Known Member
Joined
2 Jan 2002
Messages
1,537
Location
Devon
www.gerryantics.blogspot.com
We have on board 5 lifejackets, bought them 10 years ago. They are made by Crewsaver and all have a hydrostatic unit fitted.

As cruising liveaboards we VERY rarely actually wear them(preferring life harnesses when sailing unless the weather is extremely bad), indeed three are for guests and are used even less.

We regularly have checked the units, replacing the cylinders a couple of times over that period. When not in use they hang on dedicated hangers in the wet locker (the two we use most often), or stored beneath the forward berth.

Just prior to our latest ocean crossing we pulled out our jackets and were horrified when the cylinders simply came away from the bladder. The adhesive used to secure them had failed totally.

Now do you think this is acceptable after 10 years? We have serviced them ourselves having been in parts of the world where it would be simply impossible to get them professionally inspected.

Interested in your thoughts.
 
I have some Crewsaver 'Crewfit' lifejackets ranging from 10-20+ years old, they all seem to be in good condition but as they're 'retired reserve' now, not even spares, I haven't test inflated them or anything.

They spent a few years getting very damp, but have been in the garage for a good while now; the only thing to fail is the odd press stud to keep the things folded.

Mine have obviously been kept in much kinder conditions than on a fully operational boat all the time, all I can say is age itself doesn't seem to affect the adhesives or materials; I wouldn't hesitate to buy Crewsaver again if the deal suited.
 
At the next sensible importunity send them back to crewsaver, see what they say. I would suspect they should last longer than that.
 
onesea said:
At the next sensible importunity send them back to crewsaver, see what they say. I would suspect they should last longer than that.
Click to expand...

Thats what I think, I think! Probably wouldn't bother but the rest of the jacket is in great condition, I was very concerned at the extremely flimsy plastic used for the bladder too. They will be on their way back this week methinks, interesting to see what crewsaver say!
 
IIRC our Baltic ones said on the label, 'Replace after Ten Years'.
I might use one myself if I had serviced it and knew it was OK, but for loaning to visitors, buying on average one every other year is just one of those costs.

Also, doing a lot of dayboat racing, they do get scuffed and worn in a few years.
 
I have two automatic Crewsaver lifejackets that were purchased in 1996 or 1997.
Last winter they became covered in mildew and I decided to buy new ones but not Crewsaver ones as they are very expensive for no obvious extra value.
I decided to test one of the old lifejackets by throwing it in my pond at home. It burst into action in seconds and fully inflated without any problem.
 
What shocked me was the way the cylinder had come completely adrift from the bladder and the fact that on closer inspection it was only glued in the first place to a rather inferior looking plastic bladder, are all lifejackets constructed like that? Made me wonder how long the thing would be capable of giving buoyancy in an emergency. Where the cylinder comes away you are left with a gaping great hole, approx 1.5 inches across, so no chance of even inflating manually.

Would a manual inflation jacket only be better do you think?
 
Gerry said:
What shocked me was the way the cylinder had come completely adrift from the bladder and the fact that on closer inspection it was only glued in the first place to a rather inferior looking plastic bladder, are all lifejackets constructed like that? Made me wonder how long the thing would be capable of giving buoyancy in an emergency. Where the cylinder comes away you are left with a gaping great hole, approx 1.5 inches across, so no chance of even inflating manually.

Would a manual inflation jacket only be better do you think?
Click to expand...

Doesn't sound right does it ? Send 'em back.
 
I have two lots of lifejackets. One is owned by our Local Authority centre and have to be inspected and logged before every wearing. They are test inflated every year and the firing cartridges replaced when they expire, about every 3 years.

The other set are my own and are 12 years old. They are very frequently worn and checked once in a blue moon. Recently I took one whose cover had got too manky, strapped it on and jumped in the swimming pool. After about 5 seconds it fired. The bladder stayed inflated for about 12 hours before starting to go soft and it looked to be in perfect condition. Incidentally it was a Hammar hydrostatic release like the OP's. They require complete replacement of the firing mechanism (£30+) unlike the salt tablet type that need only a new cartridge costing about £4.
 
My BOAC lightweight manual ones are still OK, but relegated to "fun use" now & I would guess they must be 40 years old. But they were made by Beaufort of Birkenhead & the one I bought my wife in 1967 is still going strong - and that was a reduced price "second" bought at the factory. Actually, one of the press-studs has failed so it needs to be carefully tucked in & if part inflated as recommended it can sometimes flop out.
 
Searush said:
My BOAC lightweight manual ones are still OK, but relegated to "fun use" now & I would guess they must be 40 years old. But they were made by Beaufort of Birkenhead & the one I bought my wife in 1967 is still going strong - and that was a reduced price "second" bought at the factory. Actually, one of the press-studs has failed so it needs to be carefully tucked in & if part inflated as recommended it can sometimes flop out.
Click to expand...

It was a 70s Beaufort that I had the mouth inflator valve pop out of in '98. (Not on test!) No sign of degredation of the tube. I had inflated it at the start of the season, fine. But under real conditions it failed.
 
My experience with Crewsaver suggests they will send you an invoice for around 95% of the cost of a new life jacket for a repair that in the event lasted about 18 months, please tell us if you have a better experience. Now have a cheaper brand and so far no problems.
 
Definitely send them back since Crewsaver and Hammar would like to know of any failures. Hammar did recall some of their firing heads due to cracking around the seal - http://www.cmhammar.com/products/lifejacket-inflators/alert/.

However, your description doesn't sound like that that was the problem. The bladder material and fittings added to the bladder material are not glued but are RF welded. So if they came apart then the welds have failed. This is not unknown - I've seen several lifejackets where the oral tubes have either fully or partially come 'unstuck' as well as seams that have opened.

That's why it is recommended to check your lifejacket regularly and to have them serviced according to the makers recommendations.

The lifespan will depend both on how often the lifejackets are worn but also on how they are stored. In normal use, (I'm not sure what manufacturers mean by this) it's usually expected to get ten years out of a lifejacket. That means that a top of the range jacket costs about £20/year. It's suggested by the more expensive manufacturers that cheaper lifejackets may not last as long.

My Crewsaver with Hammar is now 12 years old and still going strong.

Shorn
 
Last edited:
You must log in or register to reply here.

Share this page

Top