Conference unifix::sailing

On our old boat we carried the CG-mandated equipment and I think felt
reasonably comfortable. Fire extinguishers were mounted on bulkheads at
each end of the cabin. We never had a fire (I was VERY careful about
that!!) and did actually replace one of the extinguishers when it failed a
pressure test. They were the type you tested by pushing a little button in
and it was supposed to pop back out if the pressure was adequate. 

Man overboard - Never held a drill. Thought about it. My wife was really
afraid of handling the boat alone and I could never get her to try it.
With two kids on board now I hope things will be different. I've read
that the best approach would be to treat a drill as a game. first, you
pick up preservers and then you do it with real people. 

Life jackets - Only put one on once. We were on a friend's boat and got
caught in a front. When we started to take green water over the bow he had
everyone put on jackets and tie on lifelines. On my own boat I never felt
the need to put on vests. I did, on a couple occasions put a harness on
when working on the foredeck.

When to go out? - I tried to base this decision on who was aboard. If
we had real novices and it was gettin' on to blow, we did crackers,
cheese, bridge and LL Bean's. 

The times I got into trouble were the times that I rushed things and didn't
think them out before hand and didn't get everything ready. Being prepared
for what you're going to do is the biggest part of safety.

Didn't mean to run on at the mouth..

Ed 

The Offshore Racing Council Special Regulations Governing Minimum
Equipment and Accomodation Standards is a good list of the safety
features and equipment that should be on a boat based on the waters it
is sailed in. 

I believe that safety has several aspects -- planning for problems, boat
handling skill, and equipment at least. One must plan ahead for
emergencies and/or hazardous situations. Recovering an overboard crew
member is just one example. Getting back to the person is only part of
the problem. How do you get him/her out of the water? Can you sail the
boat alone? I have singlehanded our 32' cutter. Julie has sailed the
boat herself when practicing man overboard drills. The boat is rigged
for relatively easy singlehanding since we make overnight passages with
just the two of us aboard. Yet we both recognize that if either of us
goes overboard in bad weather, survival is problematical. Thus we use
safety harnesses at night and in rough weather. 

Safety is also knowing how to sail your boat in bad weather, for sooner
or later you will have to. Our first boat couldn't sail to weather in
much more than 20 to 25 knots -- too small and tender. In the Corinthian
200 race this year we sailed our present boat at over 6 knots closed
hauled in 35 to 45 knots of winds and 6 to 10 foot seas with a 100% jib and
double reefed main. We knew the weather would be as bad as it was. 

The question should not be how bad does the weather have to be before
you won't go sailing, but rather how bad can the weather get before you
can reach a safe harbor. We have been caught in two gales in the Gulf of
Maine. Returning from Nova Scotia we let the autopilot steer a beam
reach. Our speed was 4 to 6 knots with only a triple reefed main up. The
other gale was even worse, partly because we didn't know how to sail in
heavy weather. Learned quickly. 

Even if you sail only an hour or two from a harbor, you should be
prepared for quite bad weather -- two years ago we were caught by a 50
to 60 knot (estimated) squall a couple of miles outside Provincetown
Harbor. The wind was strong enough that the lee rail was well down close
reaching with double reefed main and 60% jib. We simply hove to until
the squall passed. 'Simply' because we had tried it earlier in calmer
times. 

Another safety skill is anchoring. Can you drop and raise anchor 
under sail? We have done both, but we would not try anchoring under sail 
in either a small harbor or bad conditions unless we were desperate. We 
need more practice. Have you worked out how to anchor with more than one 
anchor? We've used two anchors on a few occasions. How about sailing in 
crowded conditions? We sail in and out of Marblehead regularly. Thus we 
are ready when we have to sail into or out of tight places. 

Safety also depends on some equipment not considered safety equipment as 
well as safety equipment. For us, we believe our safety and sometimes 
survival depend on: 

o really good foul weather clothing (ours is Line 7)
o being able to cook in really bad weather -- two gimballed stoves,
  a protective bar to keep the cook from falling against the main
  stove, and a strap to keep the cook in place
o safety harnesses -- we can connect ours before leaving the cabin
o radar reflector
o EPIRB
o masthead strobe light
o MOB pole, strobe, horseshoe, and drogue
o VHF
o loran
o RDF
o autopilot
o lee cloths on the two settee berths so that we can sleep in any
  weather
o Avon liferaft
o storm jib and trysail
o 4 fire extinguishers (one Halon)
o three anchors and three long rodes
o a complete set of NOAA and CHS charts of the areas we sail in
o and so on

Sailing isn't safe, but it isn't necessarily dangerous if you take 
reasonable care and plan ahead for at least the common hazards and if 
you develop the sailing skills necessary to cope with tough situations. 
It also helps to recognize the limits of your abilities. We're not 
confident enough to plan a Bermuda trip yet. Perhaps the biggest danger 
in everyday sailing is the other sailor and powerboaters. Too often they 
are drunk or stupid or ignorant or arrogant. Sorry if this sounds too much 
like your mother preaching.

