I thought the French were the safety conscious ones?!

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Have you tried pulling a large man out of the water? I have and failed, even with 3 of us we still failed. He must have weighed about 17 or 18 stone plus wet clothing. Getting someone back onboard is extremely difficult. Had to get to a pontoon so he could use a ladder to get out of the water.
I have, managed to get a 6'4" friend of mine out by bringing him around to the engine (similar size and type of motorboat) so he could get a foot on something to help. He went in by sitting on the side of the tender until it sank while I was opening up the boat. But the bailer in the video doesn't seem to try helping for some reason
 

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From way back, British have thought that regulations were a problem when the French appeared not to be bothered. It's the depth of the observance that makes the difference. Do the French have an equivalent expression to "laisse faire"?
Reminds me of EU rule following. French don't mind EU rules because they won't follow them anyway. We gold plate every rule so are more cautious about creating them perhaps.
 

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The French are not the only ones who screw up, it happens everywhere when people are unprepared and inexperienced, however, it is good to watch and learn. Have a look on YouTube the cock-ups in Greece with the tourist sailors.
I wouldn't suggest that for a second. I had some fun trying to moor in the Baltic at places I was supposed to get a line on 2 posts and bow or stern to the dock. Single handed. Wasn't very gracefully done. Fortunately that was before every boating fail ended up on youtube
 

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From way back, British have thought that regulations were a problem when the French appeared not to be bothered. It's the depth of the observance that makes the difference. Do the French have an equivalent expression to "laisse faire"?
" The Germans will love it, the French will ignore it and the Italians and the Irish will be too chaotic to enforce it. Only the British will resent it." (Sir Humphrey Appleby, on a new ID card)
 

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Yes, I noticed that. Also, it’s clear he was not using a kill-switch lanyard, as once he goes overboard, the boat carries on motoring around in a circle. He was lucky not to be cut up by his own screw.
At what point (size? speed?) do people stop using kill cords? I have serious thought about fitting one for my auxiliary.
 

Capt Popeye

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Have you tried pulling a large man out of the water? I have and failed, even with 3 of us we still failed. He must have weighed about 17 or 18 stone plus wet clothing. Getting someone back onboard is extremely difficult. I had a boarding ladder, not a bathing ladder and he could not get any power from his legs to get out of the water. Had to get to a pontoon so he could use a ladder to get out of the water.

Yes quite so, pulling anyone out of the Water into a boat can be just about impossible at times; when on the Thames we were taught to turn the person so their back was alongside the lowest part of the boat, then TWO others (at least) lift on each arm pulling them over the gunwals and then laying them down on flooring so that any water taken in could drain out of them more easily.

Getting someone 'back on board' a sailing yacht which often are high sided compared to a Day Angling Boat is a feat of Strength and Luck, doubt many Wives could get their Fella back on board, alive anyway ?
 

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"Merde" (without looking it up...)
For situations like in that video perhaps the extended version "puton de merde" (no way thats spelled right) which I'm told means "prostitute of shit". Makes no sense of course but has some nice plosives for more expression in dire situations
 

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At what point (size? speed?) do people stop using kill cords? I have serious thought about fitting one for my auxiliary.
I've never seen one for an inboard engine either. They don't tend to spin the boat in a circle to try and chop your legs off but they will disappear over the horizon.
 

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What should have the helmsman in the white motor boat do on the way in? The waves were not that big, a manageable entrance considering some of the bar crossing videos where the waves are much bigger and the bar is crossed successfully.
This looks to be how you do it with a big motor. Chase the back of the wave in front. No bother at all

And this looks like the way you do it if your motor can't do the above. I thought it was going wrong but can see that when it was clear to him the wave was going to catch him up, the lady on the bow looked like she was point that its there as well, he throttled back, pretty much stopped the boat and let it pass under him. Then you can see the wash as he gives it full power to get as far as possible in before the next one. Looks like he's done it a lot before.

This one seemed like he could have gone surfing to the rocks if the wave had been a bit more powerful as he only just managed to keep on it and steer. Looks like what the beached boat was trying to do. I'm with technique 1 if seriously powerful boat that can actually keep ahead of the waves or number 2 if medium or low power where waves are going to catch up. Number 3 just got lucky.
 

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Very fast/Racing powerboats?
Guess so. But why not yachts and motorboats. I guess its the outboard steering thats the problem though not sure why it turns in circles. A fixed outboard or inboard with tiller steering just carries on its course
 

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Judging by how hard everyone finds getting up their own topsides after swimming, and the equal difficulty of helping a floating person out of the water, shouldn't a proper swimming/boarding ladder be considered just as basic a piece of safety kit as lifejackets are, for all aboard? It may never be needed, till it's suddenly the difference between life and death.

Could be a good forum survey - Who has a ladder that enables a middle-aged low-fitness swimmer to climb aboard?
 

dom

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Guess so. But why not yachts and motorboats. I guess its the outboard steering thats the problem though not sure why it turns in circles. A fixed outboard or inboard with tiller steering just carries on its course


Basically, once the driver falls off and the o/b is left in gear, the force of the propeller blades induces steering torque through the engine drivetrain, which in turn causes the o/b to rotate in the direction of the propeller blades. On small o/bs one can wind-on the steering friction nut but bigger wheel steered ones can end up turning quite quickly when the steering wheel is released.

And the so called circle of death commences. The problem can be solved with multiple engines or even single engine counterrotating props.
 

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Judging by how hard everyone finds getting up their own topsides after swimming, and the equal difficulty of helping a floating person out of the water, shouldn't a proper swimming/boarding ladder be considered just as basic a piece of safety kit as lifejackets are, for all aboard? It may never be needed, till it's suddenly the difference between life and death.

Could be a good forum survey - Who has a ladder that enables a middle-aged low-fitness swimmer to climb aboard?
Anyone have one of these fitted? Any good? Seems like still nowhere very high up on the transom to grab and body weight will swing under the stern. Suppose it depends on the boat Osculati Flushmount Safety Ladder | Force 4 Chandlery

https://dkutenx65dka0.cloudfront.net/product-media/2S3/300/300/Force-4-Flushmount-Emergency-Ladder.jpg
 

dancrane

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Have you tried that contraption, Mr T? I wouldn't want to have to rely on it.

A stiff ladder with rungs that extend 3ft below the waterline, is just about the bare minimum for average people's usability.

I also added captured-pin shackles to the aft end of the lower guardwires, which (once disconnected by somebody aboard) made it possible to scramble over the gunwale into the cockpit. It hadn't crossed my mind that the wire was as great an obstruction to reboarding, as it is to preventing being thrown overboard.

Not that a proper stiff ladder in a locker on board, or detachable guardwires that need someone on deck, will help the inadvertent swimmer who was single-handing.
 
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