Sowester life jacket - help please

[fjweaver]

I have a Sowester Fulmar life jacket - which inflated itself in the cockpit last week on the way back from Cherbourg after a wave dumped itself on me 20 miles off the Needles

I need to get it re-charged but not sure if I can do it myself or whether I need to send it somewhere for servicing.

I can't find any links to Sowester on the net

 

[VicS]

[ QUOTE ]
I can't find any links to Sowester on the net

[/ QUOTE ] Sowester went out of business several years ago!

 

[fjweaver]

but did anyone take over the business and/or are the fittings/spares still available?

 

[chasroberts]

The gas canister should be a fairly standard item but the arming mechanism might be a problem. Unscrew the gas cannister from the jacket and you should be able to remove the arming mechanism. It should be showing a red disc or similar to show it's been fired.
Take the whols kit and keboodle down to your local swindlery and see if you can replace like for like. Actually redoing it is not as much of a pain as it might seem. If you find the parts it's always worth getting a spare set if your budget will stretch to keep on board should the same thing happen again.

On a positive note it's good to know that they work???

Good luck.

Chas

 

[Dipper]

The Marine Warehouse are very helpful and have a lot of lifejacket rearm kits and spares. There are only two main manufacturers around, Halkey-Roberts and United Moulders but because designs changed slightly over the years, you need to be certain that you are fitting the correct items. They do have some of the older spares in stock. I'm sure they will be able to advise.

Sorry. Forgot Hammar but I assume yours uses the salt tablet system.

 

[Hugh Foulis]

Rather than a swindlery, you might try your local branch of Greenhams or ARCO. Both are tool, industrial eqiupment suppliers but I got replacement canisters and arming kits from Greenhams to service my own kit last year. about £17 as i remember.

Regards

HF

 

[fjweaver]

yes it's Halkey- Roberts and it is the salt-bobbin type of auto head. thanks for the link I'll check them out.