CO'2 inflatable boat flotation...

[acarter92]

I talked to someone yesterday that had an "interesting" idea....

He said why don't they make an "inflatable life jacket" for boats. It would go somewhere on the deck (in the center I guess) and would inflate a big "air bag" that would keep the boat afloat if it was to start sinking...

Just curious what everybody thinks on this. I suppose it would work on smaller boats without positive flotation, say... under 30 feet.

Austin

 

[smokeonthewater]

Re: CO'2 inflatable boat flotation...

the inflating bag could be fatal to persons on deck.....

your life jacket will keep you afloat and a good ins policy will make you happy the boat sank

 

[H20Rat]

Re: CO'2 inflatable boat flotation...

cost and safety... As the post above mentioned, it could easily be fatal to anyone near it. Also, you are talking about a substantial amount of gas to inflate that. That will require fairly heavy high pressure cylinders that must be corrosion proof, protected from damage, but yet also serviceable. A good life jacket to go along with the insurance policy is a far better idea!

 

[acarter92]

Re: CO'2 inflatable boat flotation...

All good points, and I agree... Plus, once a boat has been flooded it's probably shot anyways...

Austin

 

[nwcove]

Re: CO'2 inflatable boat flotation...

a real life raft would probably take up less room than the gas cyl that would be required to inflate something large enough to keep a day cruiser afloat.

 

[glenn property of pam]

Re: CO'2 inflatable boat flotation...

it could be done as pontoons that inflate down the side of the boat and the gas bottle wouldnt have to be all that big as they could be filled using a jet nozzle where the high pressure gas also sucks in outside air like they do on aircraft slides. but that only covers sinking so you would need a pop up pole with another bag to self right a boat in case you flipped it etc etc. unless you plan to do something that could sink a boat (racing boat) i dont see any market for it.

 

[H20Rat]

Re: CO'2 inflatable boat flotation...

unless you plan to do something that could sink a boat (racing boat) i dont see any market for it.

even in the racing market it would never work. For the DIY garage racers, the system would be too expensive, given the very rare odds of sinking a boat in those classes. For the pro guys who can afford to sink a boat, the weight penalty is a much larger problem.

 

[MH Hawker]

Re: CO'2 inflatable boat flotation...

It has been done and is a after market add on. I saw it several years ago but don't have any sort of a link right off hand.

 

[Georgesalmon]

Re: CO'2 inflatable boat flotation...

Right, it has been done by the US Navy. I saw something like that years ago when I went to visit the Navy Seals to quote on a boat they wanted bids to build for them. It was mounted above the boat on a tower.

 

[EddiePetty]

Re: CO'2 inflatable boat flotation...

....our V-20 already has a port side Bag-of-Air!

 

[UncleWillie]

Re: CO'2 inflatable boat flotation...

...why don't they make an "inflatable life jacket" for boats...

A major issue is the the system is NOT inherently buoyant.
One small hole or tear and all your flotation is gone.
The system would need to inflated, tested and repacked at least once a year.
Most people are not going to be willing to go through the hassle.

I wear a class V PFD on nice calm days just as a security blanket.
But as soon as the seas start to look threatening; it is swapped out for a much more reliable Type III.
The Type III will still float with a 3 inch hole in it.