Lifejackets

boatmike

boatmike

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I definitely need a new one. So far I am impressed with Seago Olympic 175N
It is available with MK5 water activation or Hammar. Will some kind soul please explain to an old fart what this means? Which should I have and are Seago best? /forums/images/graemlins/confused.gif
So far my sailing career has majored on staying out of the water... successful so far but believe in survival. Cost is not an issue.
 
Mk5 activation is the old "tablet" type which dissolved and had a habit of, if getting wet, inflating when you didnt want them to.
Hammar are a hydrostatic release type, which only go off if submerged in water, they are activated by small water pressure. Same as an automatic liferaft release.
Hope this explains it.
I would go for the Hammar, but dont know about this make of lifejacket.
175n is the amount of bouyancy the jacket will provide, for ocean work, 175 is the daddy! Also if you are rather portly and wear a lot of gear! 150n is good for most everything else.
 
Actually all the Seago ones are now 175N. I am only 12stone but as they don't seem to be any bulkier than the 150N ones when deflated that's what attracted me to them. At around £60 they are not the cheapest, but sod it as the advert says "because my arse is worth it" (or something like that!) Don't fancy floating around out in the oggin thinking "wish I had bought a more expensive one"!
Hammar is hydrostatic then chaps? OK way to go I think! Unless anyone knows otherwise. Thanks... /forums/images/graemlins/smile.gif
 
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I definitely need a new one. So far I am impressed with Seago Olympic 175N
It is available with MK5 water activation or Hammar. Will some kind soul please explain to an old fart what this means? Which should I have and are Seago best? /forums/images/graemlins/confused.gif
So far my sailing career has majored on staying out of the water... successful so far but believe in survival. Cost is not an issue.

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The two firing mechanisms are very reliable and are the same as you would find on crewsaver LJs (and probably most other makes). There is a chance the Mrk5 mechanism would go off if it got really really damp however there is probably more chance of pulling the toggle accidentally. The hammer system must be submerged in water to activate it automatically. On the Mrk5, it is easier to inspect and replace the mechanism if there was an activation (but who cares how easy it is to sort after it has gone off). The Mrk5 is also cheeper to replace if it were activated. Both are good reliable systems and I would be happy with either.

Seago LJ's are very well made and very durable.

150N is only the minimum bouyancy a LJ should have to be classes as a 150N LJ. The Seago 175N does not appear much bigger (although I have not directly compaired) than a normal 150N and uses the same cylinder so is probably not much bigger than most other makes.

Saying that, I use the normal 175N auto harness Seago LJ and am very happy. The styles have a few differances and is really down to preferance. They both get good write-ups.
 
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hanmar works on water pressure

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Never understood this, exactly how far under water do you have to be before they go off? /forums/images/graemlins/frown.gif

When we bought our Baltic LJ's, Baltic said they do not make (18 months ago) Hanmar jackets, they arnt happy with the principal.
 
Thanks for your input but what I still don't understand is

There is a chance the Mrk5 mechanism would go off if it got really really damp however there is probably more chance of pulling the toggle accidentally. The hammer system must be submerged in water to activate it

Surely if you are standing out in the rain and being showered with big lumps of green "oggin it's not exactly going to stay dry is it?
 
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if you are standing out in the rain and being showered with big lumps of green "oggin it's not exactly going to stay dry is it?


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It is not that easy for the water to get to the mechanism but we did have a couple of (brand unknown) non Hammer ones go off last year when it rained so hard (Southampton Water) that visibility was reduced to 50 yards in broad daylight.

If they do go off (which is not often) it mostly seems to be after being stored damp.

I believe that the argument against Hammer is that apparently there is a small chance that they will not go off if you fall in unconcious and don't sink but float the wrong way up - or something like that.

I don't know for a fact how deep you have to be before a Hammer will fire but believe it to be a couple of inches or so. Please post if you know for sure.

A side benefit of Hammer is that the cylinder is inside the bladder so shouldn't corrode so quickly. Some see this as a dis-benefit as it is a bit more difficult to get at when doing the annual checkover.

Seago did well in PBO test but they didn't test the Seago Hammer version.

It is what I have upgraded to (from other brand manual) but bought it at the boat show and haven't worn it yet.
 
The firing mechanism on our Baltics is in a pocket that shelters it from any wet from above, fall in and it is very exposed!
 
Might want to go for a model with a 'spray hood' definite improvement on system with out hood. As you say you want to keep out of the water so the chances are that if you do end up in the oggin the weather might a bit blowy.

Mal
 
OK Guys I now have the story from a very nice chap who spent a long time on the phone explaining it to me.
Firstly the new UML water activated systems are not at all sensitive to water unless immersed. He did say they should not be stored wet or left in damp conditions but if it goes off (which it shouldn't) it's cheap to re-arm. While they also sell Hammar ones so have no axe to grind, he advises against it because they have had instances of needing between 2-4 metres depth before it fires. It's also very expensive to re-arm.
He points out that they also have a 275N model out now which has built in harness, built in sprayhood (in collar) automatic light, fleece collar, etc etc. for £99. It weighs 1/2kilo more because it has a 60g cylinder rather than 33g but is no more cumbersome to wear.
It pays to do a bit of research dunnit?
 
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he advises against it because they have had instances of needing between 2-4 metres depth before it fires

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Glad you found that out, thats why I asked!!
 
They are designed to go off at a depth of 100mm about 4 inches

sometimes there might be a delay in very cold water

then again sometimes flares dont fire - life rafts dont inflate and yachts sink - all against what they are designed to do - but thats life - or not
 
I've just had a look at the 275 ones and have asked if I can have two sent to Spain, they look just the job, for me and my other half, for deep sea work.
 
Actually I don't see any disadvantage in using them for any serious cruising offshore either. I suppose if you wear one for dinghy sailing or in the tender going ashore in light clothing in summer you might want a minimalist lightweight one, but when offshore in conditions where I would wear one I can't see why I would want a 150N when the 275N is only another 1/2kilo or so. The inclusion of a sprayhood is also excellent. I am told you can still drown quite easily without a sprayhood...
 
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..... I can't see why I would want a 150N when the 275N is only another 1/2kilo or so. The inclusion of a sprayhood is also excellent. I am told you can still drown quite easily without a sprayhood...

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150 N (about 15 litres) of buoyancy can make it harder to swim than a smaller buoyancy aid, and will also make it harder to climb ladders etc. I imagine 275 N would make it hard to do anything much other than wait to be rescued, but does at least guarantee that your mouth will be above water. Apparently if you are wearing heavy waterlogged clothing then there's a chance 150 N will not turn you on your back if your are unconscious.
Presumably the optimum choice depends on circumstances.
Totally agree that you need a sprayhood, which I suspect needs to be integral (not in a separate pouch preferably) and very easy to reach. And thigh/crotch straps. And a light if you intend going into the water at night. And miniflares in your pocket if you sail single-handed. And a personal locator/miniEPIRB in the other pocket. What a lot of kit we carry in our search for immortality ...
 
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Totally agree that you need a sprayhood, which I suspect needs to be integral (not in a separate pouch preferably) and very easy to reach. And thigh/crotch straps. And a light if you intend going into the water at night. And miniflares in your pocket if you sail single-handed. And a personal locator/miniEPIRB in the other pocket. What a lot of kit we carry in our search for immortality ...

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I was thinking of adding liferafts to my lifejackets.
 
According to the Hammar literature they go off if immersed 10cm (4 inches in old money). So given the mechanism is between chest and waist level I'd have thought they could be relied on. At least that's what I tell the crew!
 
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