Are overweight people a liability on a boat.

[Moonshining]

Coming to a place near you. The ginger gene is dominant, hence the number of gingers are increasing according to my son who learned this in 3rd year Biology.

You should go and thump the biology teacher. As any fule kno, ginger, like blue eyes, is a recessive gene. Two gingers will always produce a ginger child, but you can have two non-ginger parents and if they both have the ginger gene lurking in the background, they've got a 25% chance of a ginger child.

 

[Nostrodamus]

Bit emotive but.....I'm fat and could and have fallen over a flat pavement. I do fit in our heads tho.

The main problem, for me, isn't the getting in and out of the dinghy on my own boat, it's getting in and out of the dinghy on other peoples boats and I would say that is due to being clumsy as oppose to overweight. I also worry that when people offer to help me on board I will end up pulling them into the sea with me, again not because I'm fat, because I am just clumsy enough to do that.

Looks like its your boat for drinks tonight then!

 

[Deleted member 36384]

You should go and thump the biology teacher. .....

Nobody needs thumping. It is highly likely that I got it wrong.

 

[AntarcticPilot]

Sailing is disasterous for weight, at least at the sedate cruising level.

Well, the good news is that I invariably lose weight after a week sailing - and I fit your definition of "sedate cruising". The reason is that even when I'm not doing much, the boat is constantly moving, and my body is balancing against the motion constantly. Of course, there are bursts of much higher activity when tacking, setting or reducing sail, weighing anchor and so on.

That's good news as I'm only just not overweight!

 

[sailor211]

If they can shuffle from one side to the other then they are legal moveable ballast when racing.

On one 1/2 tonner the skipper employed a couple of heavies to moveable ballast!! made the boat go faster, however the skinny remaining crew member said it was unsafe as he had to do all the work, changing headsails, raising spinnaker, making tea, as the fat guys had to stay in place.

 

[Clive]

well I am 18½st and race my dinghy and my yacht. it is me that has to jump on to the foredeck when thing go wrong, or the anchor is stuck. these "small" people just don't have the strength to do the hard jobs. having said that I do sometime struggle to get back into my Solo, but the colder the water the quicker I seem to get back into the boat, again it is just brite strength that pulls me into the boat.

I guess the problem may arrise is if I am hit on the head and can't use my strength. well if you have to go, it is better sailing than sitting in a chair watching TV.

 

[TiggerToo]

...The ginger gene is dominant, hence the number of gingers are increasing according to my son who learned this in 3rd year Biology.

... continuing with the biology lesson (see post above). I am afraid that "dominance" has nothing to do with the increase in frequency of certain alleles (variants).

Back to Skool, Old Boots

 

[Sailfree]

What about old people? Or the disabled? Is it me or is there something kind of fascist about this thread?
I worry about really thin people getting hypothermia quicker than "normal" people.

No its just you being sensitive.

Lets speak plainly if you can't see your dick - you are either too fat or a girl! ones OK the other is not so healthy. Plain enough and no politics!

 

[Deleted member 36384]

No its just you being sensitive.

Lets speak plainly if you can't see your dick - you are either too fat or a girl! ones OK the other is not so healthy. Plain enough and no politics!

Well, there is no need to be insensitive either. You can refer to obese people without mentioning ability to see "dick".

 

[Lakesailor]

Well-Rigged is a well-rounded but he can see his dick.

 

[Sailfree]

Well-Rigged is a well-rounded but he can see his dick.

I will take your word for it!!

 

[silver-fox]

I think Nostro is onto something here.

Clearly one can be too fat to be a competent sailor, but one can also be too tall, short, weak and stupid. Maybe in the more fashionable places one can be too old or too ugly

It seems to me there are only two rational choices...

- extend the ICC to cover these subjects or -
- leave it to nature to select those fit to continue sailing

I have a friend who believes some evidence of self selection can be seen merely by observing the difference between raggies and stinkies and the preponderance of fat, ugly, stupid, bad tempered saillors in the one group. Its not something I have had time to study - maybe others have?

 

[Lakesailor]

one can be too old or too ugly

Have you met many forumites?

 

[Nostrodamus]

I fall into the stupid and ugly category but at least I am not ginger.

 

[BlueSkyNick]

Got a Lifejacket for their size/ weight ?

This is not relevant. I am average size and weight whilst the vast majority of people are shorter and light than me. I bought a 275N Life jacket on the basis that my size plus oilies, boots etc would be a problem. When I went on a Sea Survival course, I regretted it, as the difficulties of climbing anywhere, either back on board or into a life raft, are greatly increased.

A standard LJ suits any adult body size, the larger versions are for workers who might be wearing or carrying something heavy when they fall in.

 

[Applescruffs]

Doesn't fat float on water ?

It's the skinny ones that sink !

 

[photodog]

This is not relevant. I am average size and weight whilst the vast majority of people are shorter and light than me. I bought a 275N Life jacket on the basis that my size plus oilies, boots etc would be a problem. When I went on a Sea Survival course, I regretted it, as the difficulties of climbing anywhere, either back on board or into a life raft, are greatly increased.

A standard LJ suits any adult body size, the larger versions are for workers who might be wearing or carrying something heavy when they fall in.

I test inflated our 275s year before last... And decided to replace them with 180's.

I think in extremise they would be good.... But for normal sailing they are a liability. just WAY WAY to big.

 

[Applescruffs]

I fall into the stupid and ugly category but at least I am not ginger.

OOOOOOO......Handbags at twenty paces girls.....

 

[lustyd]

I fall into the stupid and ugly category but at least I am not ginger.

redheads are the hottest though surely...

 

[mjcoon]

I am average size and weight whilst the vast majority of people are shorter and light than me.

That sounds like the well known statistic that the vast majority of (not majority of vast...) drivers are better drivers than the average.

I suppose a bit like Pooh Bear who got stuck in Rabbit's burrow, an overwieght person who falls overboard and is too heavy to recover will just have to be towed around until light enough...

Mike.