How often do you wear your life jacket?

[Stemar]

I'm trying to get into the habit of treating it the way I treat the seat belt in my car. It's also my harness and, has a lifeline attached pretty much permanently, which I use almost all the time I'm out of the cockpit and under way.

There's a lot of truth in the safety brief quoted on here a few months ago, "This is your lifeline. It'll keep you on board. This is your lifejacket. It'll help the RNLI recover your body if you do go over the side."

 

[fireball]

An inane arguments which matches the equally inane arguments that were put forward in the late 1970s by people opposed to the compulsory wearing of seat belts

To dignify it with an answer it doesn't really deserve, no of course I don't. But then the risk of falling down the stairs (even with my dodgy knees) is extremely low and the consequences of doing so low to moderate - the risk of serious injury is not high, the riskk of fatality is low. Therefore, the risk / benefit analysis is that wearing a crash helmet to walk downstairs would be a significant inconvenience whilst conferring very little benefit to my safety

Conversely, the risk of going overboard on a twenty seven foot yacht is appreciable, the inconvenience of wearing a modern lifejacket is minimal and the consequences of going overboard are severe. It is, quite simply, a no brainer

Well - it isn't a no brainer - you've thought about it for your situation - just as I, when sailing our 30'er in and around the Solent during the day, didn't bother as the risk of going overboard was minimal and crew were more than capable of picking me up and/or calling a mayday.
For the occasional night passages and trips further afield, weather & sea state that suggested it or children onboard then we did.
Likewise, if a crew member wanted to wear one (couldn't swim) then they could.

You guys who don't / won't wear lifejackets carry on, it's no skin off my nose! But don't be surprised when the first crack in the armour of unregulated sailing in the UK is compulsory lifejackets!

It will be a shame if that happens.

 

[fireball]

And if your lifejacket adversely impacts on your fun, you've got the wrong lifejacket

I can accept that for some sailing scenarios, but not all - a nice sunny day with a gentle breeze - you may well want to top up your tan - a lifejacket is hardly condusive for that!
Even if you have got a top on, the contact points of the LJ create sweaty areas - I find (despite having a comfortable LJ) that not wearing one is more pleasant - it's like riding the bike without a helmet - much more pleasant, but not always advisable....

 

[fireball]

The answer seems to be have the clip on ring at the back of the jacket,so that you are dragged backwards.

The problem with that is that if you're then caught, you can't reach to release it ...

 

[fireball]

It would be nice to believe that risk appreciation is an ongoing cerebral process rather than a blind acceptance that a life jacket endows magical powers.

That sums it up for me ...

 

[Elessar]

An inane arguments which matches the equally inane arguments that were put forward in the late 1970s by people opposed to the compulsory wearing of seat belts

To dignify it with an answer it doesn't really deserve, no of course I don't. But then the risk of falling down the stairs (even with my dodgy knees) is extremely low and the consequences of doing so low to moderate - the risk of serious injury is not high, the riskk of fatality is low. Therefore, the risk / benefit analysis is that wearing a crash helmet to walk downstairs would be a significant inconvenience whilst conferring very little benefit to my safety

Conversely, the risk of going overboard on a twenty seven foot yacht is appreciable, the inconvenience of wearing a modern lifejacket is minimal and the consequences of going overboard are severe. It is, quite simply, a no brainer



Except that she wasn't below deck, she was sunbathing in the cockpit. She was found in the galley and at the inquest it was suggested that the surge of water that came on board as the Orca was run down had carried her into the galley. Like the one in a million chance of the guy that avoided death when his van was crushed by throwing himself into the passenger footwell, which a seatbelt would have prevented him from doing, there'll always be the, well, one in a million chance

You guys who don't / won't wear lifejackets carry on, it's no skin off my nose! But don't be surprised when the first crack in the armour of unregulated sailing in the UK is compulsory lifejackets!

it's not inane at all. I am FAR more likely to fall down the stairs than fall off my boat. If your risk assessment on your boat v your stairs is different then good on you for wearing the lifejacket.

I think the RYA advice is far better than the RNLI advice. "wear it unless you consider it safe not to". Makes you think and do the risk assessment. The RNLI advice is patronising and easily ignored in my view.

If it is no skin off your nose, why bang on about it? The lifejacket preachers are so often the ones that keep their lifejackets on their boat, and don't protect themselves on the riskiest part of their journey, ie the bit between the car and the main boat. But what I do is my business and compulsion will make me ignore it or move the boat to a more suitable environment.

 

[Elessar]

Well - it isn't a no brainer - you've thought about it for your situation - just as I, when sailing our 30'er in and around the Solent during the day, didn't bother as the risk of going overboard was minimal and crew were more than capable of picking me up and/or calling a mayday.
For the occasional night passages and trips further afield, weather & sea state that suggested it or children onboard then we did.
Likewise, if a crew member wanted to wear one (couldn't swim) then they could.


It will be a shame if that happens.

talking sense as always........

 

[jimi]

it's not inane at all. I am FAR more likely to fall down the stairs than fall off my boat. If your risk assessment on your boat v your stairs is different then good on you for wearing the lifejacket.

I think the RYA advice is far better than the RNLI advice. "wear it unless you consider it safe not to". Makes you think and do the risk assessment. The RNLI advice is patronising and easily ignored in my view.

