life lines

[TheBrumNavy]

I recently came to hear that a skipper was recommending to his crew that life lines should not be worn in Fog / mist. Reason :- Because you are at maximum chance of being run down by another vessel and therefore do not want to be attached to the sinking ship.

I will refrain from making my comments at the moment, what do you think ??

 

[zefender]

I would have thought that in the event of collision, it would be more likely that crew would be thrown overboard and thus possibly drown than be stuck on board a suddenly sinking boat. Provided everyone knows how to undo a life line in the dark/upside down etc, I'd go for lifelines every time.

Maybe if caught in a commercial shipping lane, the argument for no lifelines might be a bit more valid but I would still opt for being secured. If you were to get hit by something so large, so suddenly, then I suspect most in the water would be sucked under the larger vessel and mashed by the propellors anyway. Nice thought!

 

[kingfisher]

Belts in cars

That's the same argument used by people for not wearing their belt in the car: the car might land up in the water, and you might drown.

Of course, the chances of this happening are remote, compared to bashing in the front window in a collision.

Bluntly: the chances of falling over board and getting lost in the fog are much greater than being run over. I know what I would choose.

Obi-Wan

 

[bedouin]

Re: That\'s good advice

This is fairly standard practice, and one I often advise. In heavy fog everyone on my boat wears a lifejacket - even when below.

In my experience fog is usually accompanied by light winds - conditions in which I would not normally wear a lifejacket. Therefore lifejackets are being worn simply because of the risk of collision. In those circumstances it is definitely better not to be secured to the boat.

Remember Tuila!

 

[gtmoore]

I've recently completed an RYA Day Skipper course and that is certainly the recommended course of action in the sylabus.

 

[rogerroger]

Re: life lines - I don\'t in fog

A life line is to keep you attached to the boat in case you fall overboard. If the boat sinks, you don't want to be attached to it.

If your boat is run down you

a) will want to get off it before the collision if possible

b) will not want to get dragged down with it.

Correct me if I'm wrong - but didn't one of our lads who died in the Syd - Hobart a few years ago die because he was dragged down by the sinking vessel? (nothing to do with fog obviously).

I'm more in favour of having the life raft at the ready and towing a tender (as long as painter can be cut for the same reasons).



Roger Holden
www.first-magnitude.co.uk

 

[tonyleigh]

Perhaps this is an example of the danger of "rules". I can imagine a situation where risk of falling overboard (perhaps due to disorientation in thick fog or sudden change of direction or unintended jibe etc) would make wearing a lifeline advisable. Searching for a MOB in fog is not pleasant!Equally I am aware of the recommendation not to wear lifelines in fog in case of collision and being unable to release contact. The skipper should make the decision having assessed the particular conditions prevailing.

 

[tony_brighton]

This has been standard advice on the YM course for at least 10 yrs then.

Its a finely balanced decision to be taken by every skipper as appropriate. Personally I opt for no lifelines but wearing life jackets.

 

[billmacfarlane]

As far as I'm concerned lifelines are to stop you from falling over the side and losing contact with the boat. , usually in rough weather. I only wear one going forward in rough weather or in the cockpit. I don't bother in a fog unless again I'm going forward. We also have a rule that at night anyone going forward wears a harness or if sailing single handed at night with the other person sleeping below. The only people to break this rule were my daughters. Crossing the Channel in wipeout conditions we passed very close to a ship at the start of the shipping lane , the fog being so thick that we could see the centre of the ship but not the bow or stern. With great prescence of mind my daughers tied all their teddies and dolls together in a single line in case just in case we were hit. Luckily the crew , teds included ,returned safely !!!!

 

[Miker]

Perhaps I am too cautious but I insist that my crew wear life jackets at all times and clip on if it is blowing or they are going forward. It is all too easy to trip over a rope, fog or no fog.
I am constantly surprised to see pictures in yachting magazines of yachts heeling right over with the crew not wearing life jackets.

 

[alant]

On any boat that I skipper, at all times of reduced vis, night-time particularly regardless of conditions (even in a Mediterranean Summer flat calm, lifejackets are worn by anyone in the cockpit or on deck. There is no negotiation on this rule under passage. When worn at night, I expect everyone to be clipped on.
During fog ( & I have had thick fog when there is F5 blowing, when crossing the North sea in February) it can also make sense to clip on - ensuring that everyone is aware & able to unclip if there is a potential catastrophic collision (crossing shipping lanes etc). On that same trip, coming up to Cowes from the Nab on a February Sunday morning, the vis was down to no more than 10-20 metres. If we had collided , even though we were moving slowly (no wind & under engine) making the necessary sound signals, it was still alarming that boats were 'shooting' out of the Medina far to fast for the conditions (many obviously returning to Port Solent), there could easily have been a casualty propelled into the water, particularly those out of the cockpit & on deck trying to spot other vessels.
It would be impossible to carry out any MOB should anyone be lost in these conditions, with v. low water temperatures as well, & unless in shipping lanes I would prefer to keep my bodies on the boat, accepting the possible risk of a sudden sinking.

 

[Guest]

I agree that it is a question of balance of risks have a point to add though

Having done some diving we trained in emergency drills ant least once a month untill everone could do them unside down and blindfolded. On the rare occasion thing when wrong it was still hard to quell the panic and carry out the drill for real. I would be saprised if most crew members if sudenly thrown into cold water in a tangle of wreckage would actually be ably to release a lifline. Also with a self inflating life jacket pulling you up its going to be jammed very tight. In dive training you would be chucked in with a large wt attached to the lifeline untill it was instinct (not a policy I advocate if you want to keep the crew) but its worth think ing on.

Roly, Voya Con Dios, Glasson, Lancaster