There are several spellings, including: Kisby and Kisbie. I have chosen to use Kisbee as this is the spelling of the name of the inventor, Thomas Kisbee (1792 – 1877). I had called it generically a life preserver but, after a cursory exploration of the subject, I may start referring to it by its proper name. The Ring gained wide-spread use in the 1850’s. [1, 2, 3]. There is also a page of Notable Kisbys.
Each morning on our cruise, I walked around Deck 4 a few times. I passed several of these rings along the way. I wondered if they were of practical use or more for comforting an uneasy spirit.
They are quite functional. First, they are designed for throwing. In the event of a person overboard having a throwable floatation device is important. Second, a line is attached, which is used for retrieving. It is hoped of course to pull in the person overboard, and not to recover from a miss. Third, some have a lamp which is useful at night to find the Ring.
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