Have you fallen in yet?

[GC1]

Following on from deborahans post, is anyone willing to share their experience of 'falling in'. This is a bit of fun to learn what mistakes not to make but also a serious question, the reason being my new boat seems to be very high out of the water and the telescopic steps are held down with a pinch type clip, now if I was on my own and for any reason fell in, it would be almost impossible to reach up out of the water to unclip the steps.

With a boat bobbing about and perhaps your body freezing, and the weight of wet clothing, has anyone else made or thought about arrangements for getting back on board when either alone or with someone else on board?

Just interested as I have no intention of falling in but as we have seen it could happen accidently at any time, perhaps whilst trying to free a rope off a prop or something whilst at sea.

Any experiences shared would be greatly received /forums/images/graemlins/wink.gif

 

[KevB]

Not talking from experience you understand but you may be able to get a step up using the outdrive.

My wife fell in whilst crossing between two boats. She'd been drinking a little and had a full glass of wine in her hand at the time. Despite going right under she managed some how to keep the glass upright and out of the water, not spilling a drop.

 

[GC1]

Yes I have looked at that but no grab handles, just wondering what steps to take for safety reasons, e.g. perhaps leaving the clip off the steps or even working out a way to have a type of quick release toggle system.

 

[jhr]

Kev: your SWMBO sounds like my kinda gal!

Happy: Not sure this is helpful, but this is from my very first posting on Mobochat and gives a useful illustration of how to make a complete prat of yourself:

[ QUOTE ]
The stupidest thing I ever did: Getting into my Mirror from a pontoon, the dinghy (moored at the bow only) slid away from me as I descended and then, with graceful inevitability followed the laws of physics by capsizing, dumping me in the water and immersing the outboard, which I’d just lowered into the boat. Back on the pontoon, I emptied my pockets, managing - with considerable skill - to drop the keys of my locked car into the water at the same time. Yes; I know they should have been attached to something.

I then spent an enjoyable few minutes diving down into cold, murky water and trying to find the keys by touch, which was about as successful as you might imagine. This was all considered hugely amusing by the assembled crowd of onlookers (it was at Bucklers Hard on a Bank Holiday afternoon….) Fortunately it was round about LWS and, amazingly, I managed to get the keys before they were dragged along the river bottom by the tide or buried in silt, by fishing with the Harbourmaster’s big magnet on a rope thingy. The outboard lived to fight another day.

I made an excuse and left.

[/ QUOTE ]
When we're moored up or anchored on the boat, I always try to remember to put the bathing steps down, whether I'm intending to go in or not. /forums/images/graemlins/crazy.gif

 

[Major Catastrophe]

[ QUOTE ]
she managed some how to keep the glass upright and out of the water, not spilling a drop.

[/ QUOTE ]

Now that's class for you.

 

[GC1]

/forums/images/graemlins/shocked.gif so it can happen! /forums/images/graemlins/laugh.gif I have noticed some marinas now paint the steps a bright colour so when drunk you can swim towards them /forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif Perhaps you could expand on the difficulties of getting out of the water /forums/images/graemlins/wink.gif I must say I have nearly lost my mobile phone a few times when in my top shirt pocket /forums/images/graemlins/blush.gif it seems to make you think for a while but then I guess most people get complacent about things, like it will never happen to me syndrome /forums/images/graemlins/confused.gif

I just want to have a plan ready as I have a fridge freezer and bar on the boat I may be having the odd drink on the rocks /forums/images/graemlins/laugh.gif

I have witnessed a fellow forum member going arse over tit whilst getting from his dingy to his boat, his specs went to the bottom of Swanage bay, luckily a friendly diver was sorting out moorings and dived down for them, so it does happen mostly when you are not expecting it.

 

[ontheplane]

I would think any boat where you couldn't pull the ladder down from IN the water has a serious design flaw...

Perhaps a solution may be to tie something to the clip and then the top of the ladder, which can be reached from the water, which if pulled will release the ladder. Personally I haven't ever fallen in, but it's very easily done and I for one wouldn't like to rely on it NOT happenning....

 

[KevB]

There is a forum member I know who was crewing on a boat in Port Solent, The boat was in the lock and the forum member was standing on the rising pontoons in the lock ready to push off. When the time come he pushed but forgot to get aboard, leaving his hands on the stanchions and his feet on the pontoon. The inevitable happened and he was left dangling unable to pull himself up. I was standing Very close by with a camera in my pocket and had to make the split second decision whether to whip out the camera and take a picture or grab his jacket an hoof him up.
Unfortunately it was early January and friendship got in he way and I helped him up.

To this day I still think I made the wrong decision.