Alan

	I'm the kind of guy that wants to be around to sail tomorrow.  I 
believe in not taking too many chances.  In the last 4 years, I've taken 
the Power Squadron and Coast Guard Boating Safety Courses and 3 cruising
courses at the Jack Leverenz Sailing School in Florida.  The PS and CG 
courses were great for learning about safety procedures but it wasn't until 
I had a chance to experience them that I really learned.

	I've 'practiced' man overboard drills, both with fenders and people.  
(The instructor decided to go over the side..... it's a long story.)
I've 'practiced' taking on water, with a through hull opened to the sea.  
(The instructor wanted to see how long it would take the crew to notice 
that we were taking on water.)  It's amazing how confusing it can get when 
these things happen, even with a lot of practice and an experienced crew.  
Another thing we practiced was going aground.  Beware the channel marker 
that's drifted!

	The heaviest weather I've sailed in was 30-35 knots gusting to 40 
or so, with 9-10 ft quartering seas.  That was at 0200 - 0400 hours.  It 
was dark, wet, windy, cold and exciting!  Any crew who were topsides had on 
PFD's, foul weather gear, and safety harnesses.  We made hourly checks of 
the rigging and lifelines.  We also updated our position on our charts and 
in our log hourly, in case we had to call for help.  Fortunately, we didn't 
have any problems, but we were prepared.

	I think that one of the most important safety items is to pre-plan 
your trip carefully.  Think ahead before any maneuver, be it leaving the 
dock, coming about, jibing, anchoring, etc..  

	One last thing.  Before leaving the dock, I make sure I tell my 
crew not to take any unnecessary chances.  If there's the slightest chance 
that they may get hurt, they're to think of themselves before the boat.  I 
can replace my boat, but not my friends.

    Thought I'd reprint (without permission) this report from Sail because I
    believe complacency is our greatest enemy.  I was shocked. It also reminds
    me how few "golden rules" I have...
    /Mark
    *****                              
    
    TRAGIC GYBE CLAIMS LIFE OF SAFETY-AT-SEA EXPERT
    
    Those who go to sea have long suspected that potent giant of taking only her
    strongest adversaries.  In a cruel manifestation of this belief, the sea
    took the life of 65-year-old physician Raymond N. Brown of Annapolis, MD, on
    September 30, after an accidental gybe knocked him into 59-degree waters 3
    miles southeast of Block Island. 
    
    Brown, medical director for C&P Telephone Co of MD, had more than 30 years
    of sailing experience.  He served as navigator aboard "Running Tide" during
    the venerable 60-footer's most successsful yesars and was a member of the
    Annapolis YC's race committee, a volunteer sailing coach at the U.S. Naval
    Academy, and a lecturer for the Academy's annual Safety-At-Sea Seminar. 
    
    Brown was a respected expert in safety at sea, a detail-minded sailor who
    left nothing to chance.  But on Saturday, September 30, the sea dealt an
    unforgiving hand.  Brown, his wife, Virginia, his son Sayers, and four
    others were sailing the Browns' recently launched Alden 50, "Banquet", from
    Newport, R.I., to their home in Annapolis MD, where their dream boat was to
    appear in the U.S. Sailboat Show. 
    
    A frontal passage, packing 40-kn southerly winds kept Brown and his crew
    from leaving the Alden yard in Portsmouth as planned, on Friday, 9/29.
    Instead, they took the boat to Newport and waited. 
    
    Winds changed around midnight, shifting from the south to the north and
    decreasing to 10-15 knts.  Brown stood the first watch, midnight to 0400
    hours., then went below to review the charts.  Then, wearing neither his
    life jacket nor harness, he returned to the cockpit and went forward for a
    closer look at the jib. 
    
    From his better vantage point, Brown instructed helmsman Sayers Brown to
    come up, then head off, then to come back up again in an effort to properly
    set the job.  This job was made harder by the strong current of The Race.
    While Raymond Brown was intent on watching the sail with his flashlight, the
    wind shifted, and the boom swung across the boat in an accidental gybe,
    striking him and knocking him overboard in 2- to 4- foot seas at around 0430
    hours. 
    
