do you safety tether in when soloing?

py26129 · Jun 5, 2012

In the end, it's your choice. I went over the side and for a 5 hour swim years ago on our little lake, so know from experience that stuff does happen anywhere.

I wear a harness when it's rough out now and anytime at night. If you want to be as safe as possible then I would suggest wearing a harness anytime you are out alone. Just one word of caution: When clipped in, make sure your tether is short enough so that you cannot go over the side. I think being dragged is worse than swimming.

Cheers

Matt

Stu Jackson · Jun 5, 2012

Matt's right. But "one size does not fit all." Conditions dictate their use. Your boat, your choice.

tsheie · Jun 5, 2012

Do a little research on 'jacklines'.. run a line of webbing from the bow down the middle to the stern, and get a harness that you can clip onto the jackline (usually has a 4-6' tether).. then test it on a nice, calm day and be sure it's not long or loose enough to go into the water (you don't want to be dragged, and you want to be able to climb back up).. Sometimes, solo sailors will drag 200' of floating poly line behind the boat--you'd have at least a few seconds to try to grab it..

bria46 · Jun 5, 2012

yes, always!

tommays · Jun 5, 2012

I should but do not and the bigger question is how are you getting back onboard as your being dragged by the sailboat ?

One of the more compelling things we learned at Safety At Sea 2012 in the swimming pool was that well more than 50% of the people could NOT climb into a life raft and i do not believe anybody with and offshore inflatabled vest could do it without manually letting air out

I do keep a floating DSC handheld on my belt and when doing over night races we go into a full jackline/harness mode

RichH · Jun 5, 2012

On large boats I tether-in anytime I reef or when solo sailing at night.

For small boats I dont tether-in at all , because 'things' happen 'so fast' that I want to be able to make a quick 'get away' .... and wear an auto-inflatable instead when its 'boisterous'. On a small boat (less than ~24ft, etc) I dont want to take the time to 'untangle', etc. when I should be 'jumping off', etc.

Small boats can go 'turtle' so fast that its too easy to get 'tangled up' with tethers, etc. Sadly, during my 'EMS rescue days', Ive had to make 'body recoveries' of those who got tangled and couldnt 'release' when held underwater by their tethers and hiking-out equipment on 'inverted' small boats.

kenn · Jun 5, 2012

RichH said:
On large boats I tether-in anytime I reef or when solo sailing at night.

For small boats I dont tether-in at all , because 'things' happen 'so fast' that I want to be able to make a quick 'get away' .... and wear an auto-inflatable instead when its 'boisterous'. On a small boat (less than ~24ft, etc) I dont want to take the time to 'untangle', etc. when I should be 'jumping off', etc.

Small boats can go 'turtle' so fast that its too easy to get 'tangled up' with tethers, etc. Sadly, during my 'EMS rescue days', Ive had to make 'body recoveries' of those who got tangled and couldnt 'release' when held underwater by their tethers and hiking-out equipment on 'inverted' small boats.

Rich, can we assume that by 'small boats' you're mainly referring to open dinghies and catamarans that don't have much weight below the waterline?

Our boat is 19' but has a 300 lb keel that, when down, gives us a righting moment and angle of vanishing stability that's closer to a keelboat than a dinghy. Of course in extreme conditions a shorter boat will get tossed about more than a large boat, all other things being equal, but it would probably take more (like humungous waves) than a knockdown or a broach to turtle her. So I use a PFD with integral harness when out solo.

We should also stress the gaining of knowledge - of yourself, of sailing, of your boat and safety systems, and of your sailing area (weather, water temp, traffic, proximity to shore). From these you can assess the relative importance of being tethered. A good tether should have a quick-release at your end of it; if you get familiar with it and maybe practice with it a bit, the danger of being trapped under the boat is greatly reduced.

I will say this: Joe, if you're out solo and NOT harnessed, and there's the slightest risk of going over, put your f'ing lifejacket ON. it could be the difference between rescuing a stranded sailor and recovering a body.

RichH · Jun 5, 2012

Well stated Kenn !!!

.... then I remember going through three 'white squalls' that hit with 20-30 seconds warning, spreaders in the water, etc. Wear at least your PFD when single handing.

gpdno · Jun 5, 2012

I have jacklines on the boat. When I'm out by myself I always clip in if I leave the cockpit and always wear an inflatable pfd. Same when I take the kids out.
If I have the wife or other sailors along whom I trust, I wear/chip in depending on the conditions.

twistedline · Jun 5, 2012

tsheie said:
Sometimes, solo sailors will drag 200' of floating poly line behind the boat--you'd have at least a few seconds to try to grab it..

Then what's the procedure ?

RichH · Jun 5, 2012

twistedline said:
Then what's the procedure ?

You reach into your pocket and with the waterproof 'remote' auto pilot control module now in your shaking/trembling hands ... you turn the boat until it heaves-to. Then you pray that you still have that line attached to your 'fold down boarding ladder' so that you 'can' re-board the boat. Youre not going 'muscle' your way back on board without a ladder, etc. unless you have the physique of a gorilla.

No use in dragging a line if you cant 'turn/stop the boat' and climb back on .... its a damn good practice NOT to use the AP or 'tied down/locked helm when singlehanding ... use the AP only for short intervals of potty breaks/food, etc. Without an AP engaged the boat should be set with just enough 'weather helm' so it automatically comes to a halt in a hove-to attitude. Have a method to pull down that boarding ladder, etc. when your floating up to your neck in the water.

