A cautionary tale, overboard and boarding ladder.

thataway · Posted: Sun Sep 22, 2019 4:02 pm Post subject:

Thanks for pointing that out Harvey--Floating alone side, leg & arm up, is the technique Marie and I tried to use when I was in the water. It is one we have used in the past. There is also the use of lines or a tarp to roll a person in--also to put floatation aids in the water to help being the victim closer to the surface. Each circumstance is different.

Catman · Posted: Mon Sep 23, 2019 10:41 pm Post subject:

Bill, count me among the oodles of Brats relieved that something much worse didn't occur that day. I've had some near-splashes and nowadays I find myself having to be more careful about things I took for granted just a while ago. Whether it's standing on a ladder to clean the boat, reaching from the dock for that bow line just an inch or two away, helping to push a beast of a cruiser this way or that, walking on a wet boat or dock, and generally thinking more about safety than the task at hand. Also, body mechanics. Because of the C-Dory's low profile, I need to remind myself each time I board or dock to step up and angle my body--or sit on my butt and spin--avoiding the tendency to plant and rotate my foot. Done improperly, I've felt my knee twinge from torque, like a football player cutting left or right and his cleats slowed or stuck in the turf. I don't need a sprained knee or pulled ligament on the boat or out on a trail. Now in my 60's, I just move (and think) more deliberately--trying to maintain what's left!

Lew 25 · Posted: Sat Oct 05, 2019 7:59 pm Post subject:

Long story short. Trim tabs didn't work and 115 hp honda cover is slippery if it is well waxed. No hand points of purchase. 35 hp Honda works very well with a permatrim. I am not sure if I can still swim. Some years ago (5) several miles was not a problem. I don't think I like the idea of a flotation device being the only thing being the difference between the top and bottom of the water. Lesson well learned. That is one way to learn but not always the best.

.

Lew 25 · Posted: Sat Oct 05, 2019 8:10 pm Post subject:

I have picked out a ladder then looked at the price and though that is too expensive. It took less than a half a second to change my mind. That is CHEAP. Lew

Marco Flamingo · Posted: Mon Oct 07, 2019 8:10 pm Post subject:

Just heard from a friend that another friend had a wild accident. He was crabbing out by Sequim when the wind came up. He jumped in the dinghy and went to pull the pots. Before he got there the chop came up and he flipped the boat. His wife and another couple could see him from the shore and called 911. Although a good swimmer, his inflatable life vest didn't inflate so he stayed with the boat and rode the outgoing tide. Wife could see him for a minute, then couldn't see him next to the boat. Must have been terrifying.

Coast Guard responded on the phone that the nearest vessel was a Canadian research vessel. They had an inflatable in the water and came a few miles to rescue him. He told my friend (and not his wife) that he figured after 40 minutes he had less than another 15 minutes.

This is a guy I whitewater kayaked with. He is Mr. Ski Patrol. Mr. CPR. But you pull the string and nothing happens, that changes everything. I've been wearing my inflatable PFDs less and less. I just might throw them out so that I'm not even tempted to think they can save the day. They are better than nothing until they are nothing.

Mark

thataway · Posted: Mon Oct 07, 2019 8:29 pm Post subject:

The question to ask is when was the inflatable life jacket last re-charged and inspected? The literature suggest an interval of inspection of at least once a year. Mustang suggests each time you go out on a trip.

Check the cartridge for rust, the end for puncture and the threads are seated properly in the valve. The manual mechanism to be sure it is free and shows "Green" in the window.

The vest should be inflated manually at least once a year, and checked for leaks over at least a 16 hour period.