I thought the French were the safety conscious ones?!

[dancrane]

"At least their beer cooler survived. Its size explains everything else"

I took a minute to work out what that was...maybe some kind of life-raft? A seat broken free? Hell no, that was the lunch-cooler! Dang.


Thinking seriously for a moment, one reason I hate rope ladders is that the rope they use is never any thicker than the predicted load requires it to be - so never more than about 10mm diameter, maximum...

...if one acquired some really thick, stiff ships' lines, perhaps 35mm thick, and added something like a piece of metal pipe as a bottom rung which would sink the ladder, then that horrible wayward flexibility, the curse of lightweight rope ladders, might be reduced. The thing could still be squashed into a locker, but would hang straight and mightn't be so hard to use.

 

[Adios]

I knew two people who met their end by falling into the marina at night-time, with nobody else around. At the time the marina didn't have ladders from the pontoons into the water. Fortunately that changed but too late for those two guys.

I departed a boat with a terminally drunk friend who stepped onto the finger pontoon a foot before it started. If he hadn't landed on the end breaking a couple of ribs he would have gone straight to the bottom.

When a person is a bit older and drunker and heavily clothed its not a bad idea to always wear lifejackets around the water. I know someone who does because he's mad sensible. We see all marina and dock employees have to. But its a bit of a faff isn't it ?‍ I can't say I always do or even close to it.

 

[dancrane]

As a dinghy sailor (and a lousy swimmer) I found it very easy to get used to wearing a sort of 'slimline' foam buoyancy aid. It feels more like some sort of comfortable body-warmer garment, than flotation.

There's no discomfort, I'm unconscious of wearing it - but if I fell into cold water, it wouldn't require luck or physical fitness or manly self-command to stay afloat.

Nobody can ever foresee falling in, or they wouldn't. It's worth being prepared.

 

[DownWest]

I saw a piece in Watercraft(?) where they tested a sort of L shaped hook that hinged at the waterline to act as the first step up. The test was on a Shrimper, so fairly low freeboard, but the fully clothed (and fit) staffer climbed up quite easily.
I have made a few folding ladders and def going to fit something to the new little boat.

 

[Adios]

As a dinghy sailor (and a lousy swimmer) I found it very easy to get used to wearing a sort of 'slimline' foam buoyancy aid. It feels more like some sort of comfortable body-warmer garment, than flotation.

Its all about having the confidence to rock a safety conscious look

1300 × 954

 

[dancrane]

And don't bend over in the woods.

 

[harry potter]

?CapBreton?

 

[dom]

As a dinghy sailor (and a lousy swimmer) I found it very easy to get used to wearing a sort of 'slimline' foam buoyancy aid. It feels more like some sort of comfortable body-warmer garment, than flotation.

There's no discomfort, I'm unconscious of wearing it - but if I fell into cold water, it wouldn't require luck or physical fitness or manly self-command to stay afloat.

Nobody can ever foresee falling in, or they wouldn't. It's worth being prepared.

Lol, when I were a lad we used to have those Musto buoyancy aids filled with little strips of bubbles that fit your description.

Anybody remember them?

I still have one I use for mast climbing in heavy weather to stop getting battered!!

 

[Leighb]

Lol, when I were a lad we used to have those Musto buoyancy aids filled with little strips of bubbles that fit your description.

Anybody remember them?

I still have one I use for mast climbing in heavy weather to stop getting battered!!

We had those when we first started dinghy sailing, we carried on using them for far too long as many of the bubbles had popped.?They were very comfortable and warm though.

 

[dancrane]

Even my 4mm wetsuit top seems to provide impressive flotation. But it's a struggle to put on, and I have never managed to take it off without assistance.

A slender buoyancy aid is an easy answer as far as I can see. It's very discreet and needn't feel like an over-reaction to what may only be a very small risk - so the question "do we need lifejackets?" needn't even cross the mind - just get in the habit of invariably putting the 'padding' on under a coat, and think of it with the same affection as you do your boating cap or hat.

If you doubt it makes sense or think you won't fall in, remember the flotation may save your rescuers nightmares and heartache.

 

[dom]

We had those when we first started dinghy sailing, we carried on using them for far too long as many of the bubbles had popped.?They were very comfortable and warm though.

For the reason you say, I still occasionally use one for winter dinghy frosbite series: wetsuit/drysuit, then the bubble vest, then a waterproof smock.

Really warm!

 

[JumbleDuck]

We had those when we first started dinghy sailing, we carried on using them for far too long as many of the bubbles had popped.?They were very comfortable and warm though.

I still have a couple of Jack Holt buoyancy aids with kapok filling. They haven't fitted me since about 1976 ...