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Anonymous
Guest
Very scary. things can happen fast. Glad you are OK Bob. You and Marie didn't panic. That surely helped.
A cautionary tale, overboard and boarding ladder.
- Thread starter thataway
- Start date
RobLL":47i33m4h said:
Short of going overboard into the PNW (or any) waters, at least it is worthwhile to think out a plan and go over it many times, checking for that one little thing that might be a catch.
IE: My plan is to use the outboard tilt function to "dump" me into the splashwell. Then one day I realized that when I am at anchor, I was shutting off the main electric switch (1-2-Both-Off). Whoops! Can't get to that switch from in the water. Now, it stays on if I am on the boat. I did some changes to what was on if that switch was on and now I have NO devices that have any battery drain even if the switch was on. Only take off the inflatable PFD to sleep.
Harvey
SleepyC:moon
colbysmith
Active member
I believe that was Lew's plan too. Not sure what happened but doesn't sound like that idea panned out...
Falls for old fogies are accidents. Just like accidents are a major cause of
death in youngsters. In that respect some say we're regressing to childhood.
In many ways, they're right.
But, falls for seniors are serious. Senior seniors might best worry about falls
more than cancer at their advanced age.
And, falls can be serious for anyone. Not just the weakened and aged elderly.
Younger, stronger, healthier and athletic people succumb also.
I date myself (one of the few who dare) mentioning Norm Cash of Detroit Tiger
fame who I knew after his retirement in a marina in Charlevoix. Yes it was on
a dock attempting to board his boat. Yes it was slippery, rainy and nasty. Yes
his BAC was almost 0.2. He was a friendly tank of a guy and died at 51* with
minor conspiracy largely poo-pooed.
Be safe out there. The jungle can take you in many ways.
Aye.
*https://www.vintagedetroit.com/blog/2018/02/10/norm-cash-murdered/
death in youngsters. In that respect some say we're regressing to childhood.
In many ways, they're right.
But, falls for seniors are serious. Senior seniors might best worry about falls
more than cancer at their advanced age.
And, falls can be serious for anyone. Not just the weakened and aged elderly.
Younger, stronger, healthier and athletic people succumb also.
I date myself (one of the few who dare) mentioning Norm Cash of Detroit Tiger
fame who I knew after his retirement in a marina in Charlevoix. Yes it was on
a dock attempting to board his boat. Yes it was slippery, rainy and nasty. Yes
his BAC was almost 0.2. He was a friendly tank of a guy and died at 51* with
minor conspiracy largely poo-pooed.
Be safe out there. The jungle can take you in many ways.
Aye.
*https://www.vintagedetroit.com/blog/2018/02/10/norm-cash-murdered/
Our local Y, and this may be nationwide, is sponsoring a free fall evaluation and prevention day. If there is enough response they will offer a continuing class. Fall prevention is largely about strength, balance, and flexibility. I doubt that this would have stopped what happened to thataway, docks and boats are their own 'critter'.
colbysmith
Active member
Harvey, I wasn't there, so not sure what happened. But posted earlier in this thread:
Lew had taken the foil off his boat. We had not discussed using it in our ladder discussions. Lew may offer an impression at some point. They they were going to haul out today, after running about 40 miles down river to Fort Loudon.
My best guess in assessing the situation at the time, was that Lew was not capable of getting to the trim tilt switch. It was all he could do to hang on the transom, with a life jacket. It Is not all that simple that the motor "spills you into the splash well"--try it some time... I am not sure Lew could have used a ladder even at the point when we arrived...That was going to be Mike's approach if we could not get him in the inflatable. It is possible that a rescue swimmer would have had to go into the water with him...
One of the issues with getting someone into an inflatable is that often, the In Water Person (IWP) tries to stay vertical and climb up and over the tube. It is much easier to bring them up to the surface in a horizontal position, (laying on the side next to the tube) then bring the upper arm and leg into the boat, then roll the far or lower arm and leg into the boat. This eliminates trying to lift the person - half of their body weight at best -- up and over the tube. Bring the leg up first, and the body will follow easier.
Harvey
SleepyC :moon
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.
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!
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.
.
.
Marco Flamingo
Active member
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
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
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.
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.