Hi Tom.Ocean Safety are a great company. We have used them. The issues with safety equipment from flares to life rafts occur once you are outside the UK. Servicing, parts, certification, local tax's, import duty, transport, postage, etc, etc. The RYA and the CA are no help and offer no support outside of the UK; for safety equipment and other important issues. (unless its about red diesel or VAT payment on returning to the UK. 😄) If the RYA & CA took up a campaign to make Safety Equipment, Duty exempt and Tax free for all yachts on the basis of life preservation and safety internationally, I may, just may consider renewing my membership of both organisations. Sadly both are London and UK centric and saying that they a good source of help and information only applies if you live in the UK. Outside, your on your own with safety equipment, its purchase and / or maintenance. Which is a shame because companies like Ocean Safety should be able to operate internationally without encumbrance to prevent loss of life....... Sail Safe mate.
Super refresher course. In my country safety gear (PFD, flares, extinguishers, anchors etc.) are a legal requirement for recreational boaters and our CG equivalent carry out random checks. I was surprised to learn they are not required in the UK.
Our sea conditions mean that people don't tend to take to the sea without knowing what they are doing (Not always true). However as a skipper, irrespective of a specific law was to lose one of his crew over the side and that person was to die as a result the skipper could find themselves standing in front of a judge and jury to explain why they thought it was a good idea for their crew not to be wearing life jackets and why as a result of that someone had died. If they had been charged with manslaughter and found guilty the maximum sentence is life imprisonment. So, in the UK if a death is caused by someone's recklessness, gross negligence, or by an unlawful and/or dangerous act they better get a good lawyer.
One word brilliant I were a old foam but will re think automatic inflation like instant floating as going under in cold water bad news! for me! big thank you Tom
Very good advice Tom. I checked my four life jackets today and found 3 of my canisters were loose. Two were that loose they wobbled and one I undone with my fingertips! Found 2 that were rusty too, so I'm going to be buying four service kits ASAP.
Some scotch (not a tape although also good but a bottle of single malt or blended) would be very handy in that safety kit. It boosts the morale, methinks.
The smoke canister is much better than flares during the day much more visible for aircraft and the smoke itself also gives the pilot some indication of what the wind is doing close to the vessel.
Well I am in between boats now. but back when I had a boat every few months I go through my safety gear with exception of lifejackets which get inspected each time I go out. The first aid kit, fire fighting equipment on a monthly inspection
Excellent video, very interesting. With the flare pack, putting a pair of sturdy riggers gloves in the pack to use when holding a flare is a good idea. They get very hot and lots of ash comes off them when they go off. Neoprene sailing gloves may be ok to start with, but might melt if they get too close to the hot end!
My wife tested one in our lounge & found a serious fault with that LJ. The seam in the bladder hit her under the chin in the soft skin & drew blood. If she had been in the water it would have pushed up hard against her chin & been very painful. It would have cut her very bad. When she inflated it she was looking down & it snapped her head back sharply. Tom was looking forward during the test so did not notice that. So I would not buy that LJ as it is badly designed. By the way when she first tried it it did not work. The cord was wrapped around the top of the bottle. We did not know this & had not checked. I now check all the LJs on the boat & 4 were like this when new.
In Australia we have different regs for different states wrt keeping out of date flares on board. Some states it is strictly verboten. From what I have read and seen if you need to set off flares, you need a bunch of them, out of date or not.
Another great video. I always wondered what happens when you fall overboard with a safety line attached to the front of a pfd? You would be dragged by the boat face forward into the water. How long would a person last when being towed by a boat traveling at 5 knots? Would it not be safer to have a safety line attachment to the back of the pdf so you would be towed on your back with face up out of the water?
That old saying dont get into the life raft it until you have to step up into the life raft! All to often the yacht is found afloat but the life raft is never found...
I could not believe this was 29 minutes. I seemed like a flash. Very good information and well structured. On the topic of retrieving an MOB: What is your opinion on the MOB livesaver as developed by Duncan Wells? Basically a 3 m loop of dyneema that can be picked up from the boat with a boat hook.
I'm sorry, I haven't come across this, but anything that assists recovery successfully ha to be good news. It's OK to get the boat back to a dummy, but hoisting a genuine casualty on board can be a different matter!
@@TomCunliffeYachtsandYarnsIt is a very good idea to practice retrieving a crew member from the water BEFORE you need to! I am a Master with Volunteer Coastguard in New Zealand (equivalent to an RNLI Coxswain) and we practice recovering and being recovered regularly. It is a good idea for all seafarers to do this.
