I wear mine most days because the motion of the boat puts my wife asleep and she would not notice me falling off for a long time! Taking my dinghy around to the neighborhood beach a week ago to haul out was another time to wear it, I was the only boat moving for miles around and the water is cold now, falling off the dang thing would not have been fun. I did have a bald eagle circle me, maybe he though a meal was upcoming if I fell in! Joe Della Barba Coquina From: Richard Arper via CnC-List <cnc-list@cnc-list.com> Sent: Friday, January 3, 2025 4:47 PM To: 'Stus-List' <cnc-list@cnc-list.com> Cc: 'Rick Brass' <rickbr...@earthlink.net>; 'CHARLES SCHEAFFER' <cscheaf...@comcast.net>; Richard Arper <rtar...@wavecable.com> Subject: [EXTERNAL] Stus-List Re: Inflatable PFDs
A lot of my sailing is by myself in protected waters. When alone I wear my inflatable PFD, but not normally with a tether. However, I do wear a ACR PLB attached to the PFD, so at least they can find my body. Richard Arper rtar...@wavecable.com<mailto:rtar...@wavecable.com> C&C 34+ Xanax Brownsville, WA From: CHARLES SCHEAFFER via CnC-List [mailto:cnc-list@cnc-list.com] Sent: Friday, January 3, 2025 10:32 AM To: Stus-List Cc: Rick Brass; CHARLES SCHEAFFER Subject: Stus-List Re: Inflatable PFDs Hi Rick, It might pay to disarm the PFDs each winter and put bobbins in a ziplock bag, till Spring. Or bag up the auto ones to keep the bobbin dry. I too have a collection of ten PFDs, and tethers and jacklines. I store all my PFDs in two vinyl valeses labelled "LIFE JACKETS", and we used to only put them on, in rough weather. Trying to be a better and more responsible yachtsman, I now keep a checklist before leaving the dock and it includes taking out a PFD for each person aboard, and laying them on a cabin cushion so they are handy and guests can easily find one on their own. I rig jacklines when I'm alone on a delivery, or if the forecast includes winds over 20 knots, but I sail the protected waters of Chesapeake Bay usually in lighter winds. What are other people doing? Do you always wear a PFD or do you have a rule for when you put one on? Chuck S Resolute 1989 C&C 34R, Annapolis On 01/03/2025 12:06 PM EST Rick Brass via CnC-List <cnc-list@cnc-list.com<mailto:cnc-list@cnc-list.com>> wrote: I have always bought cartridges at my local West Marine. Cheap and always current in my experience. I have 4 inflatables with harnesses and tethers for myself and crew when offshore. (My personal one - a Crewsaver - goes in my gear bag when making deliveries, along with a pair of safety lines.) I also keep 6 more autoinflate PFDs in a bag for use by guests when entertaining or doing "3-hour tours" near home. It is a real PTA to need a set of 6 conventional PFDs plus the inflatables on the boat, but the inflatables only count when the passenger is wearing it. I have never seen a gas cylinder leak except when a PFD accidentally inflates due to moisture over the winter - which has happened about 3 times over the years. Might be a good idea to take them home, but it is probably about as humid in the garage as on the boat. But the comment about the bobbins expiring is correct. There is a label on each bobbin in my inventory of spares and in the PFDs on the boat. I just checked about a week ago. And I do need to replace 3 or 4 of the bobbins. Again I will check first at West Marine to see if I can order bobbins without getting the kit that contains the cylinder, bobbin, and plastic safety insert in a single zip lock bag. Rick Brass Washington, NC -----Original Message----- From: Stus-List <cnc-list@cnc-list.com<mailto:cnc-list@cnc-list.com>> Sent: Jan 3, 2025 1:31 AM To: Stus-List <cnc-list@cnc-list.com<mailto:cnc-list@cnc-list.com>> Cc: CHARLES SCHEAFFER <cscheaf...@comcast.net<mailto:cscheaf...@comcast.net>> Subject: Stus-List Re: Inflatable PFDs Hey guys, I'll check Landmark. I'm just wary that companies sell safety equipment that is outdated. I recently (today) learned that it's possible to recertify your CO2 cartridges yourself, and keep and reuse them indefinitely saving $$$$$. You simply need to weigh the cartridge using a digital scale like a food scale and record the weight and date on the CO2 cylinder. My 38 gram CO2 bottles were marked, Minimum Gross Weight of 149 grams and the actual weight came to 153 grams and 157 grams. I used two different scales to confirm my test. I have four inflatable PFDs. I pulled the CO2 bottles and three look brand new though they were made in 2003 and 2007. I will replace the corroded one, even though it passed the weight test. I weighed the others individually and used a piece of rigging tape and a sharpie to record the weight in grams and the date, when they were checked. I've been told they need to be checked annually, and this method meets that criteria. The water activated "bobbin" is different. It has an expiration date printed on it and most Coast Guard inspections will want that current and I might keep a spare CO2 and bobbin, onboard in a ziplocked sandwich bag if I were planning a trip to Bermuda. If you want to be more assured and safety minded, you can open the PFDs further and manually blow up the bladder as best you can and wait 24 hours to test for leaks. Then squeeze out all the air, rearm them, and refold them back into their jackets and return them to service. I may do that tomorrow as there's no sense depending on a PFD or buying a new CO2 cartridge if it can't maintain pressure? Hope this helps others, Chuck Scheaffer, Resolute, 1989 34R, Annapolis On 01/02/2025 4:11 PM EST Richard Bush via CnC-List <cnc-list@cnc-list.com<mailto:cnc-list@cnc-list.com>> wrote: Chuck, great question, I need some too! Richard 1985 C&C 37 CB; Mile 596, Ohio River Richard N. Bush Law Offices 2950 Breckenridge Lane, Suite Nine Louisville, Kentucky 40220 (502) 584-7255 On Thursday, January 2, 2025 at 02:20:19 PM EST, CHARLES SCHEAFFER via CnC-List <cnc-list@cnc-list.com<mailto:cnc-list@cnc-list.com>> wrote: Hey guys, Where is the best place to buy CO2 cartridges for inflatable PFDs? Thanks, Chuck Your contributions help pay the fees associated with this list and help to keep it active. Please help by making a small contribution using PayPal at: https://www.paypal.com/paypalme/stumurray All contributions are greatly appreciated. Your contributions help pay the fees associated with this list and help to keep it active. 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