boarding ladder saved a life

[drjohn71a]

Well, although not planned out for me, in spite of having a number of MOB aids aboard, the last time I fell overboard I was alone in the cold water looking up at the big yellow Lifesaver emergency ring and the mounts for my TomCat's diving ladder (which was neatly stowed in the forward bunk).

So much for being prepared! I did have a four step ladder mounted on the forward bow area but that was about 3 feet above the water line.

Fortunately, I remembered the Perma Trim plates on the outboards and got over to sit on one of them. If you want to picture a very grateful person, imagine how I felt when, after spending some time trying to figure out how to get all the way up, I looked up one side of the outboard to see that tilt switch right there within easy reach!!! Wheeeew!!!

Just like an elevator, it elevated my out of shape carcass up enough to be dumped onto the swim step!!!

Whoever put those switches there on the side of the outboard saved me a lot of grief and maybe even my life!

So, thanks for that!

John

[drjohn71a]

Well, although not planned out for me, and in spite of having a number of MOB aids aboard, the last time I fell overboard I was alone in the cold water looking up at the big yellow Lifesaver emergency ring and the mounts for my TomCat's diving ladder (which was neatly stowed in the forward bunk).

So much for being prepared! I did have a four step ladder mounted on the forward bow area but that was about 3 feet above the water line.

Fortunately, I remembered the Perma Trim plates on the outboards and got over to sit on one of them. If you want to picture a very grateful person, imagine how I felt when, after spending some time trying to figure out how to get all the way up, I looked up one side of the outboard to see that tilt switch right there within a stretched reach!!! Wheeeew!!!

Just like an elevator, it elevated my out of shape carcass up enough to be dumped onto the swim step!!!

Whoever put those switches there on the side of the outboard saved me a lot of grief and maybe even my life!

So, thanks for that!

John

[rogerbum]

After thinking about it for awhile, I'm guessing that the manually operated self-inflating life vests can be classified as Type III and are sometimes called "stowables" due to them having a reasonably long shelf life when stowed away out of sight. I would guess that the hydrostatic ones could potentially arm while in stowage and depending on when they armed and where they are stored perhaps go unnoticed. At least that's the only rationale I can come up with for allowing the manual ones to be classified as Type III.

Regardless, I'm carrying almost exclusively Type V's and I tell everyone on board that the must wear them for me to be legal. The vests are so comfortable and MOB incidents so unpredictable, it just makes good sense to wear them whenever one is on the water.

[Hunkydory]

Number one thing I got from this thread is now know the self inflating vest needs to be worn in order to count when boat is inspected. Have never been boarded for inspection by any agency on any boat. Thought I knew after much info reading what was needed to pass, but sure missed that one.

Though much good info on this thread about the need for boarding ladder it still remains low on my priority list for a long cruise when all storage space comes at a decision of what must remain behind. Seems to me with all the excepted hazards of a long wilderness type cruise this hazard ranks pretty low. Do ware Mustang Jacket or self inflating life jacket in what I consider hazardous conditions or most times when setting the anchor or out on the bow or going from cockpit to bow along the outside of cabin. Do not normally ware life vest when inside the cabin or in the cockpit. Of course any children aboard must have one on at all times. For us the trim tabs and motor tilt to motor well will have to do along with the Mokai kayak or dingy if one of us goes overboard. With the dingy along always felt if Jo-Lee or I went over and with the aid of trim tabs or motor tilt couldn't reboard one or the other could quickly cut loose the dingy or use the Mokai for the rescue.

The one time I came really close to needing a vest and of course not waring one was while docked in preparation to load boaT on trailer at launch dock. Was recovering from elbow surgery which made my left arm useless. Boat was tied very loosely to dock and stepped with one foot aboard the bow just behind the bow railing to remove an item from the bow. Ended up doing the classic leg splits from boat to shore. Didn't go into the water where I easily could have knocked my self out and then been trapped between the boat and dock but did severely pull my hamstring muscle on the leg that was on shore in the process of trying to get the rest of the body there. This was on Yellowstone Lake and Jo-Lee ended up loading the boat by herself and then driving me to the Hospital in Jackson, Wy. So I quess a point could be made for using the lifejacket whether in the boat or on the dock. I'm more careful in the loading process, but still no jacket on while doing it.

Jay

[ffheap]

Hi Folks,

Good story and two good topics.

As for the boarding ladder, I purchased a ladder from West Marine and PERMENTLY ATTACHED it to my starboard stern. I do a lot of singlehanded boating and if I slip and go overboard I want to get back on board. More lives are lost on people falling overboard and not being able to get back aboard.

