Boat Safety Information Page - Welcome!
Welcome to our Info Page for Safety at Sea. As responsible water users, we are all aware of the dangers and risks faced when out on the water, and the responsibility we have to our crew and guests to ensure that their experience os safe and enjoyable.
Our range of safety equipment can be browsed by clicking the links below, or read on to learn a bit more about the various items of safety kit featured.
Lifejackets & Buoyancy Aids
Lifejacket Accessories
First Aid Equipment
Harnesses, Lifelines & Rescue lines
LifeBuoys & Man-Overboard
Liferafts & Accessories
Flares
Radar Reflectors & Accessories
Proper planning and preparation is essential for any trip, however short, and this will provide the biggest safety net of all but even the most fastidious & experienced of sailors will more likely than not encounter a situation at some point in time.
Safety at sea is best split into 2 main areas, Preventative and Rescue. Preventative safety measures will include a proper plan of your trip, including significant areas where difficulty may b e experienced, and likely ports and boltholes should any situations arise. Similarly, your boat should be in fit condition for your trip, not only checking that engines and sails etc. are well maintained and checked, but ensuring crew are aware of their responsibilities, the location of emergency equipment and how to use it. Such information will not only help you if any situations arise, but also give your crew & guests confidence that you have put their safety foremost & they are actively invovled in maintaining it. Finally make sure boat has the required items to enable you to effectively navigate and make safe passage. Consider fitting a radar Reflector to enhance your visibility to larger ships and commercial traffic, and of course, if passagemaking at night, ensure all your navigation lights work and carry spare bulbs and torches for emergencies.
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Lifejacket Information
Lifejackets are essential marine wear from experienced sailor, to novice deck-hand.
Life-jackets are available for babies, toddlers, children, teenagers and adults and all conform to CE regulations. We stock most major brands including Plastimo, Crewsaver, Spinlock and Seago, from the basic closed cell foam versions to manual and automatic inflation models, with and without harnesses.
Click here to view our range of lifejackets
Lifejackets come in various styles, colours and combinations. All offer self-righting properties to float you face up if you are knocked unconscious for any reason, and all are checked and approved to CE standards, Browse through our selection and if you need assistance in selecting a suitable product, don't hesitate to contact us via the usual channels.
Choose you lifejacket carefully and ensure that it has all the features you will need. Also consider comfort as a factor as you are less likley to want to wear an uncomfortable lifejacket and are therefore more likley to be wearing a comfortable one when you need it.
Buoyancy - all adult lifejacket have a minimum buoyance of around 150N, more than adequate to keep an adult person afloat in general conditions
We thoroughly recommend a look at our incredible Offer on the SPINLOCK DECKVEST which Spinlock have created to offer maximum comfort and the highest level of safety.
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Buoyancy aids Information
Buoyancy Aids are different from Lifejackets in as much as they do not have the buoyancy or lifesaving capabilities that Lifejackets must have to be classed as such. Buoyancy aids will not self-right an unconscious or immobilised person and are only designed to provide additional floatation in the marine environment - not completely support a person in foul conditions.
Browse our selection of Buoyancy Aids
Buoyancy Aids come in all shapes and sizes but generally are constructed of close-cell foam or similar buoyant material covered with comfortable fabric such as nylon or neoprene. Although slightly restrictive, they are very comfortable to wear and add a degree of impact protection - useful for those indulging in watersport activities!
Although they should never be used as lifejackets, they offer an additional degree of safety to any water user that is not a strong swimmer, or where they are likely to spend a long time in the water. Designed to be used in the water as much as out of it, they are essential items of kit for all those getting wet in the water.
Look out for specialist buoyancy aids for Kayakers (extra fredom of movement), PWC users, Skiers and boarders (high impact capability).
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Liferaft information
Strangely enough, a lot of boat-owners only ever consider the purchase of a liferaft when contemplating safety lists provided by surveyors, often in the course of having a boat coded or to comply with insurance stipulations. The simple fact is, if you are going to use your boat in open coastal waters, and have the space on board, then the acquisition of a liferaft should be seen as a necessity to any responsible boat-owner.
Selection of Liferafts available
The selection of your liferaft will depend on many factors, but a good starting point is the maximum number of people that would need to use it. This of course depends on the capacity of your boat, but you should realistically consider an optimum number, as they will not work properly if used by more than the specified number of people, and similarly, 2 or 3 persons in a 10-man raft would again jeopoardise its efficiency.
All Liferafts we offer have automatic inflation when thrown into the water.
Once the raft size has been determined, the next main option is how and where the raft will be stored. Two main types are available, the container or canister version, and the valise type. The canister type are well protected by a hard outer shell which gives additional protection and the ability to store the unit on deck. With proper brackets and straps, these can also be mounted so that they are automatically deployed if a vessel is sinking. Alternatively, if deck space is at a premium, and weight and transport of the unit are factors, a valise style may prove beneficial, and almost certainly cheaper...
Once you have decided the capacity and whether you require a valise or canister style unit, the choices get a little more confusing. Obviously there is a choice of manufacturer, and various suppliers may offer particular advantages in performance or equipment, though usually the most important features and compliance with regulations are denoted by their relative conformities and labelling (ISO/ISAF/ORC/SOLAS).
Other factors to bear in mind when making your decision are as follows:
Ease of rescue - depending on your cruising grounds and anticipated use of your boat - will you require the ability to sustain the people on board for minutes, hours or days? This will affect the type of raft you may purchase, though more often than not, additional equipment and bags are available to upgrade the status of your raft, as long as the basic features are there.
Regulations - If you are considering or going through the Coding process or any other regulatory authority approval, you will probably be aware of the requirements you need. Essentially, the equipment and construction of the liferaft will be approved to a specific level, usually ISO (9650-1 & 9650-2) or SOLAS B, with additional equipment necessary for units where survival capabilities for more than 24 hours are needed. It is of course needless to say that the more equipment you have the better equipped you are to deal with situations, but consider not only the cost of purchasing, but that of servicing, weight & usefulness of the items you carry.
Hopefully, a liferaft is one of those things you would rather have and never need than need and not have, but it's re-assurance and capabilities are worth it's purchase price.
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