Subject: [Catalina-22] more PFD ?s

From: "Kingsbury's Cyclery" <[email-masked]>
Date: Fri, 15 Jun 2007 09:14:10 -0400

I see many folks raving about the Mustang inflatable PFDs but complaining about the price of them. Anyone out there have experience with the West Marine version which is less than half the price of the Mustang ? I'm a lake sailor who might fall off accidentally or capsize a dinghy, certainly not going to be lost at sea, offshore, for hours or days and plucked to safety by a helicopter. ( I know, water is water, etc, etc )

anyone ?

Paul Kingsbury
Elmira, NY

Ragamuffin
84 swing keel

---

From: "Ken G. Brown" <[email-masked]>
Date: Fri, 15 Jun 2007 07:41:48 -0600

I concluded that the hydrostatic inflatable ones were better than the ones that use the dissolvable pills. Less accidental inflation, longer time between checkups.
What does the West Marine one you are referring to use?
Can you provide a link to it?

Ken

Ken G. Brown, Leduc, Alberta, Canada
1988 C22 Swing Keel #14764 - CTYH4764F888 - Sail# 103

--

---

From: Glenn Warner <[email-masked]>
Date: Fri, 15 Jun 2007 09:40:07 -0400

Paul, I am sure the WM vest is fine.  I do have a SOS which I think  
makes the WM model.  The big difference is the activator on the  
Mustang versus everybody else.  Everybody else has a bobbin that  
dissolves in water to activate the auto inflate.  It must be serviced  
regularly and is prone to inappropriate inflation.  The Mustang  
inflator is activated by pressure and is basically maint. free and  
less prone to accidental inflation.  One downside to inflatables is  
that they must be maintained.  The bobbin type inflator may do you  
fine but just be sure to do regular maint. or it may just weigh you  
down when (not if) you go in the water instead of inflating.  I  
disarmed my auto inflate mechanism on mine and left it as manual  
inflate only.  I have since switched to a non-inflating vest of which  
there are many made for kayaking and dingy sailing that are very un- 
restricting.  Remember inflatables must be worn to be counted in your  
inventory of pfds.

Glenn Warner
Goblin#10369
JuJu#1222
Jacksonville Florida
On Jun 15, 2007, at 9:14 AM, Kingsbury's Cyclery wrote:

> I see many folks raving about the Mustang inflatable PFDs but  
> complaining about the price of them. Anyone out there have  
> experience with the West Marine version which is less than half the  
> price of the Mustang ? I'm a lake sailor who might fall off  
> accidentally or capsize a dinghy, certainly not going to be lost at  
> sea, offshore, for hours or days and plucked to safety by a  
> helicopter. ( I know, water is water, etc, etc )
>
> anyone ?
>
> Paul Kingsbury
> Elmira, NY
>
> Ragamuffin
> 84 swing keel
>

---

From: Glenn Warner <[email-masked]>
Date: Fri, 15 Jun 2007 10:38:42 -0400

Mine is pretty old and I doubt they still make the same model.  It  
uses the bobbin which is why I disarmed it.  It was made to work  
either in auto or manual mode.  Because of the kind of sailing I do  
on other boats(fordeck, aka "the wet spot")I was not comfortable with  
the possibility of accidental inflation so I disarmed it.  If I were  
to buy another one I would definitly spend the bucks for the  
hydrostatic inflator.  That being said, I am happy with my non  
inflating vest and think you should try a few of the better ones of  
these on befor ebuying inflatable.

Glenn Warner
Goblin#10369
JuJu#1222
Jacksonville Florida
On Jun 15, 2007, at 9:41 AM, Ken G. Brown wrote:

> I concluded that the hydrostatic inflatable ones were better than  
> the ones that use the dissolvable pills. Less accidental inflation,  
> longer time between checkups.
>> experience with the West Marine version which is less than half  
>> the price of the Mustang ? I'm a lake sailor who might fall off  
>> accidentally or capsize a dinghy, certainly not going to be lost  
>> at sea, offshore, for hours or days and plucked to safety by a

---

From: "Kingsbury's Cyclery" <[email-masked]>
Date: Fri, 15 Jun 2007 10:35:51 -0400

http://www.westmarine.com/webapp/wcs/stores/servlet/ProductDisplay?storeId=10001&langId=-1&catalogId=10001&classNum=12387&subdeptNum=106&storeNum=8&productId=249853

----- Original Message ----- 
From: "Ken G. Brown" <[email-masked]>
To: <[email-masked]>
Sent: Friday, June 15, 2007 9:41 AM
Subject: Re: [Catalina-22] more PFD ?s

>I concluded that the hydrostatic inflatable ones were better than the ones 
>that use the dissolvable pills. Less accidental inflation, longer time 
>between checkups.
>>I see many folks raving about the Mustang inflatable PFDs but complaining 
>>about the price of them. Anyone out there have experience with the West 
>>Marine version which is less than half the price of the Mustang ? I'm a 
>>lake sailor who might fall off accidentally or capsize a dinghy, certainly 
>>not going to be lost at sea, offshore, for hours or days and plucked to 
>>safety by a helicopter. ( I know, water is water, etc, etc )
>>
>>anyone ?
>>
>>Paul Kingsbury
>>Elmira, NY
>>
>>Ragamuffin
>>84 swing keel
>
>
> -- 
>

---

From: "Dennis, Jim" <[email-masked]>
Date: Fri, 15 Jun 2007 10:45:11 -0400

I bought the 4000 series WM inflatable a couple years ago.  I have never
inflated it, so I don't really know how well it works, but it SEEMS
good.  It is made by Sterns for West Marine and an old Practical Sailor
like the Sterns' vests.

I would recommend buying one with the D ring harness.  You never know
when you really need to be tied to something... like your boat.  Plus,
if you are going to spend that much, just spend a little more for the
extra security.

Jim

-----Original Message-----
From: [email-masked] [mailto:[email-masked]]
On Behalf Of Kingsbury's Cyclery
Sent: Friday, June 15, 2007 10:36 AM
To: [email-masked]
Subject: Re: [Catalina-22] more PFD ?s

http://www.westmarine.com/webapp/wcs/stores/servlet/ProductDisplay?store
Id=10001&langId=-1&catalogId=10001&classNum=12387&subdeptNum=106&storeNu
m=8&productId=249853

----- Original Message -----
From: "Ken G. Brown" <[email-masked]>
To: <[email-masked]>
Sent: Friday, June 15, 2007 9:41 AM
Subject: Re: [Catalina-22] more PFD ?s

>>I see many folks raving about the Mustang inflatable PFDs but
complaining