As for a life jackets. We at the USCGAux and USPS (I belong to both) are pushing the idea of wearing a life jacket whenever we go out boating. I wear a manual inflatable which is very comfortable.

Fred

[rogerbum]

Jay,

I don't know if it's true or not but I have heard that the most frequent MOB occurrence is while at the dock. So, yes, I think it's a great idea to wear a pfd on the dock but most of us never do. I've seen many people go in the water while docking, launching etc. It's at those times when injury often results as there's more stuff around to catch on or to knock one's head on. If one is in a remote area or boating in a place without others around at the time, it's definitely a good idea to don the pfd anytime you're near water. Also, kids on the dock should probably have a pfd on at all times.

[Nunya]

I keep a large gaff hook on port side in rod holder. As people come aboard I let them know this is how I recover anyone that falls overboard...........haven't lost anyone yet! In fact I can't get them close enough to the gunnel to fish.

Humor aside, if I'm out alone fishing I tie a floating line onto a cleat and throw it overboard. Gives me something to pull myself back aboard with.

[hardee]

Inflatable PFD when on the dock or launching is a good idea. I need to be better at wearing it on the lunch ramp. The water may be shallow, but the possibility of drowning from the cold water shock, or head injury from a fall could be reduced by have the PFD on and at the ready.

Harvey
SleepyC

[thataway]

Thanks to Bill and Jay. I went into the book store in Ketchican and in the Alaska section someone had left a copy of “Deep Survival” right on the front shelf! Talk about fate!

Deep Survival by Laurence Gonzales is very interesting—not sure that I agree 100% with all of his thoughts, mainly because I am not into Zen…but I am sure that there is “something” there. I had a very specific interest, since his father, a main theme in the book was teaching at Baylor Med when I was a student there. The author describes very accurately a hallway I walked many times to the anatomy lab-when he was 5 years old and working in his fathers lab in 1958. I would have remembered his father, if he had lectured to me, so I can only conclude that since I started there in 1957,that his father didn’t lecture the frosh med students until fall 1958.

Certainly I would recommend this book to any one who ventured out of the mainstream of life. This would include boaters who go into remote areas or cross oceans---but probably should include every boater. For example the football players in the 22 foot open boat off The Ft. Meyers area, who tried to pull the anchor, by the stern, swamped and rolled the boat—then two died, and one survived. The two who died gave up. The one who survived didn’t. But—one has to remember that the entire accident was caused by not watching the weather, not having the judgment to cut the anchor line, when it was hung up, rather than risking the boat, and by not having locator beacons, and submersiable VHF radios—a lot of mistakes. Many survival conditions are a series of compounded errors—not just one simple accident—and the survival of some vs the death of others in similar circumstances emphasize this.

What training? He recommends survival school, outward bound or similar experiences. I grew up scouting and eventually became an Eagle Scout—that certainly prepared me for many challenges, but it also taught me to always have situational awareness, and to always be prepared to survive. I used to do a lot of solo hiking and back packing—certainly risky behavior. But I had read a lot of survival techniques (a book called “wildwood wisdom” was my “bible”. I had also practiced some survival skills. I always had adequate clothing, protection, a firearm and someway to make a fire—even on day hikes. My children got a lesson in survival when a bear got our food on the first day of a 3 day trip. They learned we don’t panic, we look at what resources were available in the Sierra and then move on using these resources. (mother bear had sent a cub up the tree and the cub slid down the rope which the pack containing the food was in—and brought it to the ground.),

In boating, certainly taking as many of the courses offered by Power Squadron and CG aux as possible are a good start. Boating with others who have more experience and learning from them is also helpful. Also reading heavy weather and survival stories will help prepare. Finally maping out each potential “diseaster” and preparing for it ahead of time stacks the odds. Gonzales, emphasizes the mental attitude as being the most important in survival.

Getting back on target,--anyone who had not already practiced boarding with clothes on and in cold water, needs to really think this one out very carefully—you are now one of those people in the book—“What were they thinking”—by not being prepared. We are not big on life jackets but when I was a kid, the times I fell overboard were mostly at the dock. Once at sea, once getting into the dinghy (we didn’t have a dock and were tied to pilings right after WWII), and at least twice jumping on or off the boat. I have lost at least two good fiends who drowned when they fell overboard at the dock. The only person who fell off one of my boats was when were were rafting to another boat. Not only does a harness inflatable type of jacket provide floatation, but also a “grab point” or hoisting point” to get a person aboard!