Re: [Paddlewise] Dangerous life buoys

From: Gary J. MacDonald <garyj_at_rogers.com>
Date: Tue, 08 Dec 2009 20:16:12 -0500
Travelling around eastern Canada I always find the life jacket bins on ferries 
and check them out.  :-)

All but about one of those I can remember recently have been foam (i.e. square 
block) type with I think one with Kapok --which I regarded as a curiosity.

GaryJ

Craig Jungers wrote:
> 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
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Received on Tue Dec 08 2009 - 17:16:46 PST

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