Lifesling and MOB Strobe

[Bene505]

(SN wouldn't let me post this in Gear and Maintenance, So I'm posting here. Mods, please feel free to move this. -- Brad)

I recently got a Lifesling and a SM-2 strobe, in case of a night-time COB/MOB.



Does anyone have a good description on how to mount them together on the pushpit?

I plan to have a floating line connect them - a line short enough to help keep it out of the prop. What I can't picture is how to install them so that it's easy to get them both out and thrown to a crew member.

Anyone have pictures of a good installation?

Regards,
Brad

Kudos to BillyRuffin' for suggest these product to me. I think the pictures that I took last spring are on a now-defunct PC.

[erps]

I have similar gear. I have a COB pole tied to a horseshoe buoy. I have a small light attached to the pole. The idea for me is when crew goes overboard, deploy the pole and horseshoe buoy to preserve the person's life and make it easier to locate them then use the lifesling later to bring them back on board. I'm leaving it up to the person in the water to turn on the light on the pole. IMO, I would mount your strobe light to a throw buoy rather than your lifesling.

[jackdale]

Good advice - strobe attached to throw buoy. The only thing I would add is that the strobe should self-ignite. The ones that turn on when upright work well.

When teaching "adventure courses", I ask students to wear a strobe.

[JohnRPollard]

Originally Posted by Bene505

(SN wouldn't let me post this in Gear and Maintenance, So I'm posting here. Mods, please feel free to move this. -- Brad)

Huh?

Nothing wrong with here I suppose. But I'm curious what prevented you from using G&M. Are you saying it wouldn't let you start a thread? Weird.

P.S. I might try moving it to see what happens.

P.P.S. Okay, in G&M now. Still wondering why it wouldn't let you post where you wanted....

[Bene505]

Originally Posted by JohnRPollard

Huh?

Nothing wrong with here I suppose. But I'm curious what prevented you from using G&M. Are you saying it wouldn't let you start a thread? Weird.

P.S. I might try moving it to see what happens.

P.P.S. Okay, in G&M now. Still wondering why it wouldn't let you post where you wanted....

It works now. Must be one of those stray electron things. Neutron hitting the keyboard wrong. Bug flapping around the vacuum tubes.

[Bene505]

Originally Posted by jackdale

Good advice - strobe attached to throw buoy. The only thing I would add is that the strobe should self-ignite. The ones that turn on when upright work well.

When teaching "adventure courses", I ask students to wear a strobe.

Yes, the SM-2 does that, with a gravity switch of some sort. The weight of the battery at one end (inside the tube) flips the tube in the water to strobe-side up. That turns it on. It works when flipped around by hand.

One piece of homework left to do is test to make sure it doesn't sink. Apparently some battery types are heavier than others. Not expecting a problem, but if you see some guy down at the shore throwing a strobe into the frigid salt water up here, it's just me making sure it all works.

So it's strobe tied to a throwable (pole, buoy) and keep the lifesling for getting the crew back on.

erps -- I don't have a COB pole yet. I guess I'll have to add that to my shopping list. Did you put a drogue on the pole to keep it from rocketing downwind in a blow?

Regards,
Brad

[sailingdog]

Seat to keyboard interface problems... it's all Bene505's fault.

Brad—

Don't recommend that you attach that strobe to the lifesling. I would recommend getting a much smaller, water activated strobe for the lifesling. Use the bigger, easier to spot strobe for the MOB pole. The reason for this is simple... most times the person in the water doesn't swim to the lifesling—they're not supposed to. You're supposed to bring the lifesling to them. Knowing where they are is far more important than knowing where the lifesling is, since it will generally be following your boat's path through the water.

[erps]

No, the pole doesn't have a drogue on it and I hadn't given much thought about how much it would be set by wind. I was more concerned about the horseshoe buoy, which does have a small drogue on it, and is attached by a length of line to the pole. Darn it, now you've created more homework for me to do.

[Bene505]

If the drogue is tied to the horseshoe buoy and the horseshoe buoy is tied to the pole, then the dogue is actually tied to the pole, right? So no worries.

How big a drogue is needed?

[Bene505]

Originally Posted by sailingdog

Seat to keyboard interface problems... it's all Bene505's fault.

Brad—

Don't recommend that you attach that strobe to the lifesling. I would recommend getting a much smaller, water activated strobe for the lifesling. Use the bigger, easier to spot strobe for the MOB pole. The reason for this is simple... most times the person in the water doesn't swim to the lifesling—they're not supposed to. You're supposed to bring the lifesling to them. Knowing where they are is far more important than knowing where the lifesling is, since it will generally be following your boat's path through the water.

Excellent explanation! Somebody +1 Dog for me, (Use the above his post.) It wouldn't let me give him another one. (I got Erps and Jack this time.)

So glad I asked the question. I can just see it, not being able to see the COB because the only strobe was tied to the boat and kept flashing in our eyes.

Regards,
Brad