You may think you have buddies that are always on your boat,
but this is actually one buddy that should be. Safety products are a funny
thing. You keep them around for awhile, but after a few seasons if you haven't
had the chance to use it, it might not make it out of winter storage. But the
nice thing about the Life Buddy from Top Knot is that it hardly takes up any
room. It is compact and easily stores under most seats.
The Life Buddy is a safety throw bag that contains 60 feet
of floating yellow rope. The rope has no "memory" so it uncoiled smoothly
every time we tossed it out. A loop on the thrower's end has an attached whistle
to summon help. The aerodynamic design of the bag makes it easy to throw
accurately up to the full 60 feet of line. Two loops on the bag end of the line
give a secure hand hold for the person being rescued. A float keeps the bag and
the loops readily accessible to the person being rescued.
It really is easy to use and I practiced a few times until I felt comfortable
throwing it out. But this isn't a throw test, it's a product test so even with
cooler afternoon temperatures setting in, I "volunteered" my buddy, to be
rescued by the Life Buddy.
Our test worked very well and we were impressed. Rescue
units and police boats would be required to have one if it was up to me. It's
not just for the average boater, safety is for everyone.
It's available in two colors, orange and yellow and it
retails for $40. Preparing for emergencies
before they happen is the best way to handle the situation and the Life Buddy
can help. Visit www.mooringlines.com for more info.
