Nominations for the worst designed bits of boat gear

[Seajet]

+ another one on the user-unfriendly lifejacket adjustments, and surely there's something better than the metal puzzle fasteners ?!

Impossibly fiddly with cold hands and there are times, such as finding oneself trapped under an upturned boat, when one wants to get out of them in a hurry...

 

[prv]

+ another one on the user-unfriendly lifejacket adjustments, and surely there's something better than the metal puzzle fasteners ?!

Impossibly fiddly with cold hands and there are times, such as finding oneself trapped under an upturned boat, when one wants to get out of them in a hurry...

My Kru Sport Pro does all right on that front. The size adjustment is just a matter of grabbing a pair of straps above your kidneys and pulling them forwards till it's snug. Or lift the edge of the buckles in the same location to let them out.

The closure is a chunky zip up the front - for strength when using as a harness, you clip the tether hook into a pair of soft D-rings either side of the zip (the angle of the sewing presses them together so they're not much harder to clip into than a single ring).

If you need to detach yourself from a lifeline, surely the idea is to unhook the line, not struggle out of the harness!

Pete

 

[Seajet]

My Kru Sport Pro does all right on that front. The size adjustment is just a matter of grabbing a pair of straps above your kidneys and pulling them forwards till it's snug. Or lift the edge of the buckles in the same location to let them out.

The closure is a chunky zip up the front - for strength when using as a harness, you clip the tether hook into a pair of soft D-rings either side of the zip (the angle of the sewing presses them together so they're not much harder to clip into than a single ring).

If you need to detach yourself from a lifeline, surely the idea is to unhook the line, not struggle out of the harness!

Pete

Pete,

yes people have had problems in the past with spliced on lifelines, the answer with modern lines and a hook at the chest end too being to pull oneself along to take tension off the line and undo the hook - I mention it here just in case it stays in someone's mind and they ever find themselves in that situation, I reckon you are well aware of this.

However that doesn't get you out from being trapped under a boat by the buoyancy of an auto lifejacket; sticking the bit on the end of the mouthpiece cap in to deflate it* might take a bit long !

* This is something I think needs more publicising, maybe at sailing clubs; a lot of people I know proved unaware of the deflation tag when I mentioned it to them...

 

[JumbleDuck]

+ another one on the user-unfriendly lifejacket adjustments, and surely there's something better than the metal puzzle fasteners ?!

Impossibly fiddly with cold hands and there are times, such as finding oneself trapped under an upturned boat, when one wants to get out of them in a hurry...

Parachute harnesses are very easy to adjust and are even more safety-critical than lifejackets. I doubt a standard twist-to-release buckle would enjoy sea water, though, and I don't mind the rectangle-through-rectangle type.

 

[markhomer]

my vote goes to gas lockers and contortions you undergo to turn gas off !,

 

[prv]

However that doesn't get you out from being trapped under a boat by the buoyancy of an auto lifejacket

Ah, true, I was thinking of lifelines rather than buoyancy.

Pete

 

[Seajet]

Parachute harnesses are very easy to adjust and are even more safety-critical than lifejackets. I doubt a standard twist-to-release buckle would enjoy sea water, though, and I don't mind the rectangle-through-rectangle type.

I had a QRF Hunter parachute harness fastner on my go-kart, got ' Best Box ' prize at Horsham festival I'll have you know; didn't stop me capsizing that thing too...

Wish I still had the fastener though.

I have KRU lifejacket / harnesses, but the bog-standard type, I must check out the fasteners on the upmarket ones, thanks for the tip.

My father has a real struggle with the normal oblong stainless fasteners, can't say I find them easy either.

 

[JumbleDuck]

My father has a real struggle with the normal oblong stainless fasteners, can't say I find them easy either.

I have an old, but unused (still in its packet) Crewsaver harness which uses a different fastener - a notched tang which pushes through a triangular hole in a matching plate. Much easier that the modern ones. PM me if you'd like it.

 

[PhillM]

Forward facing chain pipe, let's all the water from the foredeck drain directly to the bilges. Chain doesn't stow unless it's manually stuffed down.

It's on the to-do list, eta 2018

 

[johnalison]

Forward facing chain pipe, let's all the water from the foredeck drain directly to the bilges. Chain doesn't stow unless it's manually stuffed down.

It's on the to-do list, eta 2018

That was one of the character-building tasks we used to set our children when they were small. They had to crawl to the front of the forecabin and move the mound of chain from under the hause pipe. Didn't they just love it!

 

[Puggy]

Is there [one of those on the cooker toaster thingies] that works?

At the risk of annoying the traditionalists, the best thing I did was to put in an inverter that runs a toaster. Result: children able to toast bagels for breakfast without setting boat on fire or getting hungover parents out of bed

 

[Puggy]

my vote goes to gas lockers and contortions you undergo to turn gas off !,

Oh yes +1. Mine I have to lie flat on the foredeck and reach right into the corner of the anchor locker and feel for the tap by finger tips. The reach is too long for SWMBO so I can't delegate which is annoying.

 

[William_H]

Pete,

yes people have had problems in the past with spliced on lifelines, the answer with modern lines and a hook at the chest end too being to pull oneself along to take tension off the line and undo the hook - I mention it here just in case it stays in someone's mind and they ever find themselves in that situation, I reckon you are well aware of this.

However that doesn't get you out from being trapped under a boat by the buoyancy of an auto lifejacket; sticking the bit on the end of the mouthpiece cap in to deflate it* might take a bit long !

* This is something I think needs more publicising, maybe at sailing clubs; a lot of people I know proved unaware of the deflation tag when I mentioned it to them...

Just a few comments here. The high on the chest attachment for life lines is fine for keeping you on the boat but is really bad if you fall off and are towed by the boat. You are pulled chest forward with the water hitting your face. You can not survive above about 3 knots for many seconds. A back attachment would be far better. Or just ensure you can never go in the water with short tethers.
Re adjustment and quick release the buckle used on diver's weight belts are ideal. You feed the bare webbing through the buckle and pull tight. The buckle bites into the webbing but needs only a lift of the lever to free the webbing. (even under load) Now not so reliable for holding but the best for easy release. If that is your concern. olewill

 

[prv]

Re adjustment and quick release the buckle used on diver's weight belts are ideal. You feed the bare webbing through the buckle and pull tight. The buckle bites into the webbing but needs only a lift of the lever to free the webbing. (even under load) Now not so reliable for holding

Indeed.

Back when I used to dive, I replaced the traditional buckle on my weight belt with a great big Fastex one (the type where you squeeze the sides inwards). This was inspired by an episode in which my buddy somehow caught and released his standard buckle at a very inopportune moment, on a shotline with a strongish tide running and big swell jerking everything around.

Pete

 

[Seajet]

There's still a lot going for the ' Always carry a serrated knife ' school of thought !