Taking your Lifejacket on a ferry

Planes do tend to parenoia though, Once upon a time, I stole an airline steel cutlery set (for use when camping) and wasn’t allowed to take it onto the next plane (same airline, as it happens) because of its terrorism potential.
 
Cerebus said:
Agree about foam life jackets. My first life jacket (as a novice to sailing) purchase was from Compass (do they still exist? EU company if I recall) was foam.

I have two taking up space I wish to sell. Still in mint condition.

A rinse off is all that is required virtually for maintenance.

No cylinders, cylinder puncture methods (Hammer or disolvable pill).

Imagine a ferry and the Human Resources needed to check the automatic inflation life jackets many sailors use.
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My first lifejacket was a kapok filled Board of Trade type!
 
Couple of friends dropped off a biplane at a regional airport and were taking a scheduled local flight home. Not much room in a Stampe SV4, so they were wearing their warm flying kit and had their chutes slung over their shoulders.... Flight attendant rushed up, very concerned, and told them they couldn't bring those on board.. It would frighten the other PX. So, they were hidden in the crew space...
 
That does seem like a frustrating experience, especially considering you'd think safety gear like a lifejacket would be welcomed on board, not questioned. It’s surprising how inconsistent some ferry policies can be, especially with items like CO2 cartridges that are standard in marine gear. Good on you for handling it calmly seems like sometimes it just comes down to who’s on duty at the time!
 
john_morris_uk said:
I’m off to France for a couple of days work. Travelling as a foot passenger my bag got scanned. I have a Spinlock lifejacket with me with AIS beacon and personal EPIRB fitted. I was stopped and told I couldn’t bring it onboard because it has a CO2 cylinder!!!

After a brief discussion with the management I was allowed to bring it ‘so long as ‘unscrewed the gas cylinder’.

Strange rule not being allowed to bring a serviceable LJ on board. There rules though. Even if I don’t understand them.

Apologies if this has been raised before.
Click to expand...

Very odd, Jobsworth or more likely a numpty?
Transportation of Dangerous Goods, Even for someone who ships dangerous good regularly. Is complicated. Even an inspector won't know all the various permutations and what iffs.
Some you deal with frequently enough. You know the requirements of the top of your head. Most you have to research, if in the transportation business.

Odds are most people probably have no clue a lifejacket is DG. or understand why. Any compressed gas. or even a sealed container is.
Even Co2 Fire extinguishers are DG. Because they are a hazard in a fire.
Co2 is Class 2 (It is actually allowed on a pass vessel depending on size of container)
A life jacket is actually class 9 not Class 2. Class 9 is miscellaneous and may contain a bunch of small things eg a liferaft Class 9 will also have flares which are class 1 on their own.
It's further complicated by different rules for different types of transportation.
Road, Rail, Marine, Air. Some things which are permissible or unregulated for road may still be regulated for marine or air.
A cross channel ferry will have to comply with international or IMO rule's
A Calmac Ferry. only has to comply with British rules. Which may be more flexible. Ie local regs.

TIt is the shippers (You are the shipper) responsibility to look it up in the regs and fill out the paperwork. Proving to the carrier (The Ferry Company) it is permissible.
The carrier has the right to require prior notice and refuse carriage if you don't have the correct paperwork.
The Carrier also has a responsibility to ensure the TDGR are complied with.
Which would be a completed Dangerous good shipping document. In this case for a life jacket.

The Lifejacket is actually allowed to be shipped by air which is surprisingly enough for good reason the most restrictive.
You can carry a max of 1 with 2 cylinders fitted.

Take them apart the cylinder is class 2 small consumer quantity not regulated. My guess they didn't know. They didn't have quick easy access to the right regulation, you hadn't given prior notice. looking them up a the ticket counter might not be easy. So somebody just winged it. And let you travel.
Normally the easy thing is tell you to go away and come back tomorrow with correct paper work.
or
Give you the form and help you fill it out correctly. Like I say at a busy ticket counter. This might take time a piss other punters off.

Phone ahead talk to someone. They will have a supervisor or manager at a major terminal who will know this stuff or at least how to look it up. And help you with the required paperwork.
plus if you have given 24hr notice they have no reason to tell you to come back tomorrow

A 5 minute google DG.
I did not get the specific answer for pax ferry. I just noticed there was no rule saying lifejackets were restricted. I did get the specific requirement for aircraft. So while I believe they are permitted on pax vessels I could still be wrong.
An inflatable life jacket is permitted. with up to two fitted Co2 cartridges.

