The safety of watercraft has always been of great importance. It is not surprising that many devices were used to protect ships and their personnel at different periods of history. They passed the test of time and saved many drowning lives. Such means include the famous end of Aleksandrov, which was made back in 1914 by the forces of the inventive rescue sailor of the Russian Empire. Initially, its design consisted of materials that were common in that historical period: cork floats with tarpaulin, a durable line made of natural materials and lead cargo with a total weight of not more than 200 grams. Now, such a design would look very archaic, so all its elements have been replaced with modern analogues of synthetic origin. The changes also affected the lead weighting agent, which at the end of the 20th century was replaced by a less traumatic sandbag. After all, the consequences of getting a lead load into a drowning person could be very sad.
Using
The invention passed the test of time and proved its worth; therefore, Aleksandrov’s life-saving end is present on all small boats and in areas of potential risk (beaches, swimming areas, and so on).
The use of this rescue equipment is as follows: the end of the line is thrown to the drowning man, while its opposite part remains in the hands of the second side. A drowning man puts on a loop and winds it under his armpits, after which he is pulled out of the water column (an alternative application allows you to just grab the end of Alexandrov). Indeed, the tench is made of polypropylene and polystyrene floats, the density of which is much lower than that of H 2 O, which allows for positive buoyancy (like a life jacket).
Application and standardization
Many owners of small boats, especially when it comes to their first registration or inspection of technical condition, are faced with problems. Of course, the description of the bureaucratic difficulties of this process requires a separate article, but the will of officials is by no means the main obstacle. The problem arises when equipping a small vessel in accordance with GOST - usually the end of Aleksandrov does not meet the requirements put forward to it. And the blame for this is the abundance of cheap Chinese goods and, of course, the shortage of certified domestic products. As a result, the purchase of a ready-made line for the revenue of drowning people is very difficult or its cost is too high.
Manufacture
Therefore, it is best to purchase everything you need and collect the end of your life Alexandrov do it yourself. To do this, you need the following components:
- polypropylene rope with a diameter of 5 to 6 millimeters and a length of about 30 m;
- large foam floats (preferably a spherical or elliptical shape);
- waterproof paint of red color.
A loop is made on one side of the rope with a length of at least 600-650 millimeters, after which floats are put on the line, which are located along its entire length. Another circle is made from the opposite part of the rope, but this time with a diameter of about 40 cm. As a result, the end of Aleksandrov is made and almost ready for use. It remains only to attach a small bag of sand to its part and paint the polypropylene floats in a noticeable (best of all red) color.
Functioning
Within the framework of this article, it will not be superfluous to recall the features of the use of this rescue tool in emergency situations. A smaller line loop is worn on the left hand, after which the large line is energetically thrown forward. The drowning man grabs at her and now it can be easily pulled out.