Where to keep lifejackets tidily and to hand

[rognvald]

Robin,
When daysailing, they are stored in a breathable nylon/mesh bag in the starboard lazarette. When passagemaking, they are hung on hooks along with our safety harnesses in the quarterberth for quick access. We have only used our lifejackets once in 25 years and that was at anchor in Newfound Harbor/Florida Keys when experiencing a spectacular storm, were hit by a waterspout/tornado(?) at night that spun the boat like a merry go round 8x around our two anchor rodes in a sky filled with incredible displays of cloud to ground lightning and unbelievable wind. We have never worn our lifejackets at sea as I do not trust the inflatables(we don't own them) and the kapok vests are too bulky to maneuver safely and easily. We do, however, wear safety harnesses in rough weather and do abide by the USCG regulations to carry the proper amount of lifejackets on our boat. Good luck and good sailing.

[Jammer Six]

Actually, we don't wear them below. We take them off and scatter them around wherever they happen to land.

[Robin3]

Originally Posted by rognvald

Robin,
When daysailing, they are stored in a breathable nylon/mesh bag in the starboard lazarette. When passagemaking, they are hung on hooks along with our safety harnesses in the quarterberth for quick access. We have only used our lifejackets once in 25 years and that was at anchor in Newfound Harbor/Florida Keys when experiencing a spectacular storm, were hit by a waterspout/tornado(?) at night that spun the boat like a merry go round 8x around our two anchor rodes in a sky filled with incredible displays of cloud to ground lightning and unbelievable wind. We have never worn our lifejackets at sea as I do not trust the inflatables(we don't own them) and the kapok vests are too bulky to maneuver safely and easily. We do, however, wear safety harnesses in rough weather and do abide by the USCG regulations to carry the proper amount of lifejackets on our boat. Good luck and good sailing.

That sounds very like the plan that is beginning to emerge and locations apart we seem to be think very much the same way. Before moving here from the Uk we sailed on average 2000nm/year and rarely wore lifejacketseven in the tender. that is not a boast, nor a recommendation, but merely an honest statement of the reality that is us and unlikely to change now our cruising ground is the ICW from daytona Beach florida to say Chesapeake going north and the Bahamas going south. In the past we would sail in all weathers pretty much as we had very capable boats in which we had confidence. We occasionally wore harnessses in rough seas and that always seemed much more sensible than falling or being knocked overboard so the combined new automatic inflation harness/lifejackets when they came out seemed a good compromise, light and comfortable and far less restrictive when working on deck than the older stuff as well as being easy to don in a hurry. Deckwork nowadays is rare other than for anchoring because our current boat has in -mast reefing/furling as well as a roller reefing genoa and so as already mentioned the reality is we will rarely use lifejackets except perhaps in the RIB to go ashore in an anchorage, but we may be glad to clip on at times in the cockpit if we meet with heavy seas as in perhaps crossing the gulf stream with a contrary wind to the current, avoidable with care but then sh1t happens as they say. However we have a) to comply with USCG rules and especially if guests are aboard and b) to keep our safety gear readily to hand and in excellent condition for when/if we meet the perfect storm.

My thanks to all who replied and have contributed to my thoughts and my apologies to anyone who doesn't understand where I am personally coming from, I'm older perhaps than many and still harbour old fashioned ways, not to say bad habits!

[Robin3]

Originally Posted by Jammer Six

Actually, we don't wear them below. We take them off and scatter them around wherever they happen to land.

That practice is exactly what my 'Advisor', bless her, was telling me had to stop and why I was instructed to come up with a better routine to follow.

[Jammer Six]

What's an advisor?

[Robin3]

Originally Posted by Jammer Six

What's an advisor?

Are you not married ?? My British sense of humour lost in space maybe as it often is when around colonial friends.

[Blue Stocking]

On a SunKiss 47, I epoxied battens to the underside of those huge lift-to-open cockpit locker doors, and held the PFDs in place with bungy cord.

[ranger58sb]

Originally Posted by Robin3

Maybe I'm just being paranoid and we do not really need 6-8 type 11s if we are just 2 on board just because the boat Can sleep that many bodies. but who knows what Marine Patrol Officer Dibble will deem the number we need, (ie just two as we are only two peeps or 8 because the boat has 8 sleeping berths and, potentially, friends could call by anytime for a cuppa.)

Originally Posted by Robin3

However we have a) to comply with USCG rules and especially if guests are aboard and b) to keep our safety gear readily to hand and in excellent condition for when/if we meet the perfect storm.

Our CG buds have always advised the number of approved PFDs must equal or exceed the number of people on board at the time. And be sized/used properly. IOW, approved inflatables must be ON (donned), children should be wearing appropriately sized and approved PFDs, etc.

The number of available berths has nothing to do with it.

That translates to dinghies and other small craft, too. Two pax, two PFDs plus throwable. Three pax, three plus. Four pax, etc etc etc. No need to have 6 PFDs aboard simply because a big canoe or skiff or whatever happens to have 6 seats.

And it's quite common to borrow PFDs (as for visiting children), bring your own PFDs if visiting, etc.

Sounds like you've arrived at workable solutions. We too carry more than our two inflatables... but mostly because we have plenty of space, we inherited 10 or 12 of the buggers in like new condition, and partly because I have no place else to store them if not on the boat. When we've happened to have 8 of us aboard (out fishing or whatever), I haven't had to do anything special to accommodate.

-Chris

[Robin3]

Originally Posted by Blue Stocking

On a SunKiss 47, I epoxied battens to the underside of those huge lift-to-open cockpit locker doors, and held the PFDs in place with bungy cord.

That would have worked on the Sun Legende 41 we used to own in England too but our current money pit is smaller has a centre cockpit, only one underseat cockpit locker and some smaller ones in the aft quarter side decks all currently in use with warps, power cords and such like.