Shipping a crate of lifejackets. might require a bit more prep.
It is permissible for a carrier to have there own rules which exceed IMO rules or State rules.

The foot passenger thing, A bit more sticky than vehicle, You permitted DG would be left in the car on the car deck. Not carried up to the bar or restaurant.
Having traveled recently(this year) with Stena, P&O and Irish Ferries by bus. I was asked specifically by driver if I had DG before I packed my backpack into the luggage bay on the bus.
Lots of backpackers have small gas stoves and canisters. consumer quantity not regulated.

So my short point.
It's your responsibility to ensure what you are carrying is permitted.
So Jobsworth or Numpty even if I think they are actually wrong. I don't work there.
They still let you travel. with your life jacket on the sailing you planned.
Even though you showed up totally unprepared with an item which is covered by Transport of Dangerous Goods Regulations.
 
Last edited:
Jmacd said:
Very odd, Jobsworth or more likely a numpty?
Transportation of Dangerous Goods, Even for someone who ships dangerous good regularly. Is complicated. Even an inspector won't know all the various permutations and what iffs.
Some you deal with frequently enough. You know the requirements of the top of your head. Most you have to research, if in the transportation business.

Odds are most people probably have no clue a lifejacket is DG. or understand why. Any compressed gas. or even a sealed container is.
Even Co2 Fire extinguishers are DG. Because they are a hazard in a fire.
Co2 is Class 2 (It is actually allowed on a pass vessel depending on size of container)
A life jacket is actually class 9 not Class 2. Class 9 is miscellaneous and may contain a bunch of small things eg a liferaft Class 9 will also have flares which are class 1 on their own.
It's further complicated by different rules for different types of transportation.
Road, Rail, Marine, Air. Some things which are permissible or unregulated for road may still be regulated for marine or air.
A cross channel ferry will have to comply with international or IMO rule's
A Calmac Ferry. only has to comply with British rules. Which may be more flexible. Ie local regs.

TIt is the shippers (You are the shipper) responsibility to look it up in the regs and fill out the paperwork. Proving to the carrier (The Ferry Company) it is permissible.
The carrier has the right to require prior notice and refuse carriage if you don't have the correct paperwork.
The Carrier also has a responsibility to ensure the TDGR are complied with.
Which would be a completed Dangerous good shipping document. In this case for a life jacket.

The Lifejacket is actually allowed to be shipped by air which is surprisingly enough for good reason the most restrictive.
You can carry a max of 1 with 2 cylinders fitted.

Take them apart the cylinder is class 2 small consumer quantity not regulated. My guess they didn't know. They didn't have quick easy access to the right regulation, you hadn't given prior notice. looking them up a the ticket counter might not be easy. So somebody just winged it. And let you travel.
Normally the easy thing is tell you to go away and come back tomorrow with correct paper work.
or
Give you the form and help you fill it out correctly. Like I say at a busy ticket counter. This might take time a piss other punters off.

Phone ahead talk to someone. They will have a supervisor or manager at a major terminal who will know this stuff or at least how to look it up. And help you with the required paperwork.
plus if you have given 24hr notice they have no reason to tell you to come back tomorrow

A 5 minute google DG.
I did not get the specific answer for pax ferry. I just noticed there was no rule saying lifejackets were restricted. I did get the specific requirement for aircraft. So while I believe they are permitted on pax vessels I could still be wrong.
An inflatable life jacket is permitted. with up to two fitted Co2 cartridges.

Shipping a crate of lifejackets. might require a bit more prep.
It is permissible for a carrier to have there own rules which exceed IMO rules or State rules.

The foot passenger thing, A bit more sticky than vehicle, You permitted DG would be left in the car on the car deck. Not carried up to the bar or restaurant.
Having traveled recently(this year) with Stena, P&O and Irish Ferries by bus. I was asked specifically by driver if I had DG before I packed my backpack into the luggage bay on the bus.
Lots of backpackers have small gas stoves and canisters. consumer quantity not regulated.

