Feather bedded sailormen?

[castaway]

Skills such as you mention, picking up moorings under sail used to be standard things that people grew up with having started off "messing about in boats" as kids.

Now folks are getting into these things via fast track with all the various courses that are available. They end up with a piece of paper that says "Yes you can do this much", but Im sure that they will not gain the instinctive confidence that comes with sailing a pram dinghy with your Dad when 6 years old

Im all for courses/Radar/loads of insurence/56 gallon fuel tanks/Beacons and all the other clutter but if you havnt got the skill,ability and confidence to sail on and off yr mooring its prob those sort of issues that should be addressed b4 thinking of a in mast furling or a chart plotter.

Just a little feeling of mine that the marketing men have more influence over our yachting needs than quite makes sence.(Or commonsence)

Nick

 

[jimi]

Re: Tolerating sailing -sprung mattress please

But is'nt it a more a case of the driver? I'd rather cross the channel in a Wayfarer with some sailors than venture in a ferry with others ....

 

[bedouin]

Re: Lots of reasons...

But there is no suggestion in the report that it was lack of storm sails or a drogue that got them into that situation.

Reading that report it is clear that the crew was incapable of handling the conditions. It is difficult to see what other equipment they could have had on board to help the situation.

Makes you wonder though what on earth they were doing there!

BTW I am not disagreeing with the point about careless yachties making unnecessary calls to the emergency services - particularly the 261 who called the lifeboat for "machinery failure" - I assume most of them still had a mast and a full set of sails.

BUT I do dispute you saying that such launches place the life of the crews at risk. When was the last time a lifeboat man lost his life going to the aid of a yacht?

 

[Guest]

Re: Lots of reasons...

Hi

Bedouin writes

> Makes you wonder though what on earth they were doing there!

Sure does.

> BUT I do dispute you saying that such launches place the life of the crews at risk. When was the last time a lifeboat man lost his life going to the aid of a yacht?

Of course it puts the life of the crews at risk. Any launch involves some element of danger. Consider the case of Phil Nicol who was washed overboard from one of the RNLI's boats in a force 7 on the 10th of December 2000. He was eventually recovered by a class D inshore boat and spent three days recovering in hospital. His life was seriously at risk.

On top of that, if the lifeboat is called to a yottie with engine problems they are unavailable to attend a possibly more serious incident elsewhere.

It is worth remembering that the majority of lifeboat crews are volunteers and that we can assist them by making sure we behave in a responsible and seaman like manner. I am sure the lifeboat crews would rather that in the case of a man overboard they were told the casualty had been recovered than spen the next six hours searching for a corpse. I'm sure they would rather go out in a hurricane than stand on the beach wondering if they could have done something.

I am also sure that they would rather be with their families or tucked up in bed because some yottie can't work their sails properly.

Regards


Fred

Just because you're paranoid doesn't mean they aren't out to get you.

 

[halcyon]

Roger

Never thought of that problem when I bought it, how short a trip am I allowed with Ocean rating.

There is a positive side, no powerboats out there, no wash, no smell, no fumes.

Must think about this.

Brian

 

[tcm]

except....

cept of course the really big powerboats with categorie A rating 200miles offshore, I think ?

 

[RayB]

Is this Raggie Civil war?

All buy 30 knot gin palaces, scrap the raggie boats, speed rules!



R

"Hopefully that won't be too expensive to fix?"

 

[mtb]

Re: talking about beds

There is a new company that specialise in beds .
Not unusual that but these people can make and supply beds and mattresses to size ( perfect for boats ) .

Purpose made to individual requirements and using the latest technology from Europe .The mattresses are made from latex with zip up covers and are meant for people with back problems or allergies
( hypoallergenic ).
Even the bed frames are totaly different again made to suit handy if your over 6ft.
While at the show room I noted child beds which were store away type but the thing is the covers were water proof !.
Their number is TenburyWells 01584811118

Mick

http://homepage.ntlworld.com/boats
I want a big steel ex trawler / tug v / cheap or swap for tug

 

[Jeremy_W]

Re: There is no end to this

To each their own, JeremyF. I just hope you are indoctrinating your children with Optimists or Mirrors [and birthday presents of Banks sail and carbon fibre masts] so that in time they will develop into fine sailors happy to crew for you in stronger winds or flat calm.

 

[longjohnsilver]

Gettig soft in your old age tcm! ;-) NM

.

 

[halcyon]

Re: except....

Not thinking of inshore sailing.

Also MDL have not built a marina for them to park-up for the night that far out.



Brian

 

[Guest]

Unable to jump off the roundabout ?

Modern life seems to dictate that we live in the future all the time ,without being allowed to enjoy the present. It is very difficult to wind down at weekends due to the pace of life. Must get there, must get back by so and so. Get in early to the marina to get a berth and not have to wait too long for grub etc etc. Leave early to miss the traffic. It goes on and on. Many sailors only seem able to use their sails when there's racing.

Many firms have people working at weekends now and I know people who are downloading E Mails from home on Saturday and Sunday. Some escape from work !

For many, boat ownership only increases the stress of living.

I think stinkies are probably more realistic in this respect than yotties.

 

[tcm]

Re: except....

Suppose that, like really decent sailboats, cat A powerboats probly won't get into most MDL marinas, and wdn't be in the UK much anyway as amateur sailing is predominant and there's precious little charter work for professional crew. Cat A is 200+ miles from port, not "under 200".