Conventional harness wisdom wrong?

[Twister_Ken]

Just reached the point in "Sailing the Pacific" where our hero falls off.

Conditions, nighttime, running downwind, boat overpowered in a tradewind squall. Woken by graunchy noises he comes on deck groggy wearing only boxer shorts, sees what's going on, puts on harness and then jacket over harness, lets go genny sheet to furl, but it jams in fairlead. Goes forward to free it and next thing he knows he is being towed along underwater. Heck of a struggle to get his head clear to breath. Does so then finds he cannot pull himself up to deck level (only about 3 feet on a Twister) against the force of water. Each time he tries he fails and is getting weaker. Realises that water filling his jacket is major factor in force of water acting on him. Manages to roll on back, and unzip top half of his jacket, but bottom half of zip is scrunched up around harness and is jammed. manages to tear zip out of jacket and it is dragged down over his legs and away. He then catches gunwhale and waits for the boat to roll to windward, which scoops him far enough out of water that he can scramble back aboard, now starkers (boxers have disappeared somewhere astern).

Makes you question:
a) wisdom of wearing harness over jacket (he'd never have got jacket off)
b) wisdom of jackets with built-in harness (ditto)
c) wisdom of going forward on leeward side (Twister is small enough that if he gone up on windward side, and come around the front of the mast, he'd probably have been able to reach the fairlead with no slack in his tether. Failing that, he could have hooked on to one of the points on the mast.

So, do shorthanded sailors need to rethink the way they wear a harness?

 

[Guest]

Six of one and half a dozen of the other. Taken to its logical conclusion we’d do everything in the nude. Better for some than others!

Some would say that having some clothing on traps the water and keeps you warm should you go in the drink.

As for harness inside coat – I’m not sure you could do that with my oilies. In any case the life jacket is integral – I’m not sure what would happen if inflated inside the jacket – might lead to even bigger problems.

Geoff

 

[AndrewB]

Don\'t believe it.

I read that bit, and thought about the height of my freeboard (low by modern standards). Scooped up on the windward side by a roll? Absolutely no way! It would take an unimaginable adrenaline rush to get back up the side. Probably die of heart failure.

Mental note to self to work out a way whereby harness could be transferred while being dragged along, allowing me to move back to the stern where there is more chance.

 

[Twister_Ken]

Superhuman

>It would take an unimaginable adrenaline rush to get back up the side<

On one of my two trips over the side I pulled my self back up one-handed on the guardrail, something I had never been able to do before (nor since), even in gym kit and with easily-gripped wallbars.

 

[bedouin]

I certainly think conventional harness wisdom is based on there being someone left on the boat to help - at least to stop the boat if nothing else.

As a single hander there are two difficult issues.

(a) how to climb back on board and
(b) how to move round to get to the ladder (or whatever).

The second is the harder - and seems to be almost impossible without a 3 clip harness.

 

[sailbadthesinner]

Re: Superhuman

i can well imagine you are right

is that why they say the old bilge pumps were no match for a frightened man and a bucket?

Come on brain.get this over and i can go back to killing you with beer

 

[ianwright]

Two things:-
If I fall off at anchor or on a mooring I have a plank and rope pilot ladder over the side as soon as I stop.

If I fall OB on the move I know I can't get back, so I do my best not to go OB. This means my harness is fitted with three clips, maximum length of harness under three feet and clipped to a center jack stay.
Not fool proof, nothing is, but if I stay on the dry parts of the boat my risk of drowning is reduced.

IanW

Vertue 203, Patience

 

[Peppermint]

Whatever it takes

stay on the boat.

To this end your spot on with centre jackstays, safe routes and thinking about tether length.

We always evaluate crewed man overboard situations with the potential of the victim to be unable to help themselves. If your alone and unable to help yourself thats it.

As to Lifejacket/harness combo's Try climbing through your guardrails with your lifejacket inflated. I did in a falling out of the dinghy accident at anchor. It would have been impossible alone with a moving boat.

I belive that should I fall overboard offshore while singlehanding I will die. Focus's the mind.

 

[ianwright]

Belive it,,,,,,,,,,

I belive a number of things, at least I act as though they are truth.

Radar reflecors don't reflect radar.
Big ships have no watch keepers.
If they have then he's not looking my way.
Electronic aids (gps) will fail at night, in fog, in a gale or at the same time as my chart table pencil breaks.
The engine will not work when I most need it.
Anyone who falls from a boat under way is dead.

IanW.

Vertue 203, Patience