Marine safety device attachment with automatic release capability

A hydrostatically-releasable device for fastening an emergency device to a vessel comprising:

• a tether configured to mechanically couple the emergency device to the vessel;
• a hydrostatic release mechanism attached to the tether, the hydrostatic release mechanism configured to sever the tether when the hydrostatic release mechanism is submerged below a predetermined depth;
• a first external fastener mechanically coupled to the vessel;
• a second external fastener mechanically coupled to the emergency device;
• and
• an integrally formed float-free link having
• a curved link body having at least one aperture configured to mechanically couple the float-free link to the first external fastener, and a channel extending around at least a portion of the at least one aperture, said channel configured to receive a portion of the tether threaded therethrough;
• and
• a breakaway bridge integrally formed with the curved link body to form a closed loop, wherein the breakaway bridge is designed to break between a minimum and a maximum force resulting from strain exerted by the second external fastener once the tether has been severed by the hydrostatic release mechanism.

A hydrostatically-releasable device for fastening an emergency device to a vessel comprising:

• a tether configured to mechanically couple the emergency device to the vessel;
• a hydrostatic release mechanism attached to the tether, the hydrostatic release mechanism configured to sever the tether when the hydrostatic release mechanism is submerged below a predetermined depth;
• and
• a first external fastener mechanically coupled to the vessel;
• a second external fastener mechanically coupled to the emergency device;
• and
• an integrally formed float-free link having
• a unitary integral linkage means for mechanically coupling the first and second external fasteners thereto;
• breakaway means unitarily and integrally formed with the linkage means for controlled breaking of the float-free link at a specific location on the float-free link and between a minimum force and a maximum force resulting from strain caused by the second external fastener once the tether has been severed by the hydrostatic release mechanism;
• threading means unitarily and integrally formed with the linkage means for threading the tether through a portion of an outer perimeter of the linkage means so that the tether is not released by the breaking of the breakaway means.