Stupid questions but .....

[Guest]

a) How many go sailing using Rucksacks / Backpacks ? And wear them in dinghy's ? Very convenient but .....

b) How many use wellies or 'sea-boots' ..... (wellies with a fancy name !!)

Just interested after seeing a group attired with both .... and my thinking OK, what happens when ............


<hr width=100% size=1>Nigel ...
Bilge Keelers get up further ! I only came - cos they said there was FREE Guinness !

 

[tcm]

Re: hobby horse

My pet hate is people driving motorbikes with a rucsac. These is incredibly dangerous, imho. Balancing all the time, sometimes a motorbike rider needs to shift their weight quickly - and back again - but the inertia of a rucsac prevents this.

Sepretly i do wear wellies in uk sometimes. But wd never wear a rucsac.

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[jimi]

1) Backpack - often use one when going ashore by dinghy to carry clobber in
2) Use seaboots when its very cold & wet, otherwise sailing shoes

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[Mirelle]

Re: hobby horse

As an old (and therefore not bold!) motorcyclist, I agree with that. Put the weight in panniers, or in a tank bag. Ordinary wellies are emphatically not motorcycling wear - too easy to miss a gear, and no protection at all - but the expensive leather kind (Dubarrys) are fine!

As for wearing a rucksack in a dinghy, that is absolutely not on with me or our family. It is easy and safe to slip it off and put it in the bottom of the boat. But we have an absolute rule - lifejackets always worn in dinghy - which we stick to like glue. Wellies sometimes worn in dinghy I admit - but they are short boots that will kick off.

Another rule is "children always clipped on, on deck" even at anchor or on the mooring.

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[Guest]

I ask because ....

One time a dinghy-tender I was in capsized and I was wearing the 'dinghy-boots' ...... if the dinghy hadn't had built in buoyancy - this forum would be missing my input ! Luckily I managed to cling on to the upturned dinghy.

I knew of a tragedy that occurred to a guy who was wearing the simple supermarket back-pack in a dinghy going out to his boat ...... it killed him, he couldn't swim or stay up with it on his back. As far as I could make out it only contained basically an overnight selection of bits and bobs - but it was enough.

So now I have spilt the beans about the original questions ..... so anyone care to own up - cause I used to do exactly what I have aksed about ..... for years - till the above. Now I won't do it !!!! Pity all you sods out there - you'll have to put up with my posts till the proverbial bus runs me over !!!!!



<hr width=100% size=1>Nigel ...
Bilge Keelers get up further ! I only came - cos they said there was FREE Guinness !

 

[jimi]

Re: hobby horse

Absolute rule too about lifejackets in dinghy! Actully that's one of the main reasons fot the rucksac, to carry the lifejackets when ashore.

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[PuffTheMagicDragon]

(1) Back-pack for trips ashore. Small variety. Put on only on shore: NEVER on the dinghy.
(2) Only wore 'sea-boots' when I was still at school and my mother strongly objected to puddle-jumping in "John White Shoes"! For sailing: if the deck gets too hot - or too slippery -for bare feet I use deck shoes, choosing value-for-money rather than brand names.
Fair Winds!

<hr width=100% size=1>Wally

 

[Guest]

Now the picture is emerging ...

It doesn't matter how experienced or not ..... we all have our ways and means. Whether they are correct or safe or whatever - we all get into a rhythym and that can actually get us caught out.

I don't have safety lines or points on my boat to clip to - but I am coming around to the idea of having them I have a 100m roll of flat braided strap that will be sewn / made up to lay out along the deck etc. Eyes will be fitted in the cockpit etc. Handles extra will be fitted as you enter / move around the cabin.

Why ? Because until my Russian lass came sailing - I always went with other experienced in sheeting / halyard work etc. meaning I was slpitting thework etc. Now I do most of it and means clambering around the boat etc. I know that if I fall over she can steer and do rudimentary bits etc. but I need to have more insurance.

Yes I want her to go on a short sailing course ....... worst teacher is boyfriend / husband etc. But until she agrees I am responsible to ensure safest possible working etc.

Back to wellies / rucksacks - not on with me !!


<hr width=100% size=1>Nigel ...
Bilge Keelers get up further ! I only came - cos they said there was FREE Guinness !

