Looking for inexpensive ways to get back aboard. (Assume I'm wearing a tethered safety harness.) My swim ladder is too short... making it very, very difficult. I'm don't think I could manage it were the boat moving. I'm told that flexible swim ladders are even more difficult. I can't afford a new swim platform with a longer ladder. Any suggestions?
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Daniel Jonas
Overboard
First rule is to never go overboard at all. Have you thought about a tether? I keep one on all the time single handed and even when out with my significant other...she could never pull me back in. The water here is very cold...would not last long and a step might be useless without help.
First rule is to never go overboard at all. Have you thought about a tether? I keep one on all the time single handed and even when out with my significant other...she could never pull me back in. The water here is very cold...would not last long and a step might be useless without help.
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Justin - O'day Owners' Web
Don't Fall In!
I agree with Daniel - rule number one is don't fall in. I wear my tether at all times when single handed or with someone who can't sail or pull me aboard. It is important to make sure that your jacklines are taught enough that they won't let you slide under the lifelines, but not bar tight or they may break the fittings to which they are attached. Life line netting can also help, though you should make sure the nettting you use is solid enough to catch you. If you lace it correctly, a load in the netting will be distributed across several stantions and the pulpits. Once you are in, it is really hard to reboard. I had a customer last year who pulled himself out of 50 degree water with his gennoa sheets at the youthfull age of 75. I tried it later in the summer and had a hard time at 25! That's with the boat sitting still. Try it with the drag created by moving through the water and it becomes almost impossible. I don't know of anyway to make it easy. You can, at least, make sure the boat doesn't sail away by holding your sheets while sailing alone instead of cleating them, but if you probably weren't in the cockpit if you are now swimming. While we're on it - I have also replaced the connection between my mainsheet and the travler with a snap-shackle. Now if someone goes over board and there is another on board, its easier to drag them back up using the leverage the blocks provide. Justin - O'day Onwers' Web
I agree with Daniel - rule number one is don't fall in. I wear my tether at all times when single handed or with someone who can't sail or pull me aboard. It is important to make sure that your jacklines are taught enough that they won't let you slide under the lifelines, but not bar tight or they may break the fittings to which they are attached. Life line netting can also help, though you should make sure the nettting you use is solid enough to catch you. If you lace it correctly, a load in the netting will be distributed across several stantions and the pulpits. Once you are in, it is really hard to reboard. I had a customer last year who pulled himself out of 50 degree water with his gennoa sheets at the youthfull age of 75. I tried it later in the summer and had a hard time at 25! That's with the boat sitting still. Try it with the drag created by moving through the water and it becomes almost impossible. I don't know of anyway to make it easy. You can, at least, make sure the boat doesn't sail away by holding your sheets while sailing alone instead of cleating them, but if you probably weren't in the cockpit if you are now swimming. While we're on it - I have also replaced the connection between my mainsheet and the travler with a snap-shackle. Now if someone goes over board and there is another on board, its easier to drag them back up using the leverage the blocks provide. Justin - O'day Onwers' Web
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Miles
Tether on
Unless you're tethered to a very small boat you shouldn't be able to fall overboard. The usual 6 ft. tether should be secured to a jackline, padeye, or something strong and more or less amidships so if you fall it will be inboard. Falling overboard when singlehanding without a tether would be very bad. I would think your chances of even being able to catch up to the boat would be VERY slim as it sails away. Unless you're holding the sheets in one hand (no cleats or winches) and the tiller in the other the boat could go a long way before heading up. I'd say be sure you stay onboard the boat, even without sails up the hull will probably drift faster than you can swim unless there's no wind or waves in which case you probably wouldn't have fallen overboard anyway...
Unless you're tethered to a very small boat you shouldn't be able to fall overboard. The usual 6 ft. tether should be secured to a jackline, padeye, or something strong and more or less amidships so if you fall it will be inboard. Falling overboard when singlehanding without a tether would be very bad. I would think your chances of even being able to catch up to the boat would be VERY slim as it sails away. Unless you're holding the sheets in one hand (no cleats or winches) and the tiller in the other the boat could go a long way before heading up. I'd say be sure you stay onboard the boat, even without sails up the hull will probably drift faster than you can swim unless there's no wind or waves in which case you probably wouldn't have fallen overboard anyway...