    The crew immediately turned the boat around and deployed the man-overboard
    gear.  The circled the area for 6 hours before returning to Portsmouth.
    U.S. Coast Guard stations fro Pt. Judith, Woods Hole, Brooklyn, and Block
    Island suspended their sea and air searches at 1305 on 9/30. 
    
    For those of us who knew him, nothing could be harder to come to terms with
    than the knowledge that Raymond Brown lost his life after he violated one of
    his own golden rules - noone was allowed out of the cockpit at night, unless
    it was an emergency.  An though the luffing job was not an emergency, it was
    Brown's style never to settle for less than perfection. 
    
                                                            

    Has anyone here tried wearing a type 1 (ocean) PFD for dinghy sailing? 
    Up to now I've always worn my type 3 (compact) vest, but mostly have 
    sailed on lakes and in enclosed salt water. 
    
    Partly this is because I'm chicken (or sensible, depending
    on how you look at it), and partly it's because I feel more confident
    with a PFD on and am thus able to concentrate on racing.
    
    Next summer I hope to expand my horizons a bit, and may end up on
    some salt water that, while still enclosed, is pretty big (at least
    compared to the lakes I've been on up to now). How realistic is it
    to plan to wear a type 1 PFD ALL the time?
    
    I expect to capsize, so an inflatable is probably not practical.
    
    Doug. 

    Have you considered an inflatable PFD? With a dinghy, getting knocked
    out with the boom may not be a worry. If you are likely to get wet, 
    then a manually actuated model might be necessary, but mine provides
    something like 35 lbs flotation, yet is very compact till needed
    
    Bill
    

    In our recent passage around the "horn" of the state of Michigan, we
    wore those compact inflatables that are like a small belly pack. Quite
    comfortable and also quite effective. 
    
    I bought two 38gr CO2 carts and we tried them out in the pool before we
    ever wore them on the boat. Huge orange bladders! My wife's armpits
    were almost out of the water. Repacking is a bit of chore but the
    instructions include how to's.
    
    Be sure and dry thoroughly before packing......
    

    The question is, what happens when you capsize more than once? At my
    level of expertise, capsizing is a routine event, particularly on
    a boat like a Laser or a similar racing dinghy. As I understand it,
    the inflatable jackets only inflate once before needing a recharge.
    Is that correct?
    
    Doug.

    I used to do 100 mile races on beach Catamarans. We used to get out
    10-12 miles into the ocean without even thinking about it. High
    likelyhood of going over and being by myself or with a crewperson.  I use
    really good class 3  (Omgeas) PFDs. They are so comfortable you will
    wear it all the time. They work with harnesses and wet/dry suits
    (mandatory if you are going out a ways, as the water is always cold).
    
     They take the abuse without being a hassle. Most PFD articles are written
    for crusing types who have no expectation of swimming. You have a 
    different need. A type 1 is to roll your head out of the water should
    you be knocked out. Damn hard to do on laser. The type 3 will float you
    for hours (been there, done it, hated it). The Omegas are not real
    cheap PFDs, but cheap insurance. Most type 1 make you look like the
    Pillsbury Dough Boy. They are too bulky for quick moves. There is
    finally a move afoot to legislate some sanity (ie give up the ulimate
    in bobbing ability for a higher likelyhood the person will wear it).
    For dingy sailing, that is a good class 3. Check any major regetta and
    see what they are wearing...   
    
    john
    
    ps don't forget to by yellow ones and add reflective tape. Ever
    try and find someone in bad seas only 2 feet off the water wearing a 
    blue PFD?
    
    
    
    The inflatables are meant for 1 time deal (ie you weren't expecting to
    go swimming).  Try on some real type 3s (not those wussy water ski
    jackets) for feel. 

    I have an Omega class 3 PFD and wear it all the time. I tried on a
    class 1 vest at West Marine last week and it's actually not too bad.
    The biggest wierdness is that most of the floatation is in the front,
    presumably to help turn you over. It seems like with a bit of
    adjustment and some more classy design effort (like the Omega ones),
    a reasonably wearable class 1 jacket could be constructed.
    
    Does Omega have a class 1 jacket aimed at regular use? Maybe I should
    try to contact them and suggest that, with the flury of recent
    drownings, more people are likely to be interested in such a product...
    
    Doug.