Do you wear or carry a safety-knife when sailing?

Do you carry a knife when sailing?

  • Carry a safety-knife on person

    Votes: 76 44.2%

  • Keep a safety-knife accessible (eg by companionway)

    Votes: 85 49.4%

  • Have no knives on-board except for what's in the cutlery-drawer

    Votes: 11 6.4%
  • Total voters
    172
B

Babylon

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Being paranoid of a rope-tangle or some other such emergency, I have a small folding safety-knife (a flourescent Wichard one which also has a shackle-key) which I always keep in my pocket with a lanyard attached to my belt. But I think I'm in the minority in this practice. Do you wear or carry a safety-knife when underway?
 
Yes i always carry a knife on board (just a pen knife)would like to change to larger serated folding blade can anyone recomend one
 
danielle said:
Yes i always carry a knife on board (just a pen knife)would like to change to larger serated folding blade can anyone recomend one
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I'd recommend the yellow Gerber one, very very sharp and cuts most things easily. It's also small enough that you may actually have it on you when you need it.
 
I keep meaning to put a knife in a clip in the cockpit (there's a good place under the seat across the aft end of it) but haven't quite got round to it. In the meantime, my rigging set (knife, spike and pliers in a sheath on a rope belt) is in a handy spot in the cabin - I ticked your second box as the nearest option although it's not actually accessible from the cockpit.

On Stavros I wear it most of the working day, as it's a bit far to pop down to the accommodation when you come across a reluctant shackle halfway up a mast, but that feels rather pretentious on a yacht.

Pete
 
We both have a decent knife in a strong scabbard attached permanently to our lifejackets.
If there's an emergency its just as likelyto happen on the foredeck as in the cockpit
 
Have a leatherman on my belt, and a safety knife in a holder on the kicker. Used both in anger on more than one occasion.
We view the knife on the kicker as almost disposable, so leave it there come rain or shine so it's never forgotten, then replace it when it rusts.

A good option for cruising boats is to mount the safety knife on the binnacle, especially if you've got a wheel cover to keep it dry and hidden when you're not sailing.
 
One on the tiller plus one inside the companionway. And usually one one my belt / in a pocket but that is not invariably the case.
 
As someone who once back in the late eighties spent 15 minutes trapped at the shooting bar of my small creel boat, with a rope around my leg, steaming around in circles, I should carry a knife at all times, but I don't.
If I was working a creel boat again, I definitely would have knife to hand, as I learned a lesson that day!
 
I used to keep a Green River knife on my belt but once got stopped by plod. With today's shiny-buttons culture it's easier to keep out of trouble by never wearing one so I keep a Capt Curry's set by the companionway.

I once fell overboard and was hanging by one leg caught in the guardrails. I was able to take the knife from my belt and cur the lashing to extricate myself.
 
I dont carry a "safety knife" but I do carry a pen knife in my pocket; just a Swiss Army type with saw blade. There is a knife on a lanyard with pliers connected to the hand hold just inside the companionway, with the knife in the binocular holder.

By The Way
I have encourage my son to carry one as well but have told him that he shouldn't have it in a public place. I want him to use the knife when ashore for whatever boys do with knifes, but not to carry it walking down a street. Its a useful tool but he needs to be aware of the attitude towards knifes today. He actually is more aware than me as the schools have campaigns on knife crime.
 
BlowingOldBoots said:
By The Way
I have encourage my son to carry one as well but have told him that he shouldn't have it in a public place. I want him to use the knife when ashore for whatever boys do with knifes, but not to carry it walking down a street. Its a useful tool but he needs to be aware of the attitude towards knifes today. He actually is more aware than me as the schools have campaigns on knife crime.
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Very wise. When I was living in London I got home from sailing late and wandered into town for some food. Plod was most interested in the Leatherman on my belt. Luckily I was able to convince them I'd just come back from sailing, but they did say that I had now been warned, and if I did it again they'd not be so kind.
 
One one the lifejacket harness, one in the foulies pocket, another in the pocket of what is worn under the foulies, one hanging on the transom life line, and one at each set of jammers on the cockpit.
Think I need a more buoyant lifejacket.
 
I have them all over the place. One easily accessible in the cockpit locker, one in the companionway, one in the companionway steps, one in the anchor locker and two in the toolbox! Ought to bring them home for a good sharpen up though.
 
I usually have a leatherman on me, if not it's in the tray in front of the chart table

We also have a (pink :eek:) Wichard knife with spike and shackle key on the left hand side of the companionway hanging on it's lanyard

On the right hand side is a chuffing big divers knife attached to a fire extinguisher so it can be removed with the extinguisher, or on it's own. (It was just the handiest place to keep it)
 
I always have a knife in my pocket. It doesn't have to be big to be useful, ashore I have a small (French) penknife and on the boat a larger one that will cut any bit of rope I have on board. I've used the Gerber safety knife at work, and although the serrated edge will even cut dyneema easily, it's a bugger to resharpen.
 
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