Why on earth do they use the colours green and red, the most common eye problem that only effects men, is colour deficient vision, usually green and red.. Another thing, never leave the boat and into a life raft until it sinks under you unless the thing is on fire, as amply proved by the 1979 Fastnet tragedy..
Tom, did you hear that the Netherlands officials agreed to take down a historic Koningshaven bridge so that self-important Jeff Bezos can have his 417 foot long 3-Masted ship be able to move out into the ocean? Really tired of these people.
£400 MILLION+, KEEPS PEOPLE IN A JOB.... ONE OF THE MOST ECOLOGICAL SUPER YACHTS, EVER BUILD, HELPS TO SAVE THE EARTH... I USE CAPITAL LETTERS, SIMPLY SO I CAN READ THEM EASIER, AT MY STAGE IN LIFE... I HAVE WORKED ON AND UNDER THE SEA AND LAND, ALL MY LIFE .... HAVE A LOVLY SAFE LIFE, WHERE EVER YOU GO
This lost me at "the first item is a lifejacket" I think not. Typical salesman flim flam. A spare bottle of rum or whiskey securely stowed adjacent to the chart table comes a long way before flares lifejackets and plibs whatever they are.
Highly experienced racer Jon Santarelli was lost in the Chicago Mackinac race off the TP52 Imeldi when his auto-inflate PFD failed to inflate. Coast Guard-approved full buoyancy foam PFDs don't have this vulnerability. cycracetomackinac.com/assets/documents/safety/25Feb19_Imedi_Incident_Report.pdf
Thanks for sharing this Tom, it’s educational and informative.
Great video thanks waving a hand for Maryland👋
Brilliant video Tom, thank you for taking the time to inform us all about this, sometimes overlooked, very important subject
Hi Tom.Ocean Safety are a great company. We have used them. The issues with safety equipment from flares to life rafts occur once you are outside the UK. Servicing, parts, certification, local tax's, import duty, transport, postage, etc, etc. The RYA and the CA are no help and offer no support outside of the UK; for safety equipment and other important issues. (unless its about red diesel or VAT payment on returning to the UK. 😄) If the RYA & CA took up a campaign to make Safety Equipment, Duty exempt and Tax free for all yachts on the basis of life preservation and safety internationally, I may, just may consider renewing my membership of both organisations. Sadly both are London and UK centric and saying that they a good source of help and information only applies if you live in the UK. Outside, your on your own with safety equipment, its purchase and / or maintenance. Which is a shame because companies like Ocean Safety should be able to operate internationally without encumbrance to prevent loss of life....... Sail Safe mate.
Super refresher course. In my country safety gear (PFD, flares, extinguishers, anchors etc.) are a legal requirement for recreational boaters and our CG equivalent carry out random checks. I was surprised to learn they are not required in the UK.
Our sea conditions mean that people don't tend to take to the sea without knowing what they are doing (Not always true).
However as a skipper, irrespective of a specific law was to lose one of his crew over the side and that person was to die as a result the skipper could find themselves standing in front of a judge and jury to explain why they thought it was a good idea for their crew not to be wearing life jackets and why as a result of that someone had died.
If they had been charged with manslaughter and found guilty the maximum sentence is life imprisonment.
So, in the UK if a death is caused by someone's recklessness, gross negligence, or by an unlawful and/or dangerous act they better get a good lawyer.
What an absolutely superb video, Tom. I had no idea of the difference in functionality of the PLB and MOB devices. I think I'd want to carry both!
One word brilliant I were a old foam but will re think automatic inflation like instant floating as going under in cold water bad news! for me! big thank you Tom
thank you once again Tom for highlighting what many of us take for granted.
I haven't watched all the video yet, but I must say - damn fine thumbnail, Tom!
Very good advice Tom. I checked my four life jackets today and found 3 of my canisters were loose. Two were that loose they wobbled and one I undone with my fingertips! Found 2 that were rusty too, so I'm going to be buying four service kits ASAP.
GREAT STUFF SIR! Cheers from U.S. South West Coast! (San Diego - ex U.S. Coast Guard)
The ais becon is superb
GREAT STUFF! Cheers from Canadian Westcoast!
Such an interesting article, thank you. As the saying goes, ‘safety first’ 👍
Some scotch (not a tape although also good but a bottle of single malt or blended) would be very handy in that safety kit. It boosts the morale, methinks.
Very informative
Great information. Thanks Tom.
Thanks for the share. 👍🏻✌🏻🇨🇦
The smoke canister is much better than flares during the day much more visible for aircraft and the smoke itself also gives the pilot some indication of what the wind is doing close to the vessel.
Well I am in between boats now. but back when I had a boat every few months I go through my safety gear with exception of lifejackets which get inspected each time I go out. The first aid kit, fire fighting equipment on a monthly inspection
Good Thursday evening to you sir and your family
Same to you David. Cheers, Tom
A fascinating and informative video, thank you very much Tom.
