Throwraft has anybody tried one?

[hardee]

Nigil, The Mustang Auto Inflate PFD's I wear on the boat do have a sling (or harness) with a "D" ring. They do not have the under the crotch strap, but do have a substantial waist band with the "D" ring.

As to doing the "throwstick" testing at the FH-CBGT, I think that is a great idea.

Harvey
SleepyC

[gulfcoast john]

Mark, Bob, and Hardee,
Excellent points.
Perhaps I did not make clear that our objection to INFLATABLE PFD’S (including with strong D rings for offshore sailing use to clip onto) is that they do not count for USCG boardings UNLESS YOU ARE WEARING THEM.

We don’t want to wear any inflatable PFD inside the cabin, esp in settled weather.

The relative advantage of the SOLAS approved Type 1 Offshore non-inflatable PFD is that we can attach them to the cockpit ready for instant use and be legal without WEARING it. It has a ‘lifting loop’ permanently attached as shown, but it doesn’t look very impressive for lifting one of us from the bracket with Armstrong ladder down.

https://www.gnarlygorilla.com/Kent-USCGSOLAS-Type-1-Vest--Orange_p_15315.html?campaign=385726187&adgroupid=1168781327133581&content=&keyword=&matchtype=e&device=c&placement=&[value]&feeditemid=&targetid=pla-4576648437231983&adposition=&msclkid=3f934cae246618b4a7f31286ca01ea53&utm_source=bing&utm_medium=cpc&utm_campaign=**LP%20Shopping%20-%20200.01%20-%20300.00&utm_term=4576648437231983&utm_content=G-US-CW49775%20%7C%20Bushnell%20Equinox%20Z%204.5%20x%2040mm%20Digital%20Night%20Vision%20Monocular%20%7C%20%24241

We currently think that for the price difference a SOLAS approved Type 1 Offshore non-inflatable PFD is a reasonable investment compared to a std USCG approved non-inflatable PFD.

Mark, here is your commercially available SOLAS type 1 Offshore non-inflatable PFD with lifting loop. Ours were $53 each from Global Industries with free shipping.

Happy shopping!
John

[rogerbum]

[Marco Flamingo]

I think that the requirement that you must be wearing an inflatable PFD to meet USCG requirements is only in an open boat (or personal watercraft). We wear ours anyway.

We had the belt type inflatables for years and the only problem is that I wouldn't notice that I had it on until I returned to the house. I always had to remember to take it back to the boat. A couple of times I even found that I still had it on at the hardware store. Not uncomfortable.

We later upgraded to the auto-inflate SOSpender type inflatables because they don't require any wrangling around with it once it inflates. I never felt that those were uncomfortable either. Maybe it's like seat belts. People complained about them being uncomfortable for years, but I haven't heard that for more than a decade.

The lifting ring on the SOLAS PFD above is a 15 cent loop of nylon webbing and what might be a better (metal?) buckle on the strap around the chest of the PFD. Nobody is going to wear that PFD around the boat just because it has a lift ring. It would be easy to just replace the plastic buckle with a carabiner and the polypro webbing with nylon on our inflatables. One inch webbing and an inexpensive carabiner has a working load of 1,000#. That should do it.

Mark

[hardee]