Your boat keys do float, right?

[jac]

Like hoards of others, my boat keys have a float on them. I've never tested it and merrily thought - I have a float, I'm ok.

Until yesterday.

I recently received a new foam floating key ring from Pantaenius and the children were naturally curious so started "experiments" to see how much the various floats we had on different keys would support.

Not a lot was the executive summary of their exhaustive testing. One small float we previously used could not support 2 small keys and the small fob used for accessing the pontoon. They weigh a tiny amount and without a key ring got lost in pockets easily.

So. Are you still really sure that the float you have will support your keys??

 

[Seajet]

I have loads of seemingly essential keys on my cork float keyring - and I do buy sets of 4 padlocks with common keys; the best I can hope for is that if dropped in the shallow water by my mooring - which is where I have the keys out - the float will stick upright on its short line, aiding location and grabbing by boathook.

I carry several hacksaws which would be the temporary answer, as long as I'd got the hatch open, and other precations I obviously can't say here.

I make sure to keep my electronic car keys in a very seperate waterproof bag - guess how I learned that one ?!

 

[mjcoon]

So. Are you still really sure that the float you have will support your keys??

Some time ago there was an inflatable key ring float on Dragons' Den. Said to like one kg. But not from what depth. The deeper, the more gas you need to lift 1kg.

Mike.

 

[sarabande]

Waterbuoy

http://www.water-buoy.com/


I've got one - never tested it in five (?) years

 

[johnalison]

Volvo ignition keys come with their own float built-in, which I have tested successfully. Unfortunately, my engineers lost a key and the replacement doesn't have a float.

 

[Robert Wilson]

Waterbuoy

http://www.water-buoy.com/


I've got one - never tested it in five (?) years

I was given one for Christmas. It works fine if attacked by water and the light stays on for many, many hours. As to floating one's keys, I have no idea. But it certainly inflates when the cabin sole boards are awash!!!!!

 

[Yngmar]

Mine have no float, because a sufficiently sized float wouldn't fit into my pocket without someone reporting me to the police because they think I'm carrying a hand grenade in there.

Instead I have a badge lanyard (the things they give you for your trade show tickets to carry around your neck). My keys are attached to that, and a small aluminium carabiner is attached in the long loop of the lanyard. The carabiner clips onto my belt and the lanyard is long enough to reach the hatch lock and the marina RFID reader without detaching them.

I had a retractable one at first, but that didn't last long in the salty air and soon retracted no more.

 

[RupertW]

We moved to combination hatch lock and push button engine start so just have 4 digits to remember and we float if we fall in. Too much anxiety about forgetting keys once we were a flight rather than a drive away from the boat.

 

[Daydream believer]

Might be an idea to throw the kids in while you are at it to check their buoyancy

That gives me an idea ---- wonder where the mother in law is right now.


Could give her the job of carrying a couple of hundredweight of spare "keys"!!!!!!

 

[RichardS]

. But not from what depth. The deeper, the more gas you need to lift 1kg.

Mike.

It's true that you need more gas to generate the same displacement at greater depths but I can't really see the relevance as the Waterbuoy starts to inflate within a second or two of hitting the water so it's never having to inflate from a depth of more than a foot or two and that's a negligible difference.

Richard

 

[jac]

Might be an idea to throw the kids in while you are at it to check their buoyancy

That gives me an idea ---- wonder where the mother in law is right now.


Could give her the job of carrying a couple of hundredweight of spare "keys"!!!!!!

Kids spent a week doing a kayak course two weeks ago. Trust me they tested theirs (and anyone else's buoyancy!!)

 

[davidej]

I used to have the three special handles to unscrew the water. diesel and blackwater fillers all tied together with some wine bottle corks - one handle metal, the other two plastic.

I stopped at the Knobs and Snobs, Lowestoft to refuel and water. When finished, I flicked the aft line off and.... you have guessed it.

They didn't float and hours with a small fishing net did't bring anything up from the bottom.

A winch handle only fits one of these and now I have some homemade bits of s/s to do the job

 

[Koeketiene]

So. Are you still really sure that the float you have will support your keys??

We've got one of these big ones: http://www.piplers.co.uk/floating-cork-keyring

Been in the drink a couple of times - recovered them every time. About 5 keys on the ring.

 

[knuterikt]

Like hoards of others, my boat keys have a float on them. I've never tested it and merrily thought - I have a float, I'm ok.

Until yesterday.

I recently received a new foam floating key ring from Pantaenius and the children were naturally curious so started "experiments" to see how much the various floats we had on different keys would support.

Not a lot was the executive summary of their exhaustive testing. One small float we previously used could not support 2 small keys and the small fob used for accessing the pontoon. They weigh a tiny amount and without a key ring got lost in pockets easily.

So. Are you still really sure that the float you have will support your keys??

Yes, as your kids found out it's easy to test (if they float in fresh water...).
I prefer the soft foam type (I have one from Pantaenius), I have found hollow ones that had developed a leak.

I check my inflatable life jacket regularly, how often should the inflatable key rings be checked?

 

[JumbleDuck]

My young crew spend an entertaining and dampening hour with a bucket of water and all the floats/keyrings on board, working out what would support what. A single cork ball doesn't hold much and even a double won't hold my keys. I have just bought a new Nanni engine and specified the panel with a switch instead of a key, partly because it's one less thing to lose overboard.

 

[Vega1447]

We moved to combination hatch lock and push button engine start so just have 4 digits to remember and we float if we fall in. Too much anxiety about forgetting keys once we were a flight rather than a drive away from the boat.

Snap.
My son once stood on the ignition key which (Albin Vega) was thoughtfully located at stbd forward end of cockpit on bridge bulkhead just above cockpit sole.
Great gnashing of teeth.

Shortly after that I fitted a push button start with an ignition arming switch just inside saloon next to switch panel.

Other Bad Things (C) have happened since but I am very glad that I don't need to worry about the ignition key shearing off..

 

[[70521]]

Everything goes in the dry bag for the trip ashore.

 

[Capt. Clueless]

It is not until you read threads like this that you start to think...Will my keys float on their cork key ring. (You always presume that they will, but you put more on). A bucket of water will be filled this coming week! I carry them in my rucksack on the trip in the dinghy to the swinging mooring, but just one mistake...mmmmmmmmmmm.

 

[Bru]

I have a theory about key ring floats

And that is that they will ensure that your keys sink slowly out of sight ever so slightly faster than you can make a grab for them

Don't ask me how I know this!

 

[Daydream believer]

It is not until you read threads like this that you start to think...Will my keys float on their cork key ring. (You always presume that they will, but you put more on). A bucket of water will be filled this coming week! I carry them in my rucksack on the trip in the dinghy to the swinging mooring, but just one mistake...mmmmmmmmmmm.

I can asure you that a cork key ring will not keep a rucksack afloat Unless you have a b..y big pocket