Should the skipper be capable of doing everything on board?

[temptress]

So <span style="color:blue"> </span> should the skipper be capable of doing everything on board? </span>

I am not saying a skipper should do everything. She or He may have crew to do things for them. But should they be capable of doing everything?

This was a topic of discussion at the Sailing Club bar recently and it brought out some polarised and opposite views

I started off in the A group but was talked around to the B point of view. Now I’m not so sure

I thought I would see what forum members thought. /forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif

 

[Beadle]

If he sails single handed he should.

Even double handed there may be an accident to 2nd man

So yes.

 

[VicS]

Definitely not A. No reason why a disabled person not physically able to do everything should not be skipper.

Shame on the 8 people so far who have decreed that a disabled person shall not skipper his own yacht.

 

[davidpbo]

IMHO surely it depends on the size of the boat and crew.
and in the light of VicS post their strengths and weaknesses

 

[PaulJS]

I was going to go straight to option "A", but VicS raises a good point.
So, I'm going to say "A" if possible, "B" if not. However, even if disabled I think that the skipper should know how everything should be done so that he or she can instruct their crew if required

 

[sailing86]

They should be capable of doing everything. They may not be a specalist (ie mechanic for engine breakdown) however they should have at least a working knowledge of everything and how to carry out basic repairs should anything go wrong.

Vics point is good and I am not quite so sure. I still think the skipper should know how everything works and be 'capable' of instructing someone else how to carry out a proper repair.

 

[Tidewaiter2]

[ QUOTE ]
IMHO surely it depends on the size of the boat and crew.

[/ QUOTE ]

Absolutely. A good Skipper watches everyones back. My foredeck days are mostly gone, but I keep 'em alive and on board while they are my foredeck!

 

[NealB]

I've said 'yes' purely for my own boat, with me as skipper.

Without question, I need to know to know how to do everything, even if many tasks get shared out (difficult to delegate when I'm singlehanded, though).

As for other ships, other crews and other skippers, then the answer can be different.

 

[curve]

How can you shout at your crew if you don't know they are doing something wrong in the first place?

A skipper needs to be a jack of all trades. They don't need to be an expert but they need to have the knowledge to be able to lead effectively.

 

[temptress]

Interestingly enough the discussion is going mush the way it went in the bar last night. I now very much of the opinion that the skipper needs to know enough to get you home safely.

 

[lw395]

So long as the crew as a whole is not being misled about anything particularly safety, I wouldn't want to tell anyone how to sail their boat. More important to understand peoples limitations. Its nice if everyone aspires to being as capable as possible, but what skill would preclude you from being skipper? Provided your 'shortfall' is adequately made good by the rest of the crew. Some people can lead others very well without being able to lift a 40lb cqr, calculate secondary ports, make decent coffee or replumb the heads in a seeway.
The skipper can just be there to make it all happen!

 

[Lizzie_B]

OooH! That's what I was going to say /forums/images/graemlins/mad.gif I think the skipper should be able to return boat and crew to Terra Firma safely from any trip he takes responsibilty for. I think sometimes people also get confused between owner and skipper - because they are often one and the same on smaller boats. The owner is not automatically the skipper.

When I used to organise sailing expeditions I used to nominate a 'skipper for the day'. It was often surprising who did best. I think crew management is what sets a good skipper apart from a good sailor. /forums/images/graemlins/ooo.gif

 

[moody1]

[ QUOTE ]
Interestingly enough the discussion is going mush the way it went in the bar last night. I now very much of the opinion that the skipper needs to know enough to get you home safely.

[/ QUOTE ]

That is the most sensible answer IMHO out of all. To know enough to get home safely.
I would add one extra to that - he / she should realise efficiencies / deficiencies in self and each member of crew if embarking on anything other than a short day-sail.

 

[MASH]

Vic, get over yourself!

[ QUOTE ]
Shame on the 8 people so far who have decreed that a disabled person shall not skipper his own yacht.

[/ QUOTE ]

May I point out that NONE of the "previous 8 posters" made any remark whatsoever regarding abilities of the disabled, nor blind, lesbian, single parent, unemployed, Polish, Moslem, paranoid whales either to do or not do anything at all.

You do nothing for whatever campaign you are fighting to make such an intemperate attack on well-meaning people who don't happen to inhabit your own particular high-horse.

Answer must clearly be; depends on the type and level of disablement??? And thus whether or not their presence on, or overboard, represents a hazard to the others in the crew.

 

[whipper_snapper]

Surely yes, the skipper must know how to do everything that is required to run the boat.

He may not be the best at everything - eg helming, he may not be capable of non essential things - eg cooking a souffle, but to know something has been done properly surely the skipper must know how to do it. I can't imagine a skipper not being able to calculate a tidal height but blindly relying on some else.

But I agree that is not always the same as being physically capable of doing everything. But he must be able to know that it has been done and done right.

 

[JamesFrance]

Yes I read capable as having the knowledge and experience, so voted for that.

Disability is a special case of course, but the knowledge should be there.

 

[kengill]

There are very good reasons why a person who is not fully capable should not be in charge in certain circumstances. For instance an aeroplane pilot cannot be the captain if he has had a heart attack. the highest he can then attain is P2. A good example of demoting someone when they become disabled to a certain degree.

You would find it very difficult to become a swimming coach if you were visually, orally and aurally impaired. No matter how good a swimmer you actually were.

For sailing the captain can easily be physically impaired and remain a captain because the task is one of command not physical capability.

Why they even let women be aeroplane captains now that prejudice against women has been overcome, to some small degree.

Steven Hawking has led thought in cosmology for many years, though he can't even pick up a pencil. But I would be concerned if he were to be a skipper of a boat because he relies entirely on electronics to communicate and we all know what salt water does to electronics.

One of my friends is blind and skippers her own boat and at least one of the boats in our marina is skippered by a blind gentleman.

 

[sailing86]

[ QUOTE ]
Its nice if everyone aspires to being as capable as possible, but what skill would preclude you from being skipper? Provided your 'shortfall' is adequately made good by the rest of the crew. Some people can lead others very well without being able to lift a 40lb cqr, calculate secondary ports, make decent coffee or replumb the heads in a seeway.
The skipper can just be there to make it all happen!

[/ QUOTE ]
I'm not sure about this point. If the skipper cant lift the anchor then he/she should know how to bouy it or take a rope back to a winch. His/her secondary port calculations are part of the passage plan (and he/she is legally required to have one) and I would of thought all skippers should be able to produce one. As far as replumming the heads in a seaway, then the skipper may make a decision to use a bucket! The skipper still needs to know how to fix, or jury rig everything.

 

[PilotWolf]

Has to be A - no skipper should expect anyone to do anything on board that they either won't or don't know how to themself - note I say don't know how to as opposed to can't for the disablity reasons stated, but the disabled should have the equivalent of a safety pilot - eyes for the blind, ears for the deaf etc.

W.

 

[wotayottie]

[ QUOTE ]
Definitely not A. No reason why a disabled person not physically able to do everything should not be skipper.

Shame on the 8 people so far who have decreed that a disabled person shall not skipper his own yacht.

[/ QUOTE ]

It might not be PC to say so, but I think that very much depends on what the disability is. A blind man is not allowed to drive a car - why should he be fit to drive a boat? The same comment applies to (say) a person with a mental age of two or three. Or someone paraplegic.

I reckon its time we started to differentiate between unfair and unreasonable discrimination or the one hand, and sensible and reasonable discrimination on the other.