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Justin - O'day Owners' Web
hard to fall in, easy to fall off
On the foredeck of even a very large boat the jacklines may be near enough the leward rail to allow you to fall over. You may not wind up in the water, but it will still be very difficult to climb back on. Justin - O'day Onwers' Web
On the foredeck of even a very large boat the jacklines may be near enough the leward rail to allow you to fall over. You may not wind up in the water, but it will still be very difficult to climb back on. Justin - O'day Onwers' Web
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Brian Pickton of BeneteauOwners.net
Cheap self help
Feb.20 2001 Dear Richard, How much is your life worth to you? Frankly I think you should find the money to buy a longer ladder that deploys into the water far enough that you can get yourself out. Sell the stereo, sell the car, or sell the kids and find the money. Our swim ladder is off of the transom and can be pulled down by someone in the water. We have to have this system because neither SHE WHO MUST BE OBEYED nor I have the strength to pull ourselves up over the side. We have our running back stays set up so that they can be used to winch someone up oved the side if we can get a line on them and they can't get up the transom. The only inexpensive alternative to buying a new longer ladder that I can suggest is trailing a knotted rope behind the boat. Use floating line. If the knots include large loops and large knots to improve your grip and give you hand holds and foot holds then they may assist you in climbing back in. Try it with the boat anchored before you decide to rely on it, and for heavens sake don't back over it. You may be surprised how hard it is to pull yourself in using a rope. I know because I've done it. Fair winds, Brian Pickton of BeneteauOwners.net aboard The Legend, Rodney Bay, St. Lucia
Feb.20 2001 Dear Richard, How much is your life worth to you? Frankly I think you should find the money to buy a longer ladder that deploys into the water far enough that you can get yourself out. Sell the stereo, sell the car, or sell the kids and find the money. Our swim ladder is off of the transom and can be pulled down by someone in the water. We have to have this system because neither SHE WHO MUST BE OBEYED nor I have the strength to pull ourselves up over the side. We have our running back stays set up so that they can be used to winch someone up oved the side if we can get a line on them and they can't get up the transom. The only inexpensive alternative to buying a new longer ladder that I can suggest is trailing a knotted rope behind the boat. Use floating line. If the knots include large loops and large knots to improve your grip and give you hand holds and foot holds then they may assist you in climbing back in. Try it with the boat anchored before you decide to rely on it, and for heavens sake don't back over it. You may be surprised how hard it is to pull yourself in using a rope. I know because I've done it. Fair winds, Brian Pickton of BeneteauOwners.net aboard The Legend, Rodney Bay, St. Lucia
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Richard Laribee
Now I'm really confused!!
The universal response seems to be "don't fall off." Right... that's what I tell all my guests is "Rule #1." But if your jackline is running less than 4 ft from the toerail (the beam on a H25 is only 8 ft), and you have a 6 ft tether, it seems like one could still go over the side. Am I missing something?
The universal response seems to be "don't fall off." Right... that's what I tell all my guests is "Rule #1." But if your jackline is running less than 4 ft from the toerail (the beam on a H25 is only 8 ft), and you have a 6 ft tether, it seems like one could still go over the side. Am I missing something?
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Eric Lorgus
Netting is best bet & carry a whistle
Richard, You're right about the math, and I take it your question is how can you reboard if dangling from your tether. If you've gone over the lifelines, you should still be in a position to grapple your way back on. However, if you've slid underneath your lifeline, you're going to need some upper body strength to reboard. My advice would be to install netting along your lifelines to prevent sliding underneath it. I'd also carry a suvival whistle (much louder than an ordinary whistle). Hopefully the netting will prevent you from ever going over, and if it doesn't, and you can't pull yourself back in, then use the whistle.
Richard, You're right about the math, and I take it your question is how can you reboard if dangling from your tether. If you've gone over the lifelines, you should still be in a position to grapple your way back on. However, if you've slid underneath your lifeline, you're going to need some upper body strength to reboard. My advice would be to install netting along your lifelines to prevent sliding underneath it. I'd also carry a suvival whistle (much louder than an ordinary whistle). Hopefully the netting will prevent you from ever going over, and if it doesn't, and you can't pull yourself back in, then use the whistle.
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