The breeches buoy was favored over earlier inventions like the (an enclosed metal capsule) because it was lighter, quicker to deploy, and easier to transport across sandy beaches in rescue carts. The Breeches Buoy - Cape Hatteras - National Park Service
: Survivors on the ship would use the shot line to pull a heavier rope (the hawser) to the vessel. Once secured, the breeches buoy would be shuttled back and forth along this rope like a primitive zip line. Operational History breeches buoy
: Rescuers used a Lyle Gun —a small bronze cannon weighing nearly 200 pounds—to fire a thin "shot line" from the shore to the ship. The breeches buoy was favored over earlier inventions