Lifejackets
Every yacht must carry enough lifejackets for the number of crew on board. One size should fit most adults, but you should take special care when there are children aboard - and make sure that they are life jackets for them with adequate size. Every member of the crew should know where they are and be instructed how to put them on. Many people onlt take lifejacket during the night, or in hard weather but it is a good idea all crew members (especially those that don't know how to swim) wear them all times when on the deck.
International lifejacket regulations
International standard have a number of basic requirements with minor variations.
European regulations:
- a lifejacket must be a distinctive colour.
- the lifejacket should allow freedom of movement on deck and in water, where there should be adequate head movement without interfereing with hearing or breathing.
- donning a lifejacket should be obvious, simple (except for young children who need assistance) and not unduly affected by adverse conditions such as light, cold or wet.
- the means of adjustment must be obvious and easy to carry out to ensure a secure fir. After reading the instructions printed on a lifejacket, the wearer should be able to don and securely adjust it within one minute.
- auto-inflation systems must inflate the lifejacket sufficiently to float the wearer within five seconds of being triggered.
- the force required to operate the pull toggle for the inflator should be between 20 and 120 N (5 to 25 lbs)
- a wearer should be able to leap into the water from a height of up to 1 m without displacing the jacket, casing injury or effecting its performance.
- the lifejacket should provide literal and occipital (back of the head) support so the mouth of a well relaxed individual is held clear of a still water surface with the trunk pf the body inclined backwards
- a life-jacket wearer should be able to swim 10 m and easily climb a 10 vertical ladder
- the wearer must not show any tendency to slip out of the lifejacket while in water.
Lifejacket Buoyancy
Lifejackets with a buoyancy of 150 N (33 lb) are suitable for coastal and offshore uses, 275 N (63 lb) is recommended for a long-distance passage.
Most modern lifejackets are worn with the air chambers deflated to eliminate cumbersome bulk. Inflation is usually a two-stage process with an automatically fired CO2 cylinder (single use). The standard automatic inflation trigger for lifejacket is activated when a salt-water tablet is fully immeresed.
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