Chichester Yacht Club Magazine June 2018 | Page 21

Check your Lifejacket - Your life may depend on it . By Kate Williamson
Richard and I took advantage of the excellent Lifejacket check with the RNLI in April . It proved quite an eye opener . Here are few key things to check :
1 . Do an initial visual inspection of the outside . If there are any patches on the Lifejacket DO NOT USE . If the exterior is showing signs of fraying or ‘ bubbling ’ away from the interior bladder you cannot be certain that the lifejacket bladder is sound without blowing it up orally , and leaving it overnight to check it retains its air . ( If it does not retain air DO NOT USE ).
2 . Feel the gas canister from the outside . If the canister feels lose , you will need to open the lifejacket to check it . DO THIS EVEN IF THE LIFEJACKET IS NEW . In new life jackets the canister is often only screwed in loosely . If it is an older lifejacket they can work loose over time .
3 . Does the lifejacket have a crotch strap ? Without this strap the lifejacket will inflate and pull over your head . If your lifejacket has no crotch strap - get one !
4 . Check to see if the gas canister is still ok . If the canister is leaking , it will not have the correct weight . ( The weight is stamped on the outside . Compare it with the weight of the canister when on the kitchen scales ).
5 . Check the firing pin / trigger mechanism . This does go out of date . We had our “ guest ” lifejackets checked . They were two years out of date and have now been replaced .
6 . Check if the gas canister is corroding . If it is only slight corrosion , then clean it off and protect the canister with Vaseline .
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