What is your lifejacket policy?

[ari]

I'm curious to know how people manage their lifejacket policy on board?

I don't insist adults wear them, but I do insist that they have one allocated to them and that they try it on so they know how to put it on and so that it can be adjusted to fit, and if they choose not to wear it, that it's on deck, to hand, and they know where it is. I tend to keep mine on, and I find most people, having put it on and realised it's no big deal, tend to do the same. However when stationary (at anchor or in the marina), we take them off.

But to be honest, it's a motorboat, we don't deliberately go out in rough conditions, and the chances of anyone falling off are pretty slim.

The reason it came to mind was while idly musing a larger boat (as you do during the off season). If I was running (say) a 50ft flybridge, would I have the same policy? I'd still want people to be allocated and fitted with a lifejacket and to know where it is, but I think there would perhaps be less expectation to wear one, and I'm not sure I'd bother personally on a boat of that size. But then why? It's not like you can't fall off a 50ft boat, or have it sink under you. But certainly, whenever I see boats of that size about, it's very rare to see everyone permanently in lifejackets.

Hence the question - it would be interesting to know what people do, and on what size of boat.

 

[alandalus11]

For safety I insist everyone wears lifejackets on board when under way and guests shown how to don, how they work and how to use them in an emergency. I have always had the belief that they are useless unless worn. Should we be at anchor then I have no problem with guests or crew not wearing then. Even on a 42 foot MoBo people can still fall overboard when under way.

 

[jon and michie]

Wear one - simple as that you cannot predict what could happen even in calm seas

and as you mentioned

" It's not like you can't fall off a 50ft boat, or have it sink under you. But certainly, whenever I see boats of that size about, it's very rare to see everyone permanently in lifejackets."

what if you hit a steel container - the Titanic wasn't expecting to hit an ice berg
What say your props get tangled by crab pot rope and theres a sudden jolt and one of your passengers is near the aft now taking an unexpected dip

 

[Alicatt]

Adults allocated a lifejacket and shown how to use, it is up to them if they want to wear it all the time, it is mandatory to wear one when in the locks, though a lot of people do not wear them, I insist if they are on board.
Children must wear a life jacket at all times.

 

[aerobat]

Great question !

It depends on the situation .

We have our boat on an inland channel and when running there , with speed limits , nobody carries one unless we know he is not a proficient swimmer . It does not depend if kid or adult since my mother more needs it than my 15 year old , ultra fit and very good swimming nephew.

In open sea we ususally carry one but then we are on holiday and only rarely carry guests .

I had one time a situation to carry foreign kids , gave them my best automatic vests and they found out how funny it is to pull the rope . Last time i did give somebody a non solid vest .

One more thing : guests love but i hate when seeing them sitting on the bowsprit. I tolerate on an inland channel but its a no go while on plane or / and open sea. I think there is zero chance to not run him over when somebody slips off the bowsprit .

 

[oldgit]

40ft.All jackets are Auto and were rearmed a few months ago.
Kids. Above our freshwater/tidal lock and moving, a bouyancy aid or lifejacket.
Paddleboarding /kayaking / inflatable dinghying , bouyancy aid, while underway in the tidal river life jacket.

Adults .
Above lock whatever they want to do, most will accept a loosely secured jacket.
Tidal. Whatever they decide. Including skipper.
Beyond Sheerness and offshore / Everybody gets a lifejacket. Includes skipper.

Inflatable on the transom and emergency valise in a easy to dump over the side location.

 

[Boathook]

30ft sailing boat at sea.
Children wear lifejackets all the time unless at anchor, etc.
Adults issued with LJ but their choice whether to wear. Exceptions are at night or rough weather or when wearing waterproofs.
More and more though I'm wearing my LJ.

 

[Boaty_Pete]

Everyone on board is allocated a life jacket, and they are located conveniently in case of emergency. After all, you're legally the skipper and responsible for everyone's safety.
If it's never occurred to you to do so,
......mentally write the incident report, for anything you do, before you do it........

"The boat shouldn't have been hit by another, but sank quickly. Reports suggest the skipper didn't provide life jackets and one person drowned before being pulled from the water....."
You ccan use that method for many decisions in life.

Ours is a Flybridge boat with stairs, not a ladder so there's almost no chance of falling in, unless going forward.
Anyone going on deck underway will be qualified. Usually the wife, and she often chooses to don a jacket for the purpose.
When we go across the north sea or on a longer open water crossing, mine will be next to me if not worn. If it's rough, I'll make a judgement call but likely wear it incase something happens and I want to immediately respond to it.

