MOB yesterday - analysis

[thinwater]

It’s not a manhood measuring contest. Any sufficient chop you didn’t expect can throw you off the boat. Inland lake or open water. In many of the cases the chop was over 4 feet of steep almost vertical waves, that a big deal in a 25 foot boat anywhere.

Absolutely. A sufficiently large express cruiser or offshore fishing boat at close quarters can shake any boat. My worst experience involved a bunch of idiots racing to make the weigh in.

It can help if the cockpit crew yells "wave" for exceptional ones. That is simple enough message to process even when you are engrossed. All you have to think is "brace."

 

[williamtl]

One of the latest things on our inland lake is surfing! The tow boat intentionally does not get up on plane so it can throw the largest wake possible. The surfers start out skiing and then work their way forward. The really good ones do this quickly, have coiled the tow rope and throw it back on the boat. Then they surf the wake. Really cool until the extra large wake hits your sailboat.

 

[Simon Sexton]

@Jackdaw ,

That is INSANELY frightening. It also wasn't as if he were being careless; I honestly feel bad for him! I mean, he was trying to get to a safe place during a jibe, but just at the wrong time, I suppose. When Sea Scouts race, however, we are sure to put two crew on the fore to make double sure that, just in case anyone goes over, they have a partner to either prevent them from going overboard, or to notify the rest of the crew. Heaven forbid no one else had been paying attention; the man could've lost his life!
​

 

[Will Gilmore]

Really cool until the extra large wake hits your sailboat.

And erodes the shore.

- Will (Dragonfly)

 

[uralite]

And erodes the shore.

- Will (Dragonfly)

And destroys the docks and anything tied to docks.

 

[thinwater]

One of the latest things on our inland lake is surfing! The tow boat intentionally does not get up on plane so it can throw the largest wake possible. The surfers start out skiing and then work their way forward. The really good ones do this quickly, have coiled the tow rope and throw it back on the boat. Then they surf the wake. Really cool until the extra large wake hits your sailboat.

In fact, many take on extra ballast.
https://www.evo.com/guides/how-to-setup-and-weight-your-boat-for-wakesurfing

 

[jwing]

...One other point. The blades on dedicated sailing emergency knifes were designed specifically to cut through thick hi-tech sailing halyards and sheets.

Yes. All good boating safety knives are made for this purpose. That's why the blades are serrated. Some river-specific knives have sharp points to pierce the bottoms of rafts and other inflatable boats in case of entrapment underneath a pinned boat. In sailing, that's not much of a problem, so blunt-tipped knives are safer.

I'd try any other knife designed for another purpose before relying on it while sailing.

I'm not sure what you mean here, but if I replace the word "try" with "test", then I fully agree. I tried cutting synthetic rope with a smooth edge knife and the rope just laughed at the knife.

 

[Jackdaw]

I'm not sure what you mean here, but if I replace the word "try" with "test", then I fully agree. I tried cutting synthetic rope with a smooth edge knife and the rope just laughed at the knife.

Yea, test is a clearer word. If the blade does not have aggressive serrations it's probably not going to make it.

 

[Gunni]

Every emergency knife made is a fixed blade, starting with the standby Ka-Bar 1219. I rely on two, the Tekna Ocean Edge was my orignal emergency blade and for years now I have used and gifted the Gerber River Shorty to many boaters. Both knives come with an easy-release hard sheath that attaches to an inflatable PFD waist belt. The Tekna is now available with a hook-knife tip.

There is an abundance of real-life experience supporting the notion that if your knife is not outside your clothing and working with nothing but a draw you stand a good chance of not being able to reach and respond to an emergency in a timely manner. I have a gun safe full of knives, including the venerable Spyderco H1 but an inexpensive River Shorty is riveted to my PFD belt.