We have three sets of PFD’s aboard Barefoot Gal: our inflatable ones with integrated harnesses for use underway, cheap orange horse collar ones that stay in the dinghy, and then the “small boat” zip-up-the-front ones that we use for paddleboarding or if we take the dinghy in nasty conditions.
The inflatables stay near the companionway door and the orange ones in the dinghy. But where should we keep the ones for the SUP? (The same question would apply if you have kids aboard that have to wear PFDs in the dinghy — or if you wear one in the dinghy.)
At first, we were keeping them on our guest bed. But I soon realized that the PFDs often got wet in salt water – even if we rinsed them and hung them out to dry before putting them away, they were still putting salt on that bed, and then it would attract water, mold and mildew.
We’ve been on a mission to eradicate mildew and mildew attractants on the boat this winter – it’s been really humid. And I suddenly realized that those life jackets were a big contributor to the mildew in that aft cabin.
I started looking for a better place to keep the PFDs. Everywhere that I looked in the boat was going to have the same problem of putting salt in the boat.
Then it hit me – why not hang them under the solar panel on our dinghy davits? They’re protected from the sun for most of the day (I took that picture about 15 minutes after sunrise so that they could be seen), dry out in the wind and the salt stays out of the boat. All three of ours (yes, Paz has a PFD for paddleboarding) have plastic clip latches as well as zippers, so I’m not worried about them blowing away. We’ve kept them there underway on coastal hops – if we were going offshore or crossing the Gulf Stream, I’d remove them – and we put them inside when bad squalls were forecast for our anchorage.
Keeping them outside 99% of the time results in far less salt on the bed and a lot less mildew. I’ve really been surprised at how much less damp it is on that bed (I washed the bedding after moving the PFDs to get the salt out of it) and how much better it smells.
Added bonus: they’re easy to grab when we want them and it’s easy to hang them up when we get off the paddleboard!
No davits? Just the other day I saw a boat that had sewn mesh pockets into the underside of their bimini to hold life jackets. That’d work too!
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Carolyn Shearlock has lived aboard full-time for 17 years, splitting her time between a Tayana 37 monohull and a Gemini 105 catamaran. She’s cruised over 14,000 miles, from Pacific Mexico and Central America to Florida and the Bahamas, gaining firsthand experience with the joys and challenges of life on the water.
Through The Boat Galley, Carolyn has helped thousands of people explore, prepare for, and enjoy life afloat. She shares her expertise as an instructor at Cruisers University, in leading boating publications, and through her bestselling book, The Boat Galley Cookbook. She is passionate about helping others embark on their liveaboard journey—making life on the water simpler, safer, and more enjoyable.
Larry Whited says
I’m glad to hear that you use the PFD’s. So many don’t. My wife can attest that my rule is firm, boat doesn’t move until the PFD’s are on. Good article. Thanks
Dave Skolnick (S/V Auspicious) says
Your topic is a specific example of what is a general rule on Auspicious. We have storage for clean, dirty, and wet. Clean is stored in the boat and never taken into the cockpit (I’m talking about cushions and throws, not plates and flatware). Dirty is either in the engine room (oil changing “stuff”) or in cockpit lockers, in either case generally inside storage (boxes or bags). Wet is outside or in the shower; our head with shower is at the base of the companionway (which is where God intended – this is truly a religious issue) and where we peel off PFDs and foulies underway and store outside cushions when appropriate.
Carolyn Shearlock says
Unfortunately, we can’t use the shower that way — it’s the area in front of the toilet on Barefoot Gal! So we have to be a little more creative . . .
Evan says
I’ve been a reader/follower the Boat Galley for the past couple of years, loving your tips and suggestions. However, this one is the first one I found to be not so good. I appreciate the goal in keeping the salon and berths mildew free. However the “added bonus: they’re easy to grab when we want them…” seems to apply to those non-crew members (i.e. thieves) who are tempted, too, to “grab them when they want them.” Plus it looks like you are permanently doing laundry. Not so nice.
Carolyn Shearlock says
Right now, we’re not in a high-theft area . . . if we were, our thoughts might change. Many boats may have a better place to store “daily use” PFDs — our previous boat did — but for those who don’t, this might be a solution. Not everything is right for everyone!
Claudia Bryant says
I like the design of your website. What host do you use ? Do you go all of it and the podcasts yourself?
The Boat Galley says
Thanks! It’s a WordPress site with a custom theme design. It’s hosted on WP Engine. Boat Radio edits and produces the podcasts; they are hosted on Audioboom and then I embed them on the site. Until about six months ago, I did all the design and “programming” myself. More recently, I’ve hired help with some aspects where I was just out of my depth, but I still do some tweaks myself. The big design change this past winter was done by a professional.
Lewis Sacks says
Question: In your SUP shot I see Paz is wearing a PFD. We have one (West Marine) for our 22 lb. Scottish Terrier and it barely keeps her head above water. Any suggestions?
Carolyn Shearlock says
Boy, that’s a tough one. Paz is now on her third one. Every time, we’ve taken her to the store with us and tried them on, then made our best guess as to what would work well out on the water. Every breed, and every individual dog, is different. Paz is tough to find one that even fits because she’s tiny (7 pounds) but very muscular and deep-chested.
A “neckband” of floatation really helps to keep their head out of the water, but most dogs aren’t wild on having something around their neck. It took a while, but Paz did get used to it.