First I unpacked the lifejacket from its cover and checked the general condition of the inflating section - all seemed clean and in good condition. Then I unscrewed the gas cylinder and checked that - it too seemed to be in good condition with no rust etc showing. I checked the weight that would confirm it was still adequately charged 171g. Now the first problem became evident - how to measure the weight accurately. One article suggested getting it weighed at the supermarket. Hmmm. Will need to think about that. Next I checked the automatic inflation cartridge - it was beyond its use by date and needs replacing; new ones can be ordered by mail order, no problem. Then I started to worry about the light. No servicing of the light is usually needed, but the battery life needs checking. The life is usually about 5 years, but I wanted to check the date marked on the side of the light. To do that I need to get the light out of its bracket that holds it against the oral inflator tube. Photos in several articles showed it to be held in place by a removable plastic clip. This is proving a major challenge - the clip just won't come out, despite several attempts at persuasion using a screwdriver whilst Diane shouted that I was about to wreck the jacket completely. Hmmm. Maybe the £12 service charge plus postage is a good deal? To be continued.
Joke:
One day George W. Bush, Al Gore, and Bill Clinton were in a boat. All of a
sudden the boat sprung a leak and they had only one life jacket. They decided to
take a vote to see who would get the life jacket. When the votes were counted,
Al Gore had 1, Bill Clinton had 1, and George W. Bush had 7.
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| The gas cylinder seems to be OK |
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| The auto-inflator cartridge is out of date |
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| The light - IMPOSSIBLE to remove from its rubber holder! |
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