Wife gave me a subscription to Crusing World for Christmas, which is kind of like giving a case of booze to an alchoholic. Anyway, an article in the Feb edition talks about a floatilla crossing from the Canaries to the Carribean where a guy fell overboard and dragged by his tether till he drowned cause the other crewman DIDN'T KNOW HOW TO STOP THE BOAT. There just HAS to be something missing from that story cause I just can't imagine this. Anyone heard anything? Tom Monroe Carlyle Lake
- Status
I can see it happening
If the boat is set up for trade winds sailing with double head sails and an inexperienced crew member. Even easier to imagine if it was at night. Remember you can only live about 3 minutes without breathing. I assume that if I fall overboard while sailing alone with my wife that I am on my own. Even though she has been sailing for 15 years she still doesn't seem to understand how to work the boat when something goes wrong. It is almost like singlehanding!!! Tom
If the boat is set up for trade winds sailing with double head sails and an inexperienced crew member. Even easier to imagine if it was at night. Remember you can only live about 3 minutes without breathing. I assume that if I fall overboard while sailing alone with my wife that I am on my own. Even though she has been sailing for 15 years she still doesn't seem to understand how to work the boat when something goes wrong. It is almost like singlehanding!!! Tom
2 Things come to mind.....
#1 EVERYONE on my boat carries a one hand opening knife with a lanyard, no choice. #2 Why couldn't an inexperienced crewmember simply cut the line, throw the MOB pole and just turn the boat around? Seems to me that failure to carry out even the most basic MOB drill never happened before setting out. And someone paid the ultimate price for it. This is totally the knucklehead skippers responsability.
#1 EVERYONE on my boat carries a one hand opening knife with a lanyard, no choice. #2 Why couldn't an inexperienced crewmember simply cut the line, throw the MOB pole and just turn the boat around? Seems to me that failure to carry out even the most basic MOB drill never happened before setting out. And someone paid the ultimate price for it. This is totally the knucklehead skippers responsability.
I have heard crazier stories
I have been a Cruising World subscriber for four years and have read stories of people who set sail to cross oceans with little training or experience. It is suprising that they publish these stories because it fuels the fire of people who have a passion to sail, but make it seem a bit too easy!
I have been a Cruising World subscriber for four years and have read stories of people who set sail to cross oceans with little training or experience. It is suprising that they publish these stories because it fuels the fire of people who have a passion to sail, but make it seem a bit too easy!
Tom, where?
I looked through my Feb edition last night and couldnt find anything on this...where in this edition does the article appear? thanks Rob
I looked through my Feb edition last night and couldnt find anything on this...where in this edition does the article appear? thanks Rob
Crusing....
I read this same story and, like most of you, wondered why the tether couldn't be cut or harness unstrapped, the boat turned upwind, and so on, ad infinitum, ad nauseam. Then I remembered how the famous sailor, Eric Tabarly, died. Sailing at night and with experienced crew, he came up on deck only to be knocked overboard by an unexpected jibe. He wasn't wearing a PFD. As a matter of record, he often stated how he hated PFDs and would never wear one. I wonder how his family and friends think about his view of PFDs. Also in Cruising World are some world class comments by Herreshoff, to wit, he wondered why so many people want to sail the oceans of the world when so few are suited to it....
I read this same story and, like most of you, wondered why the tether couldn't be cut or harness unstrapped, the boat turned upwind, and so on, ad infinitum, ad nauseam. Then I remembered how the famous sailor, Eric Tabarly, died. Sailing at night and with experienced crew, he came up on deck only to be knocked overboard by an unexpected jibe. He wasn't wearing a PFD. As a matter of record, he often stated how he hated PFDs and would never wear one. I wonder how his family and friends think about his view of PFDs. Also in Cruising World are some world class comments by Herreshoff, to wit, he wondered why so many people want to sail the oceans of the world when so few are suited to it....
One more thought.........
...the shackle that attaches the tether to the safety harness should always be able to be opened under load. It's an ORC requirement. A carabiner or the Wichard Double Action Safety Hook cannot be opened when loaded and therefore should never be used on a safety harness.
...the shackle that attaches the tether to the safety harness should always be able to be opened under load. It's an ORC requirement. A carabiner or the Wichard Double Action Safety Hook cannot be opened when loaded and therefore should never be used on a safety harness.
- Status