Seastoke
Well-Known Member
I don’t understand your thinking on a 50ft boat, what boat do you have.
What is your lifejacket policy?
- Thread starter ari
- Start date
ari
Well-Known Member
I know you don't. 
ari
Well-Known Member
If this is a genuine concern, surely all guests and crew should be outfitted with some kind of helmet too? Lightweight cycle helmets you barely know you're wearing, just like a modern lifejacket.
After all, if someone tumbles off the flybridge of a 50ft boat and smashes their head on the side rails, the head injury could be far more of an issue than the dunking.
ari
Well-Known Member
Please don't call me names because you're unable to understand the point I'm making.
It's most unedifying and reflects very badly on you.
rafiki_
Well-Known Member
In my experience, there is little risk in falling off the fly. On all the fly’s I’ve been on, the only risk is falling down the stairs. I’ve managed this once, with no harm done. I’ve also tumbled into the lazerette, again with no harm done. For me, walking around the side decks is a bigger risk. This is where “one hand for the boat, and one for me” is good practice.
ari
Well-Known Member
Yup, that's exactly my point. It would actually be ridiculous to insist on wearing crash helmets as the chance of actually falling off a 50ft flybridge cruiser is so minimal (other than certain specific things like deck work possibly), so perhaps what are entirely sensible habits on smaller boats regarding lifejackets being worn permanently are less applicable to larger ones for the same reason (which is where we came in with the original post)?
Greg2
Well-Known Member
Interesting thoughts on the likelihood of falling off a flybridge on a fifty footer. My take is that flybridges typically have low guardrails and whilst sitting stationary when under way is likely to be relatively low risk, that changes if people move around at sea.
Ultimately, health and safety is about risk mitigation (as opposed to risk elimination) and different people will have different attitudes to risk. I am used to operating coded boats at work so lifejackets on the upper deck of our largest boat (a 16m cat) are mandatory whilst underway with no exceptions. Some may argue that this is overkill but the reason for it is that unexpected sh**t sometimes happens at sea, something that was a basic tenet of my seamanship training in the RN in the late ‘70s when H&S was not really the major thing that it is now.
The good thing about leisure boating is that we can all (within reason) do what we think is appropriate and no one is forcing their lifejacket policy on anyone else
.
Ultimately, health and safety is about risk mitigation (as opposed to risk elimination) and different people will have different attitudes to risk. I am used to operating coded boats at work so lifejackets on the upper deck of our largest boat (a 16m cat) are mandatory whilst underway with no exceptions. Some may argue that this is overkill but the reason for it is that unexpected sh**t sometimes happens at sea, something that was a basic tenet of my seamanship training in the RN in the late ‘70s when H&S was not really the major thing that it is now.
The good thing about leisure boating is that we can all (within reason) do what we think is appropriate and no one is forcing their lifejacket policy on anyone else
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