;-)

Bad Obsession · Jun 5, 2012

I know that I probably need to put jacklines on my boat. I do not have them or a harness aboard but I do a lot of single handed sailing. I have been forward to the mast to put a reef in the main and it was a bit scary.

One of my first precautions is that I plan out my moves in advance. I mentally chart my handholds, think of the places where I plan to put my feet, and make my moves really calculated.

In the past my other safety feature was I was sailing with other boats and I would tell them by radio or cell phone when I was about ready to go forward to make a move. I would tell them when I was done. This way if something happened they would know where I was and where to look for me.

This past season I did some solo sailing without my safety net (another boat that was a friend and near by). I didn't do as much as sailing as normal and I was out in really calm conditions. It did get me thinking though and I really want to rig with jacklines and harnesses for the future.

The best advise I can give you is that going forward in bad conditions can be dangerous. Plan your moves and, if possible, avoid going forward. If you have to go forward it doesn't hurt to turn the engine on and slowly motor into the mess while you take care of problems. Luff out the sails or roll up the jib if you have a furler. You can also luff out the main but you have to be aware of a flogging sail and a dangerous boom at all times! If you had lazy jacks you could always just cut the halyard loose on the main, drop it into the jacks, and roll up the jib on the furler.

The last advantage I have is that I raced for many years and spent a bit of time as foredeck crew and as a bowman. I have raced through various conditions and some really nasty stuff. Because of this I developed a good ability to hold on. While this is far from fail safe, it is one last thing that does help me, experience.

gpdno · Jun 5, 2012

RichH said:
You reach into your pocket and with the waterproof 'remote' auto pilot control module now in your shaking/trembling hands ... you turn the boat until it heaves-to. Then you pray that you still have that line attached to your 'fold down boarding ladder' so that you 'can' re-board the boat. Youre not going 'muscle' your way back on board without a ladder, etc. unless you have the physique of a gorilla.

No use in dragging a line if you cant 'turn/stop the boat' and climb back on .... its a damn good practice NOT to use the AP or 'tied down/locked helm when singlehanding ... use the AP only for short intervals of potty breaks/food, etc. Without an AP engaged the boat should be set with just enough 'weather helm' so it automatically comes to a halt in a hove-to attitude. Have a method to pull down that boarding ladder, etc. when your floating up to your neck in the water.

;-)

It depends on your autopilot. I've got an old belt drive Autohelm 3000. I rig the last chance way so it's suspended thru the belt. Should I fall over and grab the rope, it's rigged such that the belt is pulled off. So no more autopilot and boat turns to weather. It works well in practice at least

Scott T-Bird · Jun 5, 2012

Probably the worst that can happen is that you will suffer the embarrasment of your boat running into something. If you can't swim from any point in the lake to the nearest shore (since it is so narrow), you are in bad shape or you don't know how to swim. Besides that, it is extremely unlikely that you won't hail a nearby passing boat within a few minutes of going overboard, unless you are out sailing at night, in which case you would have to be very drunk to fall off your boat since the wind rarely blows above a whisper at night (in the summer) anyway.

Hypothermia won't happend from mid-may through mid-October unless you are in the water for hours. I doubt that there are many sailors on Lake Wallenpaupack that even know how to assemble a jack-line and tether, because the notion seems a bit odd on these small lakes anyway. Although Lake Wallenpaupack is pretty good-sized for NE Pennsylvania (where most bodies of water are small ponds), it is actually a smallish lake. Small lakes in Maine and the Adirondacks are called "ponds" even though they are significantly larger than Lake Wallenpaupack. Lake Hopatcong is no different, only smaller yet.

Rich is right that it is a better idea to just let the boat point up into the wind if it is unattended for more than a moment. That is why I don't worry about it either. Even if I have the wheel on a tether, it takes very little for the balance to be disrupted and soon the boat will be turning in circles.

Ward H · Jun 5, 2012

I am a complete newbie and will be solo sailing maybe 50% of the time. I perused these forums and made a couple of decisions before the first time I put the boat in the water.
If sailing at the local lake amongst the plentiful bass fisherman in light winds or just motoring I will at least have a whistle around my neck. If I expect the winds to pick up I will put on my PFD.
If solo here in Manahawkin or Barnegat Bay, I will always have my PFD on, with my float rated VHF Radio turned on and clipped to it. It also has a strobe light built in.
I know that the only way I will ever be able to climb aboard from the water is if I have a ladder down or I can climb up via the outboard and rudder so I am more interested in calling for help than getting back on board.

BobM · Jun 5, 2012

A tether must have an easy to manage release just in case you do go for a drag. For me the first line of defense soloing is a automatically inflatable vest. That way if I go over unconscious I may make it. I bought some jack lines years ago but haven't bought a tether yet. Oh, and I make sure my boarding ladder is unsecured with a line hanging down where I can reach it. I tested my ability to board last year on a steamy July fourth afternoon.

Bill Roosa · Jun 5, 2012

When I solo, which is not often as it is more fun with the first mate on board, I just don't go forward unless I have to. This requires a little forethought in everything you do so you don't get into a situation where you have to go forward. If I do I put on a PFD and do the one hand for me and one hand for the boat and take my time. I consider heaving to also to limit my risk.
I suspect that smaller boats are harder in this respect as not all the lines would lead to the cockpit and they are more tinder.
If the weather turned bad I'd just drop sails and motor.

My advice is just don't go there (solo sailing). find a cute first mate that likes to sail.

zeehag · Jun 5, 2012

make your jacklines centerline and tether lines only to edge of bulwarks/toerail and that will allow you to not be dragged. seen too many thinking they re safely tethered on with jacklines at the bulwarks so they can drag selves to death.