 

[Guest]

Best Deck shoes I ever had ....

19.99 out of Marks and Sparks ...... looked identical to some famous name ...... but 1/4 the price.


<hr width=100% size=1>Nigel ...
Bilge Keelers get up further ! I only came - cos they said there was FREE Guinness !

 

[AndrewB]

Own-up time.

(a) I've always found a backpack very convenient, specially when going to join a yacht elsewhere. It must be the type with a collapsible frame, so it can be stored easily. But I do always take it off in a dinghy. There's a heavy duty poly sack kept in the front pocket to spare it from bilge water, both in the dinghy and when stored aboard.

(b) Wellies, yes always, but never the type with strings. The first thing I did when I fell in once was kick them off. So cheap ones preferred. I don't know they actually drag you down, they don't sink very fast, but it certainly feels that way.

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[Mirelle]

Re: Now the picture is emerging ...

No stanchions or guard rail wires, but I do have wire jackstays on the side decks which I will replace with webbing this winter.

Entirely agree that one should not try to teach one's "other half" (my sister tried it the other way round; that did not work either!) and they should if at all possible get some teaching from someone else. Makes them much more confident.

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[ccscott49]

Never wear rucksacks or wellies in dinghy, dont have any wellies! Never wear rucksack on motorbike, have saddle bags. I did see a paddington bear once with both rucksack AND wellies on, very dangerous!!

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[dickh]

Re: Now the picture is emerging ...

Mirelle, glad to hearyou are replacing your wire jackstays - I think they are positively dangerous - on my friends boat whenever I go forward, on inevitably step on them and they always roll...
This year I replaced my webbing jackstays of unknown years with new from Jimmy Green, but I fitted Snapshackles to each end so they can be removed easily at the end of every trip. This to prevent UV degradation. Even though I very carefully measured each side, they were still too long and had to be shortened. If you go this way, have them long with one snapshackle, fit to the boat and temporarily sew the webbing together then get the end sewn properly.

<hr width=100% size=1>dickh
I'd rather be sailing... /forums/images/icons/smile.gif

 

[AndrewB]

Err on the short side ...

... its easy enough to add a shackle at one end. The webbing versions tend to tighten up slightly through time, specially when given their annual wash.

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[Chris_Robb]

Re: I ask because ....

I use one - but not boots - but I never wear it - not because I thought it dangereous - but because it normally gets chicked into the dinghy - I'll remember not to try wearing it!

Chris

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[Mirelle]

OK. No more boots in dinghy

Thanks for posting that, Nigel.

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[Guest]

Re: Now the picture is emerging ...

Another way is to snapshackle one end and lanyard the other. It would seem to be a boring job and longer to lash / unlash ...... but in fact is not so bad. My guard 'rails' - actually parafil - are shackled at pulpit and lashed at stern pushpit.

Some would argue about the strength of lanyard for webbing etc. given the shock loads put on them .... but enough turns and proper seaman like lashing will be perfectly OK .....

I will probably put an eye in each end of my webbing and have them just that little bit short - made up with good quality 3 strand spliced rope ends...............


<hr width=100% size=1>Nigel ...
Bilge Keelers get up further ! I only came - cos they said there was FREE Guinness !

 

[Guest]

Started stupid ...

getting good responses and also expanding out to some very good points ......

C'mon what else can be advised / pointed out EXCEPT anchoring !!!!


<hr width=100% size=1>Nigel ...
Bilge Keelers get up further ! I only came - cos they said there was FREE Guinness !

 

[tome]

Nigel

Don't ever take a rucksack onboard a Norwegian ship. They are considered to be very unlucky!

Tom

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[charles_reed]

I have both on my boat - the wellies are canvas/Gore-tex and easy to swim in, the rucksack is a 23-year old Berghaus 40 litre climbing rucksack with internal framing.

The only time I wear the "wellies" are when I'm dolled up in full foul-weather gear.
The rucksack, when used in the dinghy, is in the bows and it's only used for shopping when I haven't got the bike ashore, because that can carry 25kgs in its two panniers of about 90 litres.

I will confess that going ashore in February in the dinghy on a beach in the UK, used to make me seriously consider wearing the boots.

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