Safety at Sea starts with awareness of the RISKS

[jssailem]

We often discuss how safe it is to be inside the cockpit of a sailboat. We even go so far as to change the way our running rigging is designed to be "safe in the cockpit".

As this article from US Sailing will discuss... "the cockpit of a sailboat at sea can provide an illusionary sense of safety. John Harries"

https://ussailing2018.wpenginepowered.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/10/NBR-Morgan-of-Marietta-Report-10242022-FINAL.pdf

 

[kappykaplan]

Tks for sharing this, John.

 

[Kings Gambit]

When the boat is heeled over far the cockpit sole and seat obviously are not “level.” The resultant force vector would be pointing toward the leeward gunnel/life line. A wave sweeping over would not have to lift so much to wash a person overboard. In any case, the skipper apparently did not have the boat rigged well to lift a POB.

You really cannot use a naked jib halyard led to a cockpit winch to lift 250# from the water quickly. There should be at least a 4X-purchase block-and-fall with enough fall to hoist, minimally, the victim’s waist up to the gunnel. (Clear away the life lines.) The block-and-fall should be attached to the spin or jib halyard suspended 8 ft above the deck. A couple of crew could hoist quickly standing amidships. For recovery at the transom hang the block-and-fall from a pigtail on the backstay which would require some pre-rigging. Of course, this would not work recovering an unconscious person slipping from the sling.

I try to always have a pair of swim googles in my PFD. The only way to keep from swallowing water when being splashed in the face is to also have a snorkel that you can strap on. But you’d have to have the PFD on when you go over. Really, a tragic situation.

 

[Rick D]

I wrote this to the BOD President and VP. I will also add the President's reply. I think it is a useful exchange:
(To the BOD President)
Message Body:
I don't know who is the decision maker in terms of reviewing and
implementing the recommendations contained in this report, but I strongly
urge you to rethink B "...ALL crew members bear responsibility for
acknowledging and enforcing requirements associated with good seamanship,
and that skippers expressly instruct their crews in this regard..." I think
this may be very dangerous from a liability standpoint to shift from an
individual responsibility to the entire crew. It appears to be a disservice
to both the yacht owner and crew. It seems you will create a liability for
each crew member which will enlarge the litigation pool vastly. Be very
careful in this regard.
(The response from the BOD President)
Thank you for being engaged to make our sport better. Your concern is
reasonable and I've forwarded your note to our SVP of Programs and Services,
Andrew Clouston, an experienced offshore sailor, himself and a member of the
authoring team of the report.

I have a few blue water miles under my keel but I'm hardly an expert. Nor
am I an attorney so I'll leave granular conversation on the intent of the
passage and the attendant liability risks to you and him and the legal
counsel who reviewed the report.

I'll just point out that having everyone, collectively and individually,
responsible to support safety rules that the skipper has put in place has
great value and must be considered, especially in the wake of what we
learned here, if we can find words that convey it better. There may be a
better way to describe that responsibility without intimating that it has
somehow shifted from the skipper to the crew. US Sailing and the panel of
offshore safety experts will certainly will take that under consideration.
As I read it, I think it includes the crew as responsible to support rather
than excluding the skipper's authority. And, being more explicit about the
chain of command seems worthwhile.

Again, thank you for taking the time to help us properly navigate this
tragedy and make good come out of it.

 

[Kings Gambit]

Good points, Rick. The next “imposition” could be to give the crew the responsibility to inspect and sign-off on the safety preparedness and/or seaworthiness of the boat, or even of the skipper him or herself. All we need is a bunch of OPB sailors advising a skipper what’s what in order to go to sea or be there. Reminds me of the scene in Perfect Storm of the seriously frightened crew calling Mayday against the skipper’s wishes. Of course the boat, a Westsail 32, was found still afloat after the storm. (No. That does not mean it was safe from a personal injury perspective to remain aboard, however.)

 

[capta]

I prefer a center cockpit. It may very well be illusionary, but it feels very safe to me. Plus it gives one a better view of the boat and what's about.

 

[dLj]

I prefer a center cockpit. It may very well be illusionary, but it feels very safe to me. Plus it gives one a better view of the boat and what's about.

I've always liked center cockpit boats. But I guess I'll never own one.... hahahahaha - I quite like the one I now have... And this will likely be my last boat. Or at least my last ocean going boat...

dj