So my short point.
It's your responsibility to ensure what you are carrying is permitted.
So Jobsworth or Numpty even if I think they are actually wrong. I don't work there.
They still let you travel. with your life jacket on the sailing you planned.
Even though you showed up totally unprepared with an item which is covered by Transport of Dangerous Goods Regulations.
Click to expand...
That was very educational…thanks 👍🏻
 
Jmacd said:
An inflatable life jacket is permitted. with up to two fitted Co2 cartridges.

Shipping a crate of lifejackets. might require a bit more prep.
It is permissible for a carrier to have there own rules which exceed IMO rules or State rules.

The foot passenger thing, A bit more sticky than vehicle, You permitted DG would be left in the car on the car deck. Not carried up to the bar or restaurant.
Having traveled recently(this year) with Stena, P&O and Irish Ferries by bus. I was asked specifically by driver if I had DG before I packed my backpack into the luggage bay on the bus.
Lots of backpackers have small gas stoves and canisters. consumer quantity not regulated.
Click to expand...

That was quite the stream of consciousness.

Once again, Brittany Ferries' policy is quite clear:
Brittany Ferries

SELF-INFLATING LIFE JACKETS AND FLARES​

Only passengers travelling by vehicle can transport self-inflating lifejackets and flares and must declare the fact when making their reservation. A maximum of 6 self-inflating lifejackets; 6 handheld flares; 4 parachute flares and 2 smoke floats for use in leisure craft only and within test date may be carried.

Self-inflating life rafts must be packed in strong rigid outer packaging with a total maximum gross weight of 40kg containing no dangerous goods other than class 2.2 compressed or liquefied gas with no subsidiary risk in receptacles with a capacity not exceeding 120ml & installed solely for the purpose of the activation of the appliance.
Click to expand...
 
Only passengers travelling by vehicle being allowed to bring a lifejacket is quite useless if going to a boat too small to bring the car with you!

How many deaths or injuries have resulted from people daring to transport lifejackets?
 
john_morris_uk said:
Out of interest, I’ve travelled another three times on Brittany ferries with my lifejacket since the original incident. They’ve started to wave me through without checking my bags. Not sure what that means!
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Assuming you're travelling by foot it means you're choosing to ignore their rules, of which you are aware.
I could speculate on what that means but I'd probably be banned.
 
DFL1010 said:
Assuming you're travelling by foot it means you're choosing to ignore their rules, of which you are aware.
I could speculate on what that means but I'd probably be banned.
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I wasn’t aware of their rules. If I’d been aware of them I wouldn’t have turned up as a foot passenger with my lifejacket in my bag and I’d have had to rely on borrowing one.
 
john_morris_uk said:
I wasn’t aware of their rules. If I’d been aware of them I wouldn’t have turned up as a foot passenger with my lifejacket in my bag and I’d have had to rely on borrowing one.
Click to expand...
I mean, I did quote their rules earlier, but it's possible you missed it. The same rules that are on their website, but it's possible that you didn't look into it, despite being so aggrieved as to post here.

So, we'll just have to go off your own words:
I have a Spinlock lifejacket with me with AIS beacon and personal EPIRB fitted. I was stopped and told I couldn’t bring it onboard because it has a CO2 cylinder!!!
Click to expand...
Strange rule not being allowed to bring a serviceable LJ on board. There rules though. Even if I don’t understand them.
Click to expand...

So, given that and you saying that if you'd been aware of the rules, you wouldn't have done it, this makes no sense:
I’ve travelled another three times on Brittany ferries with my lifejacket since the original incident.
Click to expand...
 
DFL1010 said:
I mean, I did quote their rules earlier, but it's possible you missed it. The same rules that are on their website, but it's possible that you didn't look into it, despite being so aggrieved as to post here.

So, we'll just have to go off your own words:



So, given that and you saying that if you'd been aware of the rules, you wouldn't have done it, this makes no sense:
Click to expand...
I’m not sure what convoluted logic you’re trying to achieve here.

Perhaps my mistake was not even thinking to check that carrying a lifejacket as a foot passenger was against their rules. So what? Like many (if not most) other people we don’t all read the small print.

Had I somehow come to know that I wasn’t permitted to carry a lifejacket I wouldn’t have attempted it in the first place. Having been advised that it was ok if I disconnected the CO2 cylinder I assumed that would always apply. So I carried on.

What’s the problem ?
 
The real question is the restriction reasonable and what is the real reason for the restriction.

If we know the reason for the restriction, we can manage the requirement
 
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