JoLin
Vice Admiral
- Joined
- Aug 18, 2007
- Messages
- 5,146
For those who aren't in the water yet (or even if you are), have you gone through all your safety-related equipment and made sure it's all up to date and working? I expect to be in within about the next week, so I started hauling stuff out of the basement.
I need to check my 4 fire extinguishers (they're on the boat) to make sure they're all 'full' and the chemicals inside move when I shake them.
I inflated (by mouth) my 2 auto-inflate vests. They're sitting on the couch while I confirm they don't lose any air. I bought them new last season. I won't need to replace the CO2 catridges for another year or 2. I inspected the other PFD's for damage (including the buckles), mildew, etc. Every PFD has an attached whistle, and I just made a mental note to price some strobe lights to attach to them, too. Keep meaning to do that, and keep forgetting...
Inventoried my audible signalling devices. In addition to the boat's electric horn, I keep 2 'can of air' horns and several whistles aboard, too.
My signal flares (both hand-held and 12-gauge) are all current. I bought them last year and they won't expire until 2014. I have several signal flags, too.
I keep a bunch of expired flares in Ziplock bags, inside an old red tackle box. If they stay dry, they'll work damned near forever. Last summer I decided to light off a couple in my backyard (technically illegal, btw) for the simple reason that I'd never done it before, and I wanted to make sure I could without setting myself or the boat on fire. So, that was in 2011- I used a couple of flares that had EXPIRED in 1989 (that made them 25 years old and 22 years expired) and they worked fine.
Your local US Power Squadron will do a courtesy safety inspection for you just for the asking. They'll go over every CG-required item and make sure it's working. If anything isn't up to par, they'll simply let you know so you can fix it. When you pass, you get an adhesive sticker/certificate that just might keep local LE off your butt.
Be safe, be happy- have a great boating season!
I need to check my 4 fire extinguishers (they're on the boat) to make sure they're all 'full' and the chemicals inside move when I shake them.
I inflated (by mouth) my 2 auto-inflate vests. They're sitting on the couch while I confirm they don't lose any air. I bought them new last season. I won't need to replace the CO2 catridges for another year or 2. I inspected the other PFD's for damage (including the buckles), mildew, etc. Every PFD has an attached whistle, and I just made a mental note to price some strobe lights to attach to them, too. Keep meaning to do that, and keep forgetting...
Inventoried my audible signalling devices. In addition to the boat's electric horn, I keep 2 'can of air' horns and several whistles aboard, too.
My signal flares (both hand-held and 12-gauge) are all current. I bought them last year and they won't expire until 2014. I have several signal flags, too.
I keep a bunch of expired flares in Ziplock bags, inside an old red tackle box. If they stay dry, they'll work damned near forever. Last summer I decided to light off a couple in my backyard (technically illegal, btw) for the simple reason that I'd never done it before, and I wanted to make sure I could without setting myself or the boat on fire. So, that was in 2011- I used a couple of flares that had EXPIRED in 1989 (that made them 25 years old and 22 years expired) and they worked fine.
Your local US Power Squadron will do a courtesy safety inspection for you just for the asking. They'll go over every CG-required item and make sure it's working. If anything isn't up to par, they'll simply let you know so you can fix it. When you pass, you get an adhesive sticker/certificate that just might keep local LE off your butt.
Be safe, be happy- have a great boating season!
