Ridiculous Question re Horseshoe Lifebuoy

[pinnache]

Hi there folks, I have just purchased the plastimo horseshoe lifebuoy and I have a ridiculous question....

There is a plastic hook on one end of the buoy and a loop on the other end...now which do I attach to the strob and which one do I attach to a hauling line...I can't believe that there are no set up pictures or instructions on line, but I am in no doubt that someone here will willingly help

CJ

[Pete7]

Excellent question, can also add what is the user supposed to do with it once its landed in the water beside them?

Pete

[delmarrey]

Here............... The horseshoe is not as good as the lifesling. You can not lift a person from the water but are the same while in the water.

A recognized method of rescuing a person overboard
The Lifesling method of recovering a person from the water was developed by the Sailing Foundation



The Lifesling is designed both to “retrieve” a swimmer and to hoist him or her back aboard.
in Seattle, Washington. It is particularly useful on sailboats manned by two people because it enables one person to do all the rescuing.The Lifesling consists of a buoyant padded sling, or yoke, that goes under a victim’s armpits and allows him or her to be hoisted aboard with a tackle. The sling is attached to a long floating line that is made fast to the boat at the stern. Both sling and line are stowed in a semirigid pouch fastened to the stern pulpit.The Lifesling is quick and easy to use. When someone falls overboard, you simply rip open the Velcro closure on top of the pouch and throw the sling into the water. The line typically feeds itself out of the pouch but may need a little help at first. When all the line has run out, simply sail or motor the boat in tight circles around the victim until he or she can reach the sling. As soon as the victim is safely in the sling, you should halt the boat: stop the motor and drop the sails. Then gently haul the victim in to the side of the boat and cleat the line so that the victim’s head is kept clear of the water.Prepare a halyard and then winch the victim up and over the side; or, if necessary, use a four-part tackle taken to a winch. The tackle should be slung from a halyard set 10 to 15 feet (3 to 4.5 m) above deck, depending on the size of your boat. The sling is designed to support the victim safely while he or she is being hoisted out of the water.A four-part purchase may be stowed in the Lifesling pouch, ready for an emergency, or you may be able to use your boom vang if it’s equipped at either end with quick-release snap shackles.See also Crew Overboard; Figure-Eight Method; Quick-Stop Method.

[Pete7]

I am 5'9 and 90kgs. There is no way I can fit into the standard horse shoe life ring, the best I could hope for is to hold on to it. Agreed the life sling would be better.

BTW way our main sheet has two snap hooks top and bottom. (Our main is small enough to get away with 350kg SWL hooks). Inverting the the main sheet gives me a 4:1 winch off the end of the boom. Will it work? don't know, but its an option.

CJ, just be aware that they don't seem to last well stored in the sun, couple of years for us.

Pete

[pinnache]

I would be inclinded to agree on the benfits of teh sling in being able to actually hoist aboard, and I have both for the boat, however I was simply amazed at the lack of joined up thinking or instruction that went into the design and selling of the horseshoe.

Now don't take me for a dummy I have about 12 yeasr experience in swift water rescue from rivers etc so I went into the workshop and had a think about this strange sailing device and this is what I have come up with.

I took out the crap white polyprop line with the silly plastic clip from the horsehoe and replaced it with 10mm orange floating line with a 2 ton breaking strain. I fed this the whole way around the horseshoe. At one end I have left about 2 foot of line which I attached to the strobe with two figure of eight stopper knots. At the other end of the horsehoe I tied another stoper knot to prevent strain on the line pulling the line taut around the permimiter of the buoy. After this stopper knot runs 50ft of line to a small black drawstring bag and through the bottom of this bag will run the line to a secure point on the boat.

Depolyment will be thow the horseshoe and strobe....50 ft of line will pay out from the bag and the whole rig will be secured to the boat at a string point.

What do you think?

I will send pics soon

[Pete7]

We had a previous boat coded for charter work. One of the requirements was a horse shoe with 18m throwing line attached. The other horse shoe nhad to have a light fitted.

Pete

[barnakiel]

Improvise?