an inner vial; that allows the chemicals to mix, causing the wand to glow. Dispose of these lights after one use. CARE AND STOWAGE OF PRESERVERS.— Some of the rules you should follow when taking care of and  stowing  your  preservers  are  contained  in  the following section: Laundering  your  life  preserver.  Inherently buoyant life preservers— Launder  the  outer  covers  after  removing  the fibrous glass pads. (NOTE: Don’t launder the pads.) Clean  the  inflatable  types  with  a  mild  soap solution only. Stowing your life preserver. The rules for stowing life preservers include— Don’t stow life preservers in the vicinity of oil, paint, grease, heat, moisture, or dirt. The nylon material will deteriorate. Keep  preservers  clear  of  sharp  edges,  which increase wear and tear. Keep  preservers  away  from  steam  lines  and radiators. Dry preservers thoroughly before stowing them to prevent mildew. Don’t tamper with your life preserver or handle it roughly. Don’t sit or lie on it. This compresses and mats the filler pads and reduces the buoyancy of the preserver. Inspecting  your  life  preserver.  The  following rules apply when inspecting life preservers: Inspect your inflatable life preserver every time you put it on and at least once every month (when in your custody). Inflate it by mouth to locate possible leaks in the air chamber or inflation valve. Make sure the piercing pin of the CO 2 valve is in good working order and the cylinder itself has not been punctured. Weigh the cylinder on a gram scale to make sure it is fully charged. Other actions. Other actions you should take with regard to your life preserver include— Being able to put the life preserver on and adjust it in the dark. Treat it like a friend; someday it might turn out to be the best one you have! Lifeboats A  warship  doesn’t  have  room  to  carry  all  the powerboats needed to transport the entire crew. At sea, a powerboat  is  usually  difficult  and  sometimes impossible to launch rapidly. For these reasons, the Navy has spent time and expense developing efficient lifeboats other than powerboats. The Navy uses several types of inflatable lifeboats. Each boat has sufficient equipment to support the num- ber of survivors for which the boat was designed to carry.  Each  boat’s  gear  includes  the  following equipment: Canopy Sea anchor Lifeline Boarding line Rain-catcher tube Air hand pumps Paddles Sponges Boat repair kit for patching leaks Floatable knife The inflatable lifeboat (fig. 15-6) also carries— Desalter  kits  for  turning  seawater  into freshwater. Survival kits containing food rations, sea marker dye, a flashlight, batteries, a signal mirror, a 15-8 Student Notes: