MAINTENANCE

■ Keep your auto-inflate lifejacket in good working order. Once a month, open the cover and check the CO2 cylinder is screwed in tightly and free of corrosion. At any signs of corrosion, the CO2 cylinder should be replaced immediately, so the corrosion doesn’t cause abrasion damage to the lifejacket bladder.

■ Annually (or six monthly for a lifejacket that is used all year), remove the cylinder and check the weight is above the minimum gross weight stamped on the cylinder. The cylinder must be replaced if it is below weight. There is no margin because if it’s below weight it is leaking. Check the bladder, particularly at folds for signs of wear.

■ While the cylinder is removed, inflate the bladder using the inflation tube, either with a pump or orally. Leave the jacket inflated for 24 hours. If there is any sign of deflation, either dispose of the jacket by cutting it into pieces so it can’t find its way to a boat jumble, or take it to an accredited service centre. A local chandler may well be a drop-off point for this.

If it stays inflated during your test, deflate the jacket by inverting the tube dust cap into the tube. Do not stick anything else into the valve to deflate the jacket because it can cause damage to the valve. Replace the cylinder. ■ Fold up the jacket as originally supplied, to ensure it opens smoothly when activated. Rolling can result in the jacket not inflating correctly when activated. Finally, check the condition of stitching on all straps. ■