Rather than hi-jack the currently active thread about restoring companionway steps to be safe from feet slipping, I thought to start a new topic along the same concern for safety.
Toe Rail Peril!
Maybe its mostly unrecognized -- but stepping onto or off a sailboat from the dock also is high on the slippage risk scale. Particularly for boats fitted with anodized aluminum toe rails. I know this because I came close to serious injury several years ago when I didn't notice that my dock neighbor had just washed his boat. From the dock, my boat shoes picked up the wetness of his project and also his "environmentally friendly" soap. Stepping up on my toe rail with my full weight on one foot as I had done countless times before, my foot suddenly slipped off. Happened just as quickly as if I had stepped on a rail of ice. My knee buckled down and my shin crashed onto the toe rail. Extreme pain. I still have the dent on my shin bone. And while my knee still functions well, it has never been quite the same since.
Now concerned that on any wet day from rain or sea spray after sailing:
1) I didn't want a repeat ever again, and;
2) Maybe a similar occurrence might be a liability issue if the same happened to a guest; ...
... I decided to cover the step-up area part of my toe rail as in the attached photo. The self stick 3M product is good for several years. But needs to be occasionally replaced.
Toe Rail Peril!
Maybe its mostly unrecognized -- but stepping onto or off a sailboat from the dock also is high on the slippage risk scale. Particularly for boats fitted with anodized aluminum toe rails. I know this because I came close to serious injury several years ago when I didn't notice that my dock neighbor had just washed his boat. From the dock, my boat shoes picked up the wetness of his project and also his "environmentally friendly" soap. Stepping up on my toe rail with my full weight on one foot as I had done countless times before, my foot suddenly slipped off. Happened just as quickly as if I had stepped on a rail of ice. My knee buckled down and my shin crashed onto the toe rail. Extreme pain. I still have the dent on my shin bone. And while my knee still functions well, it has never been quite the same since.
Now concerned that on any wet day from rain or sea spray after sailing:
1) I didn't want a repeat ever again, and;
2) Maybe a similar occurrence might be a liability issue if the same happened to a guest; ...
... I decided to cover the step-up area part of my toe rail as in the attached photo. The self stick 3M product is good for several years. But needs to be occasionally replaced.