Wow that short man is very grumpy and determined to make some money 😂
Top stuff as always Tom, My raft needs a service so i might deploy it to see it in action
Thanks, Tom!
Excellent video, very interesting. With the flare pack, putting a pair of sturdy riggers gloves in the pack to use when holding a flare is a good idea. They get very hot and lots of ash comes off them when they go off. Neoprene sailing gloves may be ok to start with, but might melt if they get too close to the hot end!
Great Information!
Very helpful. Thanks!
My wife tested one in our lounge & found a serious fault with that LJ. The seam in the bladder hit her under the chin in the soft skin & drew blood. If she had been in the water it would have pushed up hard against her chin & been very painful. It would have cut her very bad. When she inflated it she was looking down & it snapped her head back sharply. Tom was looking forward during the test so did not notice that. So I would not buy that LJ as it is badly designed.
By the way when she first tried it it did not work. The cord was wrapped around the top of the bottle. We did not know this & had not checked. I now check all the LJs on the boat & 4 were like this when new.
In Australia we have different regs for different states wrt keeping out of date flares on board. Some states it is strictly verboten. From what I have read and seen if you need to set off flares, you need a bunch of them, out of date or not.
Another great video. I always wondered what happens when you fall overboard with a safety line attached to the front of a pfd? You would be dragged by the boat face forward into the water. How long would a person last when being towed by a boat traveling at 5 knots? Would it not be safer to have a safety line attachment to the back of the pdf so you would be towed on your back with face up out of the water?
That old saying dont get into the life raft it until you have to step up into the life raft! All to often the yacht is found afloat but the life raft is never found...
Absolutely. Panic is deadly.
I could not believe this was 29 minutes. I seemed like a flash. Very good information and well structured.
On the topic of retrieving an MOB: What is your opinion on the MOB livesaver as developed by Duncan Wells? Basically a 3 m loop of dyneema that can be picked up from the boat with a boat hook.
I'm sorry, I haven't come across this, but anything that assists recovery successfully ha to be good news. It's OK to get the boat back to a dummy, but hoisting a genuine casualty on board can be a different matter!
@@TomCunliffeYachtsandYarnsIt is a very good idea to practice retrieving a crew member from the water BEFORE you need to! I am a Master with Volunteer Coastguard in New Zealand (equivalent to an RNLI Coxswain) and we practice recovering and being recovered regularly. It is a good idea for all seafarers to do this.
Boarding ladder must have
And one with a deep enough draft, not just a swimming ladder.
I don't have space or money for a liferaft so I am filling my boat with foam.
By an Etap!
Why on earth do they use the colours green and red, the most common eye problem that only effects men, is colour deficient vision, usually green and red.. Another thing, never leave the boat and into a life raft until it sinks under you unless the thing is on fire, as amply proved by the 1979 Fastnet tragedy..
Red smokes wins
🤗 P r o m o s m!
Tom, did you hear that the Netherlands officials agreed to take down a historic Koningshaven bridge so that self-important Jeff Bezos can have his 417 foot long 3-Masted ship be able to move out into the ocean? Really tired of these people.
YES, THEY ARE TAKING THE CENTRE SECTION OUT... THEN PUTTING BACK, AS WAS... AND JEFF BEZOS, HAS AGREED TO PAY FOR IT ALL.. TERRIBLE
@@petergarbutt9521 Keep fawning over these zillionaires like a fool. Did you add ALL CAPS to accentuate your lame sarcasm? No, we get it, ok?
£400 MILLION+, KEEPS PEOPLE IN A JOB.... ONE OF THE MOST ECOLOGICAL SUPER YACHTS, EVER BUILD, HELPS TO SAVE THE EARTH... I USE CAPITAL LETTERS, SIMPLY SO I CAN READ THEM EASIER, AT MY STAGE IN LIFE... I HAVE WORKED ON AND UNDER THE SEA AND LAND, ALL MY LIFE .... HAVE A LOVLY SAFE LIFE, WHERE EVER YOU GO
This lost me at "the first item is a lifejacket" I think not. Typical salesman flim flam.
A spare bottle of rum or whiskey securely stowed adjacent to the chart table comes a long way before flares lifejackets and plibs whatever they are.
Highly experienced racer Jon Santarelli was lost in the Chicago Mackinac race off the TP52 Imeldi
when his auto-inflate PFD failed to inflate. Coast Guard-approved full buoyancy foam PFDs don't have this vulnerability. cycracetomackinac.com/assets/documents/safety/25Feb19_Imedi_Incident_Report.pdf