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Alan Mighty · 22-10-2014, 07:03

Quote:

Originally Posted by danleach

So, while we're narrowing in on what the buoyancy loops are (those little loops chest high on either side of the zipper flap) we still don't know what they are/were for.

What a blind fool I've been.

It's so bleeding obvious.

Look at the thumbnail below of the Baltic Winner 150N inflatable PFD with toggles for buoyancy loops!

Goodness knows how strong those buoyancy loops are. But the toggles (not on any of my inflatable PFDs) are meant for the buoyancy loops.

Al

jeanathon · 22-10-2014, 07:12

I thought somebody was going to call the company and get back to us. This question is starting to aggravate me now.

Alan Mighty · 22-10-2014, 07:17

And read the 5th or ultimate para in the section titled "what to look for" on the Boat US page "Choosing foul weather gear" at: Choosing Foul Weather Gear - BoatTECH - BoatUS

See the reference to "tabs for attaching harnesses and inflatable life jackets"?

Oh my sweet lord, I've been such a fool.

I've a hanging locker full of weather gear">foul weather gear without buoyancy loops to which I might otherwise have attached the non-existent toggles on my inflatable PFDs!

I've made poor choices in life, but this takes the cake. I'm humbled. Shattered psychologically.

I'll go ashore tomorrow, visit the Snake Temple, burn incense, and vow to mend my ways.

Al

UNCIVILIZED · 22-10-2014, 07:35

I believe that they're primarily a British thing. And are small loops in a couple of places on a foulie jacket which look as if they could accommodate an old school wooden toggle. And from what I put together, years ago, was that, in fact they are for attaching a buoyancy aid or "waist coat", via toggles or buttons.
Buoyancy aids & waist coats being like life jackets, but without enough floatation to qualify as life jackets.

The Brits have used the term, literally, for decades.

danleach · 22-10-2014, 07:50

Oh my God! Alan...you are a sailing God! I think you've finally uncovered the reason these little loops are all over our Foul Weather Gear.

They are there to hook into our auto inflating vests, so the vest and jacket become a system, and when you need to grab it in the middle of the night and go up on deck, you don't have to search for the vest...it's connected to your jacket. Thank you.

Also, huge ups to you for taking this mostly pointless conversation onto a second page.

Now, if only the PFD makers hadn't removed the toggles from our vests!

Like you, I have auto PFDs. Four of them in fact. And none has this mysterious inside toggle. So...I'm still going to die because I didn't use my buoyancy loops correctly. Damn. I knew it would be something like this that finally got me.

Fair seas everyone. Thanks Alan.

danleach · 22-10-2014, 07:53

Also thanks to you Uncivilized. Where have you been? We've been waiting for someone to fill us in. Of course our British friends would love the odd toggle or two for adding buoyancy. It sounds like them.

UNCIVILIZED · 22-10-2014, 11:30

Quote:

Originally Posted by danleach

Also thanks to you Uncivilized. Where have you been? We've been waiting for someone to fill us in. Of course our British friends would love the odd toggle or two for adding buoyancy. It sounds like them.

I think you'll note that by my post; count, frequency, & depth of answers, that I get around. As it were.
What do I have like 6x as many contributions as yourself

JK. I try & help as much as I can... while still learning new things.

As to the design of the whole toggles & loops thing. They're Britons, I mean who else builds cars with a positive ground wire system (that for 3 decades I've not been able to find someone who can well explain it to me). Plus, who else built fighter planes out of wood (in WW II) - to further borrow clichés from Tim Allen.

And before someone gets their knickers in a twist, half of my ancestry came from that odd little island. As in came over on the boat just a few years prior to me going from a concept, to a live reality. Albeit from the Northern part of the island, up in the Highlands ;-)

hellosailor · 22-10-2014, 12:30

I'd never heard a proper name for them, but discovered those useless little loops on my old HL gear conveniently tied in my Crewfit PFD. Yes, that is exactly what they are for and Crewfit (who are not USCG certified and have no great interest in US matters) is one vest that ties in with them. Little loops and little toggles, and voila, your PFD and foul jacket become one piece of gear that can be doffed and donned in one easy motion. Even when the PFD is one with a harness.

VERY nice little perq if your gear has it.

SkiprJohn · 22-10-2014, 14:22

Just looked at my brilliantly pleasing coulored Mustang Float Jacket (orange) made in Canada. It does not have buoyancy loops. Probably because it's already a type III PFD? My West Marine fouly jacket doesn't have them either. I'm glad I didn't go over the side.

**Wotname** · 23-10-2014, 14:05

What a great resource CF is

delmarrey · 23-10-2014, 23:18

Well, in OZ they went one step further!

Life Jackets : Built-in Inflatable Life Jacket / Sailing jacket

.

clownfishsydney · 24-10-2014, 00:26

Why not email the manufacturer and ask? It will put all of us out of our misery.

rgscpat · 24-10-2014, 01:21

Ask?

Is that like expecting guys to ask for directions when they're lost?

Or is it more like telling someone to read the (felicitous) manual?

Or is it like cheating and looking at the instructions on "Some assembly required" items?

Besides, we could probably invent answers that would be far more entertaining that the manufacturer could provide.

Oh, and how many thousand pounds or newtons or such like units of breaking strength do the toggles and "buoyancy loops" have compared to harness webbing, tethers, etc.? They don't look suitable for hoisting either bodies or petards.

Sos · 24-10-2014, 01:49

Quote:

Originally Posted by rgscpat

Ask?
Oh, and how many thousand pounds or newtons or such like units of breaking strength do the toggles and "buoyancy loops" have compared to harness webbing, tethers, etc.? They don't look suitable for hoisting either bodies or petards.

They are just for attaching the lifejacket to your jacket while not being worn - you would still rely on the lifejacket webbing and belts!
Needs a Briton to explain to you foreigners