Very recently his girlfriend did exactly the same thing on their boat. Apparently the photo is excellent!! /forums/images/graemlins/laugh.gif

 

[GC1]

I think you must go through the 'this can't be happening to me' routine, but by the time the brain connects with the body you are spread out good and proper and it is too late /forums/images/graemlins/laugh.gif

Just remember 'Vision decision, hesitation costs lives' /forums/images/graemlins/wink.gif

 

[[2068]]

With SWMBO at the helm, a docking approach was aborted by engaging reverse before the crunch. Which was good.

What was not so good, was that yours truly was leaning outboard with a boathook already hooked around a nearby pontoon cleat. As the boat reversed away, a smart person might have let go of the boathook, instead of tightening death-grip on boathook and causing big splash, followed by underwater swearing.

dv.

 

[jimg]

I am fairly sure that it is an RCD requirement that the boarding ladder can be put in place by someone in the water, mine is attached to the underside of the bathing platform.

 

[powerskipper]

This is a true story told to me by a student.
Her boat did not have a holding tank, so in the middle of the night she went up to use the loo on shore, she was stone cold sober. on the way back she missed the edge of the pontoon in the dark, and fell in, she then tyred for a good hour and a half to get out, using what ever she could find, hammering on the hull of boats etc. at the time the marina did not have the ladders that are now on the end of every finger, She was seen by the nigh watch on his rounds and helped out. It was summer so she was cold but not hurt. The marina then put ladders on every finger and painted them a bright colour. She was asked to come and help them place and give advice while this happened and then to do a kind of opening ceremony for them so to speak.
She was Lucky. /forums/images/graemlins/smile.gif

 

[GC1]

Well there seem to be a load of raggie boats that you would not have a hope in hell of getting back in if you fell overboard /forums/images/graemlins/shocked.gif

I just want to die just yet /forums/images/graemlins/shocked.gif Even though I am picking up this boating lark safety is at the TOP of my agenda all of the time, just noticed the steps when doing my risk assessment during sea trial /forums/images/graemlins/wink.gif

 

[GC1]

I have noticed MDL marinas have some very bright coloured steps, was it one of those by any chance /forums/images/graemlins/wink.gif

I think people underestimate the difficulty in getting up to what may even look a simple height, in my younger days I could leap out of a swimming pool even from the deep end, now I use the steps /forums/images/graemlins/laugh.gif

Imagine the edge of the swimming pool (with freezing cold water) being another 2ft higher and try that in the deep end with clothes on AND an overhang /forums/images/graemlins/shocked.gif

 

[powerskipper]

Now go for a swim around your boat and try and work out what you need to get back on board, another idea is to go into a safe bit of water where you can drift safely for a half hour or so and tie about 4 large warps and 4 fenders together well and throw them over board, now try and get them out of the water, single handed, the telescopic boat hooks tend to come apart if not tighten very tight, a solid wood one is often to short to reach much and store safely on a boat .
then look at some way of getting them back on board, it can be scary. /forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif

Moral, NEVER rush on a boat, slow and steady. /forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif

 

[studgies]

Well in the last 2 years I have fallen in twice! 1st time, I had spent the day machine buffing the hull and topsides so a little knackered. I stepped off of the coach roof onto the side deck and lost my footing which led to me throwing myself off of the boat straight into the mud (drying mooring).

2nd time was again at our own mooring (overlooked by about 20 balconies!! We were coming home after a weekend out and it was a little windy, Jim decided we should try mooring up using a single rope from the centre cleat, it all went quite well, I jumped off after lassoing the pontoon cleat and notice the boat had blown off of the pontoon a bit so I gave the rope an almighty tug to bring her back in. Durnig the excitment I had not checked the rope was attached to the boat properly so I tugged and ran backwards straight into the river. There was muffled laughter and the sound of lots of patio door sliding shut as I looked up at the flats!

 

[GC1]

I have never understood why you only get one kill cord when you buy a boat, because if you get thrown overboard and the boat drifts away with swmbo on board and you have the cord attached to you what happens? /forums/images/graemlins/shocked.gif

I bought a spare and keep it in the first aid box, I always tell people where it is during my pre departure safety briefing /forums/images/graemlins/wink.gif

 

[powerskipper]

If SWMBO has some experience on the helm, she can come back and get you, even kids can be taught MOB, and to throw a rope to peeps in the water, Its fun to practise in the summer when the water is warmer , So all peeps know roughly what to do. /forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif

now going to climb of My soap box, he he /forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif

 

[GC1]

Not without a kill cord she can't /forums/images/graemlins/shocked.gif

Kids can throw the lines as much as they want, but if the boat is floating off as Dad is gulping mouth fulls of freezing salt water not very funny! Unless of course he is well insured and her toyboy is just waiting to get a go at helming the boat /forums/images/graemlins/laugh.gif

 

[powerskipper]

fair dibs /forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif


keeping your eyes open for younger men hanging around then, is your only worrie /forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif