Oilies with built-in harness/safety line attachments ?

[Boo2]

Someone said that you used to be able to get oilies with built-in attachments for harnesses/safety lines. Is this true and if so are they still made and where can you get them ?

Thanks,

Boo2

 

[Ex-SolentBoy]

http://www.seasafe.co.uk/shop

 

[chuzzlewit]

I think the health and safety people were unhappy that the safety harness was not visible and so could not be checked. A pity since they were easy to slip on in a hurry.

 

[davidej]

I think the Musto Ocean ones used to but now don't. I attach to my L/J when necessary.

 

[Tranona]

Think they have gone out of fashion now the new style LJs with built in harness are so common. I had a Gill set with built in harness, but it was never very comfortable and a nuisance once you put on the LJ/harness.

 

[prv]

Think they have gone out of fashion now the new style LJs with built in harness are so common.

Not so sure it's fashion so much as, like Chuzzlewit says, the fact that you can't see the full length of the strap where it's inside the jacket. The relevant standards require this, so that you can regularly check that the webbing isn't damaged. This is taken seriously on Stavros, the bosun periodically lays out all the harnesses on deck and checks them (lovely job, not ).

The fact that a strap that's built into a coat shouldn't get damaged in the first place doesn't override the rules, and manufacturers aren't keen on producing safety gear that does not conform to any standards when such standards exist.

My recollection is that the built-in harnesses went away (and I was given the above explanation by someone in an elderly jacket with strap) before it became common (though not ubiquitous) to wear a lifejacket at all times.

The best you can do these days is make sure your jacket has the little loops either side of the chest and at the back of the neck, and get a lifejacket with toggles designed to button into those loops. That's what I used to do, so jacket and lifejacket went on together when there was enough spray to make it necessary. I don't any more though, because I find I wear oilies much less (canvas smock for wind, light spray and drizzle, and pop on a cheap nylon raincoat if it gets wetter).

Pete

 

[Pleiades]

Oilies with built in harness

It is many years since the built in harness was a feature of top of the range oilies - coincides with the advent of Goretex and other breathable materials. It is a complex process to incorporate channels for the harness within the fabric of the jacket so the cost would have been prohibitive and the doubling up of material where the harness runs would have impaired breathability. I still use one of the last Henri LLoyd Ocean Racer jackets which incorporates the harness and sold alongside their first Goretex Ocean jacket until the breathables completely took over.

It was not a bad idea, just one which time has now passed by. If combined with an inflatable lifejacket attached to the oily jacket by the little purpose made loops you get a handy combination - grab the jacket and you can put everything on at once. The main drawback of the concept is that a harness should be fairly tight whilst a jacket should be rather looser for comfort and when it is not wet you don't necessarily want to have to wear the jacket - removing the harness and using it independently defeats the object.
Nowadays the jacket is designed to be just a waterproof shell - the harness incorporated in the inflatable lifejacket option is the way to go.

Robin
Pleiades of Birdham
MXWQ5

 

[prv]

when it is not wet you don't necessarily want to have to wear the jacket - removing the harness and using it independently defeats the object.

The "harnesses" that I saw were only ever a single strap around the chest, through a channel in the jacket. The jacket itself held the strap in position, you couldn't really have worn it on its own.

The contemporary kit for clipping on when not cold and wet would have been the plain webbing harnesses like http://www.apsltd.com/images/CATEGORY/medium/3817.jpg (actually those are a bit snazzier than what I was thinking of).

Pete

 

[Sneaky Pete]

Harness

If you want to wear a jacket with built in safety harness you are obviously going to use a safety line with it due to the associated risk foul weather or what ever. So why not just wear a L/J with a safety harness. Maybe the belt and braces approach does not appeal to everyone.

 

[Deleted member 36384]

Henri Lloyd Ocean

Henri Lloyd Ocean range of oilies had built in harnesses. Like PRV said they were the single strap types. They were fitted high so the buckles for attaching the harness line was at the sternum.

With the strap adjusted correctly the harness worked well and was comfortable. It could be easily inspected by looking up through the double lining. A good solid strap with, proper stitching and buckles.

I have 3 pairs now, the originals are well worn out but the 22 year old ones are still going strong. Good kit and with the floatation jacket keeping one warm.

 

[pvb]

Yes, I have a couple of trusty old Henri Lloyd jackets with built-in harness. Excellent - easy to wear, comfortable, secure. Often singlehand, so staying attached to the boat is a higher priority than a lifejacket.

 

[samwise]

Of course the obvious disadvantage of integral harness is that you have to strap on the whole shebang even in warm weather. I always found that jackets with the harness inside were absolute B**** to get into in a hurry, especially if the boat was rocking about a bit. I never found it that comfortable either.

 

[Seajet]

I have a Must Ocean jacket with harness; as mentioned the harness goes around the chest.

Long before I bought that in 1992 I always used lifejackets with harnesses, the one on the jacket was with the idea of never being caught without a harness, and it's worked for that a few times.

It's quick and easy to put on, comfortable but rather heavy, so I use a lighter Gill jacket ( with lifejacket & harness to hand ) if not in properly lumpy weather.