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Random Quote: A superior boater uses his superior judgement to avoid situations requiring his superior skills.
What does the Coast Guard require for life preservers when fishing in the ocean? Type II are suppose to be fine when near shore. Type I are for offshore. What exactly is offshore? How many miles? Which do I need? Type II are only about $5 each. Type I are about $30.
How about SCREW what the Coast Guard says. Wouldn't you want the best life presever to pretect your life? $5 or $30....thats a difference of $25, whats that, a case of beer!!
medman,
I couldn't agree with Birdman more. Spend the few extra bucks extra and get the type I's.
It would be very difficult to kick yourself in the ass for going cheap on the jackets if you ever found yourself in the drink bobbing up and down with a $6.00 piece of crap jacket on.
God forbid you would ever be in this position to need them.
Skrimp the few bucks somewhere else but not on the life jackets.
Just the thought of knowing you have the good ones is more then worth the cost difference.
Ever since last weekend some of my aquaintences were lost offshore-and not found to this very day, I vow to be more safety conciouss then ever before. I always considered my self a safe boater, but from this past weekend on I will take safety on my boat to new levels.
I will replace all the $ 6.00 shit life preservers on the boat with the better ones. Also even though I already have a Mustang flotation coat, I will buy additional coats for crew.
In addition to all of the above I also intend to buy a GPIRB and a life raft.
So who cares, it's a couple grand, but it's probably the wisest couple grand that I will ever spend. Both pieces of equiptment will be purchases which I will carry over to my next boat.
That boat you guys spoke of which was lost off LI, it was docked only about 200 yards away from my boat. When they got back from a trip their boat would cut across my docked boat's bow. I remember that boat for many years, and will continue to remember her and her crew. It's an eerie feeling to know that you saw a boat that would eventually carry 4 people to thier deaths.
A feeling I want to avoid.
1988 Grady White Sailfish 252
Twin Mercruiser 470's
Raytheon 16 NM Radar
Standard Spectrum VHF
Standard GPS CP 150
Hummingbird 3-D Sounder
Si-Tex CVS 103 (Sounder)
NorthStar Loran
Lee Jr Outriggers
10 Coats of Varnish on all Teak.
Mint Condition!
The way I look at it is that I want a good life preserver for myself and since my crew always comes first I make sure that I have enough of the good stuff so that there will be one left over for me.
Capt Alex - I know that eerie feeling. We were entered in HA tournament but bowed out on forecast. We fish out of JI and I don't think I will ever forget last weekend when passing the jetty.
EPIRB and offshore jackets (already had the Mustang bombers) were my Christmas present. Now going to add a small strobe and whistle to each one. Throw a jacket overboard in a 3' chop and see how hard it is to find....
After reading that Eleni Mayday call lasted less then a minute thinking hard about a ditch bag - I have backup handheld/waterproof VHF and GPS, but they are often stowed in the cabin. Thinking a ditch bag is a better spot for them, and maybe a few inflatable PFDs in there also.
While I'm not technically correct I would define 'offshore' as any part of the Ocean or Great Lakes. A place where you might get into trouble where there is not a safe harbor nearby, or where aid is not immediately available... I would definately have a strobe light and a whistle attached to each Type I vest. A Type I vest will keep your head above water even if your knocked out. [img]/infopop/emoticons/icon_frown.gif[/img]
Well a Ditch bag is something I already have on my boat, although Friday, I'll be re-doing it. I am going to buy a new bag and fill it full of extra life preservers, bottled water, some non-spoiling food (some rations my hunter friends take with them when they go into the woods for weeks at a time), mirrors, extra flares, today I already bought the heavy duty flare gun and kit (the $150.00 one), handheld VHF, GPS etc, etc.
Also I'm making a 15 foot long lenghth of rope with handles tied into it, so that if we ever have to ditch, the entire crew could grab a hold and stay with the ditchbag, EPIRB, get into the life raft and be safe, or as safe as possible.
It's an really eerie feeling knowing that you saw that boat on so many occasions, with her crew. When you reflect on this it's very sad, to know that she would one day leave her dock for the very last time, her crew would toss her dock lines down for the last time, shw would pass my boat for the very last time- takiung her crew with her.
After this weekend I won't be screwin around.
1988 Grady White Sailfish 252
Twin Mercruiser 470's
Raytheon 16 NM Radar
Standard Spectrum VHF
Standard GPS CP 150
Hummingbird 3-D Sounder
Si-Tex CVS 103 (Sounder)
NorthStar Loran
Lee Jr Outriggers
10 Coats of Varnish on all Teak.
Mint Condition!
Cptn Alex... The rope is a great idea and I have always had one in my ditch bag. How many times have we heard about a boat going down and four people go into the water but only one or two get found. It would be extremely important to me to bring back ALL of my crew so I want a rope to keep them together. I would hate to be telling a friends wife that he was with us when night fell but must have drifted off later.
