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Catalina/Capri 25/250 Sailor's Forums

General Sailing Forum

Safety harness--with or without flotation?

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Gloss
Master Marine Consultant

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USA
1916 Posts

Initially Posted - 07/30/2005 : 11:36:56

Hi there,
After following the thread on jacklines, I checked out West Marine's current sale. They have safety harnesses on sale for about 35 bucks, 20 bucks off. Since the concensus seems to be to adjust your jacklines/tethers so as not to fall off the boat in the first place--How important is it to have an inflatable life/jacket harness combo, which will run you about 175 bucks? I know it's hard to go wrong with having extra safety. What do the big boys use when they are racing or cruising offshore? When I buy this gear, it will have to be a pair, so that's 70 bucks vs 350 bucks, plus jacklines and tethers. Yes, yes, I know, what price is safety, or your life.
But I'm talking practicality, and what actually is more useful.

Frank Gloss
Formerly 89WK/TR
85 Ericson 32-3 shoal draft "Molto Bene"

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Leon Sisson
Master Marine Consultant

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USA
1893 Posts

Response Posted - 07/30/2005 : 13:47:06

Frank G,

I use the W.M./SOSpenders combined inflatable harness along with the 3-shackle dual tether. As mentioned in the jack-line thread, it's important to take into consideration the possibility of finding one's self overboard, still tethered, but unable to get back in the boat (while getting dragged under and/or pounded). In that situation I want to retain the option of popping the loaded shackle at my end of the tether followed by the ripcord on the inflator.

And while I agree that a singlehander's chances of survival in the water out of sight of land aren't good, I'm just the sort of glass-half-full optimist that clings to the belief that one's odds are better if one's head is being suppported by a bright yellow inflated bladder, than if one is relying on treading water to stay alive with or without the weight of a dark blue harness.

Further, I can imagine the possibility one should have hooked on, but didn't, before an accidental jibe put them in the water injured, unconcious, or badly disoriented. More than once I've been so close to that seemingly hypothetical situation that it still gives me the creeps to think about it. For that reason I went with the auto-inflate option. the auto-inflate is easy to temporarily disable by partially unscrewing the bobbin housing until its spring is unloaded. Doing so doesn't affect the ripcord feature.

I find the inflatable harness very comfortable to wear, even in tropical heat. When wearing the harness but not hooked on, I stuff the tether in the belt of the harness to keep it handy without being a tripping hazard.

Oh, and my jacklines are run outside everything, pulpit to pushpit.

-- Leon Sisson

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Champipple
Master Marine Consultant

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USA
6855 Posts

Response Posted - 08/02/2005 : 10:17:02

Here are the pros and cons of the SOSpenders.....

I’ve used them for a number of years, only switching back to a regular jacket last season.

PRO’s

You get the combination harness and Life Jacket and still have mobility
The automatic inflatable feature takes care of you if you are knocked out and go in
The inflation keeps your head out of the water.

Con’s
They run around 1 boat unit
The auto inflates up until a year ago was not covered as an approved PFD, so you have to carry an extra LJ on board. I do not know if the coast guard has changed this. This is kind of stupid b/c the auto inflate is the best reason to have them.
They require maintenance annually, the firing pins and other pieces need to be inspected and changed.
The auto inflate will blow in the rain and it will scare XYZ out of you when your wearing it – (and you aren’t supposed to wear them under foul weather gear. So they aren’t any good in the rain)
The manual inflate string can get hooked on things also causing them to blow.

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Gloss
Master Marine Consultant

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USA
1916 Posts

Response Posted - 08/02/2005 : 12:41:42

Thanks Leon and Duane

I knew that I could count on some smart dudes like you to give some good advice.

I haven't thought of the auto inflate in the rain, and having to inspect it each year.
Right now I'm leaning towards getting two harnesses from West for 35 each on sale
Thanks, Now I have to figure out jacklines.

Edited by - on

cathluk
Admiral

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USA
513 Posts

Response Posted - 08/02/2005 : 15:54:27

I've used both & believe both the inflatables & the harnesses have their place. On my boat i use the inflatable with harness although I rarely use the harness part because I have no binacle & It's hard to find decent useful attachements points for running jacklines on the C250.

On my cruise in Florida about a Hunter 40 this spring I used just a harness & found it MUCH more comfortable than my inflatable/harness combination. Of course the Hunter 40 was a much bigger & more stable boat than my 250 also.

So, on my boat I like the conveinance of the inflatable PFD & it was worth the extra $$ to me to get the harness version. If I were on a bigger more stable boat with good jack lines I might go for harness only.

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tmhansen
Captain

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USA
397 Posts

Response Posted - 08/05/2005 : 00:48:56

On our boat I require the kids to be clipped in when we are outside the breakwater and they want to leave the cockpit. Life is much easier if Dad follows his own rules so I do as well most of the time, at least if there is any wind. We already had the simple harnesses when we bought the boat and a pair of inflateables came with it without harness. So I have to wear both at the same time. I have often wished for a built in harness version and was thinking about the WM sale too but I just had to order a new fuel tank and blew too much $.

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The Officers, Staff and members of this site only provide information based upon the concept that anyone utilizing this information does so at their own risk and holds harmless all contributors to this site.