If it is no skin off your nose, why bang on about it? The lifejacket preachers are so often the ones that keep their lifejackets on their boat, and don't protect themselves on the riskiest part of their journey, ie the bit between the car and the main boat. But what I do is my business and compulsion will make me ignore it or move the boat to a more suitable environment.

Bear in mind that a risk assessment takes into account not only the chances of something happening but also the probable outcome. ie high cjhance of bruise is a lot less worth bothering about than a low chance of almost certain death

ie I'm probably more likely to fall down the stairs than fall off my boat, but in my case falling off the boat would probably lead to a lot more serious outcome if I were single or shorthanded. (If I were twice my weight falling down the stairs would probably have more serious conseqeunces for the planet as well as me.)

 

[AntarcticPilot]

My wife and I always wear life-jackets when under way. She is inexperienced and nervous; although I think she could get Capricious back to me, it wouldn't be quick, and I am well aware of the effects of hypothermia. Further, we snap on at all times under way when out of the cockpit, and usually when in the cockpit.

 

[Bru]

Hmm. Who is banging on I wonder? The inevitable and predictable passive aggressive responses from the people who don't habitually wear life jackets suggests that they know they're on a sticky wicket!

 

[Elessar]

Bear in mind that a risk assessment takes into account not only the chances of something happening but also the probable outcome. ie high cjhance of bruise is a lot less worth bothering about than a low chance of almost certain death

ie I'm probably more likely to fall down the stairs than fall off my boat, but in my case falling off the boat would probably lead to a lot more serious outcome if I were single or shorthanded. (If I were twice my weight falling down the stairs would probably have more serious conseqeunces for the planet as well as me.)

of course that's the basis of a risk assessment. Maybe yours concludes - Single or shorthanded wear the LJ. If you are a weak swimmer, wear the LJ. If you want to set an example to your crew, wear the LJ. Mine doesn't assume falling in is "almost certain death" which changes my conclusion.

Basically, if you want to wear it, wear it. Just don't tell me to!

I will when I consider it to be unsafe not to, which isn't often on my 40ft floaty thing that doesn't have a boom. Unless it's dark or foggy. But I almost always do in the RIB. And i always do around the marina if it's cold.

 

[Elessar]

Hmm. Who is banging on I wonder? The inevitable and predictable passive aggressive responses from the people who don't habitually wear life jackets suggests that they know they're on a sticky wicket!

Why do you feel the right to tell others that your judgement is superior to theirs?

 

[prv]

i always do around the marina if it's cold.

Would have been better off with a set of these at ours the other month!

It was low tide so the pontoons were sat on the mud and tilted as usual, but an earlier hailstorm had left a sheet of refrozen ice. I was half expecting to end up sliding uncontrollably towards the edge; I was walking along the uphill side and ready to drop and grab it if I started to go.

Pete

 

[awol]

So what do you evangelical life jacket wearers do on deck when your boat is on the hard? I personally find my inbuilt risk evaluator turns up a notch especially with no shrouds or mast to swing on.

 

[Iain C]

For me...

-At night
-When singlehanding
-If it's windy or lumpy or it's getting near reefing time
-Usually in the dinghy especially in higher tidal flow areas
-In bad viz
-If it's just me and SWMBO unless it's a very calm day

But I like to think of myself as sensible enough to make my own judgement rather than some black and white "I've been sitting on a trot mooring all night getting ****faced and I don't need to wear one, however the next morning the second the boat moves I do need to wear one". Ditto I don't see why 14kts is no LJ and 15kts is. I also have a habit of ditching my foulie jacket and LJ as I come into a harbour so I can see and move properly, but no doubt some people don't like that either!

 

[Bru]

Why do you feel the right to tell others that your judgement is superior to theirs?

Cos it is

And I also enjoy playing devil's advocate

 

[Elessar]

Would have been better off with a set of these at ours the other month!

It was low tide so the pontoons were sat on the mud and tilted as usual, but an earlier hailstorm had left a sheet of refrozen ice. I was half expecting to end up sliding uncontrollably towards the edge; I was walking along the uphill side and ready to drop and grab it if I started to go.

Pete

yeah i was on the boat that day i think!

good idea but buggers the gelcoat though.

a really hazardous situation is the morning after a frost, as the ice doesn't show on the white decks.

i do keep a tub of salt in the cockpit in winter.

 

[sailorman]

Would have been better off with a set of these at ours the other month!

It was low tide so the pontoons were sat on the mud and tilted as usual, but an earlier hailstorm had left a sheet of refrozen ice. I was half expecting to end up sliding uncontrollably towards the edge; I was walking along the uphill side and ready to drop and grab it if I started to go.

Pete

Golf shoes would be much safer, especially on teak decks :encouragement:

 

[prv]

yeah i was on the boat that day i think!

good idea but buggers the gelcoat though.

a really hazardous situation is the morning after a frost, as the ice doesn't show on the white decks.

i do keep a tub of salt in the cockpit in winter.

Hah. I'd only have worn them on the pontoons, not the boat. A bucket of seawater across the deck sorts that out straight away - if that freezes then things are pretty serious!

Pete

 

[prv]

Golf shoes would be much safer, especially on teak decks :encouragement:

The gripper things are easier to slip over your shoes when required. I do own a pair, just didn't have them with me that day.

Pete