if my boat saw me in these i hope it would just keep going and warn the others. I can assure you and the others that unless you're a veritable Johnny Weissmuller reincarnate in loin skin or Speedo only, you're not going to catch it!!
if my boat saw me in these i hope it would just keep going and warn the others. I can assure you and the others that unless you're a veritable Johnny Weissmuller reincarnate in loin skin or Speedo only, you're not going to catch it!!
Like I tell guests in September... 'We can swim... unless it snows....'September on Superior!
Capta, like I said, untested theory in my playbook. BUT, for the 5 minutes I spent to rig the second jackline, it's worth a shot. I'd rather have the jackline there to give it a try if I needed to, than not have it there and fantasize about it when in trouble. You're right though...just stay on the boat!The re
The reality is that if one goes overboard on a tether in "rough conditions", one is most likely to be so disoriented and quite possibly injured (anything from a head injury to broken bones or even be knocked unconscious), that further action in a timely fashion would be improbable. That leaves one being bashed against the side of the boat repeatedly.
It's a wonderful fantasy that you will be able to just snap a second tether to a second jackline and reach a knife, slip down the side of the boat uninjured and still have the ability and strength to pull yourself up a ladder to safety, but I sure wouldn't bet MY life on it.
What's so hard about just not going overboard? Neither I, nor any of my crew have gone overboard in more 50 years in my career as a professional mariner. That includes a circumnavigation and numerous transAts and transPacs under sail long before the term 'weather window' was coined and WWV/H was the ONLY weather source. The point being that back then the chances of encountering "rough conditions" were considerably greater without the sat weather data available to every mariner on the water today.
Prevention in this case, beats thousands of dollars worth of cure.
I have a similar problem with my dock ladder. My workaround is a rope loop under the bottom rung. Putting a foot on the rope lets me get a knee up onto the bottom rung where I can pivot myself up.I can barely board using my swim ladder when the boat is at anchor or even in the slip. The last rung is not deep enough for a foot unless my knees are raised to my chest while I'm clutching the transom hand-hold. Even kneeing onto the first rung is a challenge.
I meant, it would stop going fast. But it really does not matter that much. As you said you would have to be an olympic class open water swimmer. And even then, it would be difficult.boat will NEVER "stop" to the wind
An average person swims about 1 m/s (olympic athletes twice that). So you would have to be within 5 m (15 ft.) from the (beginning) of line when you start swimming to it. Good luck.Or you could just tow the dinghy. Or even easier, a kayak. On a 50 foot line at 6 knots you'd have a tad over 5 seconds to intercept the line/kayak. Once aboard the kayak, just pull yourself towards the stern ladder. Supervised practice might be in order.
Well if the beam is 12 feet, half that is 6, it's well within your estimate.An average person swims about 1 m/s (olympic athletes twice that). So you would have to be within 5 m (15 ft.) from the (beginning) of line when you start swimming to it. Good luck.
That is why you always are connected with a harness and a Jack line then that would never Happen. I am connected to my boat every time I am out of the cabin and always wear a PFD no Exceptions ever.I plan to do some more solo sailing mostly because i know no one else that sails besides my family, question is has any of you sailors ever gone over board while solo and have to watch your boat sail away or know someone who has!
I've used a low-tech version of that idea for...decades. When I was doing deliveries, I'd trail a small fender on about 150 feet of floating polypro line. The boat end of the line is tied to a pad-eye, with a loop around the throttle lever. So if I fall off the boat - even motoring at 6 knots - I have about 15 seconds to find the line and grab it. When I do, it pulls the throttle lever to idle... so "in theory" the boat will stop, I can pull myself back to it and use the line to pull myself back on board.if you had a gizmo clipped to you that would send a signal to the autopilot to turn the boat around if you fell overboard.
I'd be really interested to know if anyone here ever tried to board a dinghy or kayak that is being towed at 3 to 6 knots in rough weather?Or you could just tow the dinghy. Or even easier, a kayak. On a 50 foot line at 6 knots you'd have a tad over 5 seconds to intercept the line/kayak. Once aboard the kayak, just pull yourself towards the stern ladder. Supervised practice might be in order.
The kayak would remind you there's a line in the water, reducing the chance of fouling.
Combining this technique with an AP disabler would be interesting.
I would never do it. Too big a pain.
However, it might be good piece of mind for someone worried about solo MOB.