simple question - what is the most dangerous thing on a boat?

[Iain C]

Last night's lamb vindaloo....?

 

[sarabande]

Dylan is being disingenuous.

 

[dylanwinter]

Dylan is being disingenuous.

disingenuous
ˌdɪsɪnˈdʒɛnjʊəs/
adjective
adjective: disingenuous

not candid or sincere, typically by pretending that one knows less about something than one really does.
"this journalist was being somewhat disingenuous as well as cynical"
synonyms: dishonest, deceitful, underhand, underhanded, duplicitous, double-dealing, two-faced, dissembling, insincere, false, lying, untruthful, mendacious; More
not candid, not frank, not entirely truthful;
artful, cunning, crafty, wily, sly, sneaky, tricky, scheming, calculating, designing, devious, unscrupulous;
informalshifty, foxy;
humorouseconomical with the truth, terminologically inexact;
archaicsubtle, hollow-hearted;
rarefalse-hearted, double-faced, truthless, unveracious
"it would be disingenuous of us to pretend ignorance of our book's impact"
antonyms: ingenuous, frank

 

[stevebrassett]

The boom.

 

[pagoda]

Companionway steps?

Worst injury I've seen at sea was a chap who amputated his thumb in a weathertight door. Not many of those on the average yacht though.

Pete

Cockpit locker lids in free-fall come close!!

(I've met hydraulic-closing watertight doors, and the slide and lock fire-proof variety at 580Kg each... neither take prisioners)

 

[Sans Bateau]

I'd say once on the boat you (we) all tend to be more risk aware so continually asses our actions. I would say though the most dangerous part of sailing/boating is driving to the marina.

 

[CAPTAIN FANTASTIC]

My WIFE

 

[Searush]

Dylan generally tells us it is the drive to/from the boat and I wouldn't disagree with that.

 

[stephennoble]

Companionway steps?

Worst injury I've seen at sea was a chap who amputated his thumb in a weathertight door. Not many of those on the average yacht though.

Pete

Or lack of them! I took them out to check the oil in the engine. Climbed out to open the throttle a bit before starting and !%$£)^&%$%$" Forgot I had removed them!

 

[FWB]

Dunno about most dangerous but windlass must be high up the list.

+1
No gas nor petrol onboard, but the electric windlass has to be treated with caution.

 

[laika]

So this sailing thing...a lot of people try it once but it makes them feel ill so they don't do it again. Others persist claiming it gives them some sort of "buzz" despite the apparent dangers involved.

Anyone got a number for David Nutt?

 

[Woodlouse]

It does of course depend on the boat. For example on HMS Victory it would probably have been the 35 tons of gunpowder.

 

[westhinder]

In the order of the respect I have for them: the sea (not exactly on the boat, I know, but pretty much all around it), the boom and anything that moves on or around the engine

 

[Bobc]

IainC's Raki :ambivalence:

 

[johnalison]

The only part of my boat that I regularly consider likely to kill me is the autopilot. If I fall in without the pilot, unharnessed, I have a small but definite chance of getting back on board but with the pilot nil, unless a crew member can intervene.

 

[jimi]

Or lack of them! I took them out to check the oil in the engine. Climbed out to open the throttle a bit before starting and !%$£)^&%$%$" Forgot I had removed them!

I've done that, and gained some serious bruises!

 

[GHA]

3 things up the top of the scary list, the boom, the cooker and a calendar.

 

[Boathook]

Owner followed by a blunt knife ! The 90 mile drive each way to the boat is also risky ................

 

[alan_d]

disingenuous
ˌdɪsɪnˈdʒɛnjʊəs/
adjective
adjective: disingenuous

not candid or sincere, typically by pretending that one knows less about something than one really does.
"this journalist was being somewhat disingenuous as well as cynical"
synonyms: dishonest, deceitful, underhand, underhanded, duplicitous, double-dealing, two-faced, dissembling, insincere, false, lying, untruthful, mendacious; More
not candid, not frank, not entirely truthful;
artful, cunning, crafty, wily, sly, sneaky, tricky, scheming, calculating, designing, devious, unscrupulous;
informalshifty, foxy;
humorouseconomical with the truth, terminologically inexact;
archaicsubtle, hollow-hearted;
rarefalse-hearted, double-faced, truthless, unveracious
"it would be disingenuous of us to pretend ignorance of our book's impact"
antonyms: ingenuous, frank

That's right, you're being faux-naïve.
Asking what you describe as a simple question while knowing full well that it is unanswerable without defining the terms more closely.
What do you mean by dangerous? How likely to cause what degree of harm? Minor harm quite likely versus severe harm less likely?
What do you mean by thing? A physical object such as the boom, or would you include abstract things such as complacency, ignorance or fatigue? Are people things in this context?
What do you mean by on. Would "falling overboard" count as a danger on a boat, or be excluded by definition?
What do you mean by a boat? Depending on your definition the answer might be the boom, the trawl winch or the nuclear reactor.

I would agree with disingenuous.

 

[dylanwinter]

That's right, you're being faux-naïve.
Asking what you describe as a simple question while knowing full well that it is unanswerable without defining the terms more closely.
What do you mean by dangerous? How likely to cause what degree of harm? Minor harm quite likely versus severe harm less likely?
What do you mean by thing? A physical object such as the boom, or would you include abstract things such as complacency, ignorance or fatigue? Are people things in this context?
What do you mean by on. Would "falling overboard" count as a danger on a boat, or be excluded by definition?
What do you mean by a boat? Depending on your definition the answer might be the boom, the trawl winch or the nuclear reactor.

I would agree with disingenuous.

it was an open question


open question
Definitions
noun

a matter which is undecided
a question that cannot be answered with a yes or no but requires a developed answer