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

[Slow_boat]

As an ex, what can plod do if we carry our little swiss army knife at all times?
Stu

You should be okay if it has a non-locking blade under 3'' long. Most multi tools have 'locking' or 'butterfly' blade, so carrying them puts the burden of proof on you to show you have 'reasonable cause' the quoted examples being chef, carpet fitter. Theoretically, any non locking blade under 3'' requires no justification. Leisure use of a knife counts as reasonable cause, so a blade of longer than 3'' and locking is fine in a public place but dependent on place and use ie fine for a fisherman whilst fishing on a riverbank but not in the riverside pub nearby, not when out for a walk along the riverbank and not fishing.

Flick-knives are, of course, still illegal, however much as kids we tried to justify trying to get one by using the scenario of a cought fishing line needing a one-handed knife!

Having said all that, any sharply pointed implement can be illegal in a public place, depending on use and circumstances. The legislation is mainly the criminal justice act, though the ofensive weapons act may also come into play. Anything may be construed an offensive weapon depending on adaptation and use. ie a snooker ball in a sock or even a glass or ashtray.

The criminal justice act depends on 'common sense' which the last government tried to do away with with something called 'sanctioned detections' and other targets. That's gone now but it may take a while to find the baby that was thrown out with the bathwater.

 

[TQA]

Nope but I am bloody well going to carry one when dinghying around Chaguaramas in Trinidad.

In 3 trips ashore i have had the dink engine stop twice with a heavy duty plastic bag around the prop. And we are not talking eggbeater or clockwork yoyo but a meaty 15hp.

Breadknife I think.

 

[mcframe]

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.

With children about, I've got diving net-cutter clipped-on on the *top* of the sprayhood.

(& lock-knives in my pocket and hanging up in the companionway)

 

[mcframe]

A folding knife without a locking capability is a danger to the user.

A folding knife with a locking blade, on a lanyard, capable of opening with one hand and cutting through webbing saved one of the Sydney-Hobart blokes.

In "strenuous" conditions, I'll keep mine (clipped on to the handy pocket-ring) in my ollies pocket, with the lanyard looped *outside* the pocket, easily grabbable.

 

[Seajet]

With children about, I've got diving net-cutter clipped-on on the *top* of the sprayhood.

(& lock-knives in my pocket and hanging up in the companionway)

Good idea; you never know when the little b******s may turn on you...