Between trips

Some time in May ….

After our last trip we had rather a full car, as we brought home the lifejackets for servicing and the pair of dinette seat cushions as the covers needed a good wash.  Why bring the cushions home you ask, and not just the covers?  Well, having discovered years ago that it’s wise to replace seat cushion covers before they are completely dry in case they have shrunk, and with no washing machine on the boat, it was the only way to make sure I could get them back on again!

 

Not a banana

I’m fairly sure the covers hadn’t shrunk but it was still a struggle getting them back on.  Then they finished drying, a lot easier at home with big radiators!

 

Need to straighten that zip

Then it was time to service the lifejackets.  We had watched a video on how to do it, but had some questions so I emailed the suppliers, Marine Warehouse.  When does the gas bulb need replacing?  And what happens when the date on the cartridge has expired? Here are the answers.

With the cylinder it won't need to be replaced provided it hasn't been fired and isn't corroded in any way.

The Black cartridge has a use by date because it is not guaranteed to work after this time.  It may also fire accidentally. 

So we ordered replacement cartridges and duly fitted them, following the instructional video they supplied.   

 

First check it still inflates!

 

Then you can fit the new cartridge.

And don't forget to screw the gas cyclinder back in properly.  The hardest bit was re-folding and re-packing the yellow inflatable part.  I noticed my whistle had become detached so fixed that back too.

 

When could we get back to the boat?  There was a lot of catch-up work to be done in the garden, and also the small matter of the weather.  I spent several days dodging the spots, not always very successfully and getting quite muddy too.  But with heavy rain and gales, we wouldn’t have been able to leave the marina!

But we arrived today so all's well.