 

[MoodySabre]

In fair weather I tell adults that they must wear a lifejacket if I tell them to but it is otherwise up to them. They know where they are and how to wear them. Kids always wear them whilst on deck.

 

[Scubadoo]

I treat life jackets like seat belts in a car, it is just an automatic thing to do when onboard cruising. When I have friends onboard I never had problem with them putting on a life jacket. Automatic life jackets are quite slim and not bulky, you forget wearing them, however at anchor sometimes we do take them off, but depends on the day. As mentioned, it seems the larger say 40ft plus boats are rarely seen with life jackets on, but prehaps less risk than say a sub 30ft boat. Those programmes on TV like coastguard rescue, rnli etc, reminds me of the unexpected situations that can catch you out.

 

[Scubadoo]

Wear one - simple as that you cannot predict what could happen even in calm seas

and as you mentioned

" It's not like you can't fall off a 50ft boat, or have it sink under you. But certainly, whenever I see boats of that size about, it's very rare to see everyone permanently in lifejackets."

what if you hit a steel container - the Titanic wasn't expecting to hit an ice berg
What say your props get tangled by crab pot rope and theres a sudden jolt and one of your passengers is near the aft now taking an unexpected dip

This reminds me many years ago near Calshot, crab pot lines connected to each other with the floating line just hidden under the water, I didn't see it and the stern drive caught it at 20+ knots, rapid stop, noone injured but was quite alarming, the stern drive kicked up as designed and thankfully no damage.

 

[Seastoke]

As a captain of my craft , I am responsible for crew and guests . So if on the move you have to wear one , if there is an issue the last thing you need is peeps trying to find LJ and have time to put it on. I swim twice a week in a local pool where Adam peaty trains , there are two life guards on duty , and yet people still drown in pools. Now if Adam was on your boat no LJ on slipped banged his head fell overboard and got carried away by tide .YOU may go to prison as YOU are partly responsible. Had he had jacket on , its a talking point for years.

 

[PaulRainbow]

45ft flybridge. Everyone is given a life jacket, told how it works and how to put it on, adjusted to fit. If underway they stay on, optional at anchor. All of our life jackets are compact auto inflate models, you forget it's after a few minutes.

 

[SC35]

Anyone doing deck work, fenders etc. must wear one on SC35.
I always wear one because it looks good and although I don't usually do deck stuff, I might have to intervene if something goes pear shaped.

Optional for adult guests just sitting on seats, but they are shown how to wear one and the emergency exits are pointed out, unless conditions are flakey, in which case mandatory.
Mandatory for kids.

 

[Chiara’s slave]

The skipper rules on Chiara. 30ft trimaran, they are fitted to everyone before we leave the dock, wear it if you want if it’s flat calm, we’ll tell you to wear it when the windward ama leaves the water. Tethers too at 1st reef, or at night, it has to be sometime, so it’s then. Nobody refuses the skipper. We have buoyancy aids on board to use with paddleboards, but it’s 100% lifejackets in the tender.

 

[Alicatt]

Our daughter bought buoyancy aids for her kids thinking that would help us out, in the swimming pool we showed her how they behaved, the BAs turned them upside down, she was a bit shocked at that as she thought they were lifejackets, anyway we had lifejackets for them already.
We keep a range of sizes on board for the grandkids, with the littlest lad being only 3 and the oldest grandson is 24 and 1.95m tall.

 

[PaulRainbow]

The skipper rules on Chiara. 30ft trimaran, they are fitted to everyone before we leave the dock, wear it if you want if it’s flat calm, we’ll tell you to wear it when the windward ama leaves the water. Tethers too at 1st reef, or at night, it has to be sometime, so it’s then. Nobody refuses the skipper. We have buoyancy aids on board to use with paddleboards, but it’s 100% lifejackets in the tender.

Have you mentioned this to Mrs Chiara ?

Didn't go well when i mentioned it to Mrs R

 

[Seastoke]

I asked my mate , and he said when if they are on the Flybridge , his wife wears one , when she goes Down

 

[rafiki_]

I wear mine all the time when underway. All adult guests are allocated life jackets, but I leave it to them when they use them.

 

[Momac]

We always wear lifejacket when under way .
As said it becomes automatic like a seat belt in a car.

Children certainly are made to wear a buoyancy aid , the older ones a lifejacket. Adults who are seated and not participating as crew may make up their own mind.