On Tue, Dec 8, 2009 at 2:55 PM, <tord_at_mindless.com> wrote: > > This is no fun news, but for once Swedish Radio > har made a shocking discovery: > > Almost all life buoys sink! > Kapok. I think I've posted about kapok-filled PFDs here before. Virtually all PFDs on ships and ferries are designs from the 1950s and filled with kapok. Kapok is buoyant until it gets waterlogged; then it sinks. Annual inspections are supposed to detect PFDs which are defective but I'm not sure how well that's done. This is why I had my own Mustang survival coat. Which was not USCG certified in the 1970s but it worked! Moral: if you go on a cruise or a ferry take your own PFD. That should give the passengers a nice feeling. Not as bad as boarding a 747 with your own parachute but almost. :P Craig Jungers Moses Lake, WA www.nwkayaking.net *************************************************************************** PaddleWise Paddling Mailing List - Any opinions or suggestions expressed here are solely those of the writer(s). You must assume the entire responsibility for reliance upon them. All postings copyright the author. Submissions: PaddleWise_at_PaddleWise.net Subscriptions: PaddleWise-request_at_PaddleWise.net Website: http://www.paddlewise.net/ ***************************************************************************Received on Tue Dec 08 2009 - 16:40:39 PST
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