Kim pickup sail - beware

[Fourbees]

I recently bought a Kim pickup sail - for recovering MOBs from the drink in a horizontal position. You attach the bottom of the sail round a pair of stanchions with straps which have a seatbelt-type buckle, attach a halyard to the top of the sail and roll the casualty up the side of the boat. When we tested it on SWMBO in East Cowes Marina (off a pontoon) the straps parted and she fell down the side of the boat into the Medina (easily recovered by me, but she wasn't pleased!). We had followed the instructions (such as they were).

After that we tried everything we could think of but couldn't get the straps to hold fast. Today we took the pickup sail back whence we bought it (Force 4 in Bursledon) where the staff member quickly diagnosed an assembly fault - the strap was incorrectly led through the various parts of the buckle. He had to prise the cover off with a screwdriver to fix it, which he did, and we tested it this afternoon with me as the casualty - no problem. I am posting this to warn anyone who has bought this safety item and not tested it to check it out now (not when you have a real MOB situation). We know that it wasn't just our pickup sail that was wrongly assembled, because when we were in Lymington at Easter we had a close look at another one on sale in a chandler, and that one wouldn't have worked either.

[SimbaDog]

Well done for posting that

[WilliamUK]

We know that it wasn't just our pickup sail that was wrongly assembled, because when we were in Lymington at Easter we had a close look at another one on sale in a chandler, and that one wouldn't have worked either.

Did you tell the chandler?
Have you told the manufacturer?

[Fourbees]

Did you tell the chandler?
Have you told the manufacturer?

Force 4 Bursledon now know, as they fixed it. It might be a good idea to contact the manufacturer, though, if I can do it - they should issue a recall notice, really, shouldn't they?

[photodog]

Force 4 Bursledon now know, as they fixed it. It might be a good idea to contact the manufacturer, though, if I can do it - they should issue a recall notice, really, shouldn't they?

Too rights!

Something for YM to look at?

[Captn D]

This is another timely example of so called safety equipment that just doesn't do the job it is supposed to do and if relied on could well cost lives. Please see my post http://www.ybw.com/forums/showthread.php?t=314645.

[Fourbees]

This is another timely example of so called safety equipment that just doesn't do the job it is supposed to do and if relied on could well cost lives. Please see my post http://www.ybw.com/forums/showthread.php?t=314645.

I saw your earlier post and it's all very worrying. I have found an email address for the (German) manufacturer of the Kim pickup sail and I'll mail them. I'll also try to contact Force 4's head office, as the other dodgy sail we found was at their Lymington branch. I'll let the forum know if I get any responses.

[Norman_E]

I recently bought a Kim pickup sail - for recovering MOBs from the drink in a horizontal position. You attach the bottom of the sail round a pair of stanchions with straps which have a seatbelt-type buckle, attach a halyard to the top of the sail and roll the casualty up the side of the boat. When we tested it on SWMBO in East Cowes Marina (off a pontoon) the straps parted and she fell down the side of the boat into the Medina (easily recovered by me, but she wasn't pleased!). We had followed the instructions (such as they were).

After that we tried everything we could think of but couldn't get the straps to hold fast. Today we took the pickup sail back whence we bought it (Force 4 in Bursledon) where the staff member quickly diagnosed an assembly fault - the strap was incorrectly led through the various parts of the buckle. He had to prise the cover off with a screwdriver to fix it, which he did, and we tested it this afternoon with me as the casualty - no problem. I am posting this to warn anyone who has bought this safety item and not tested it to check it out now (not when you have a real MOB situation). We know that it wasn't just our pickup sail that was wrongly assembled, because when we were in Lymington at Easter we had a close look at another one on sale in a chandler, and that one wouldn't have worked either.

It would be a good idea to get that published in the magazines before a real life rescue attempt turns into a tragedy. It sounds as if the manufacturers need to do a recall as well.

[Bosun Higgs]

When we tested it on SWMBO in East Cowes Marina (off a pontoon) the straps parted and she fell down the side of the boat into the Medina (easily recovered by me, but she wasn't pleased!).

Go on - how long did it take before you had stopped laughing sufficiently to help her out of the water. And how long before she will speak to you again?

P.S. Are you hiring the item out?

[Fourbees]

Go on - how long did it take before you had stopped laughing sufficiently to help her out of the water. And how long before she will speak to you again?

P.S. Are you hiring the item out?

Showing unusual self-control, I didn't laugh while she was still immersed... Only later! And surprisingly, she didn't blame me personally for her undoing, and was speaking to me again after she got back from the showers (which are very nice at East Cowes).

No point in hiring the item out now that it's fixed...