MAN OVER BOARD!!!!!!

Chuckpacific":1o8qp9d9 said:
When offering guests PFDs I inevitably hear something like, 'But I'm a strong swimmer...'

My reply is, 'If you go 'in' and you're not wearing a PFD your first priority is keeping afloat (swimming). If you're wearing a PFD you can then go to your next priority (like getting rescued, helping someone else or giving assistance to the situation).'
Click to expand...
My solution to the occasional guest who did want to wear a PFD is to only keep inflatable PFD's on board (or at least tell my guests that's all I have). Then, since the inflatables only count if they are worn, I explain that the law requires that they are worn. That makes it much easier as it is not just me requiring that the PFD is worn. I like your explanation better though I may combine that with the legal one.

I think the key thing to remember is that very few people plan on going overboard. The very nature of an accident is that it is unexpected. A PFD on at all times is the only way I know of to assure that one has auxiliary floatation when an accident occurs.
 
I use inflatable PFD's for myself and guests. My explanation is that they are required to be worn to count. The non inflatables are for heavy weather/seas service. They are not required to ware anything but then again they are not required to ride in/on my boat.

Early this spring I was handing 2 inflatables to a couple to put on on the dock, before boarding. While I was helping him, she pulled the yellow T handle. Yup, it cost a few $$ to replace that CO2 cartridge, but it was sure better than having a MOB and not having a vest on.

Mark, glad your friends came out OK. Could have been a very different story. And we know that just because they are good cops, does not mean they are experienced boaters. Bet that other skipper won't be missing that safety lecture from now on.

Harvey
SleepyC

:moon
 
We were stationary, surrounded by lots of other stationary boats and loads of wakes from nearby traffic refracting off the stone shoreline nearby during the Tacoma air show. I was doing the outside to inside transition on the port side and while going from above to the cockpit under the canvas, I had a large wake pitch the boat while transitioning hands and it tossed me off. I had one hand on a bar on the roof but I was crouched and too far out of balance to recover. I let go and took a quick dip. Cindie did notice me missing and heard the splash and were surprised it happend. I usually move around the boat like that in much calmer water and I should have moved a little more deliberately but we were still and there was no moving traffic close by or current.

On my birthday no less. No injuries and the self inflating PFD I always wear worked perfect after about a 3 second delay. While I was in there I tried to come up directly over the side of the cockpit just for kicks but that really is truely not practical for anyone at any age on our boat. So I spun over the the swimstep I so gladly re-installed and pulled down the ladder and was up and out easily in seconds.

It was overall a great weekend and I got my third practice session(first two were maintenance related tests) on repacking and reloading a pfd while out boating. We carry one reload onboard for each vest and a spare foam vest also.

Fun weekend and the boat is doing great for us.

Greg
 
A couple of weekends ago, I had a friend on board for the PT Rowing Races safety boat duty. We had gone through the initial boat orientation, throw-ables, inflatables, VHF, gears to neutral and the whole list. When asked about the MOB button on the plotter, (Raymarine) I explained that it would place a waypoint right where we were and keep it there so we could keep track of the spot as we moved the boat around preparing to retrieve the overboard individual. As I did so I pushed the button. It works, with an intermittent beep, continuing to sound every 15 to 20 seconds. Oh, ah, I forgot how to turn that thing off......for a while. Eventually we figured it out. Push the button again. Had not done it since I first got the boat, and it had been a while. Good to know, practice and refresh once in a while.

Greg, sure glad you got back on board OK.

Harvey
SleepyC :moon
 
Stupid part on the captain for not making the dude with boot wear a pfd if not all his crew. Stupid part on letting the guy get on the gunwale, standing to piss whether his buddy was holding him or not. Get a plastic milk jug and cut a hole in it for a piss. Just stupid all around but glad it came out good this time!!!!!!!
 
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