What's your opinion about clipping on?

[prv]

One thing I do not like about the "everything leads to the cockpit" idea is that people lose their skills at working outside it.

+1, as they say.

Of course if it's genuinely rough the cockpit is the safest place to be, but it surprises me the number of people who seem to think of going on deck as something to be done only for mooring or in very calm weather.

Pete

 

[Kukri]

+1, as they say.

Of course if it's genuinely rough the cockpit is the safest place to be, but it surprises me the number of people who seem to think of going on deck as something to be done only for mooring or in very calm weather.

Pete

+2,

It is a sort of vicious circle; if a boat has little or no good flat deck space, people don't want to leave the cockpit.

 

[prv]

It is a sort of vicious circle; if a boat has little or no good flat deck space, people don't want to leave the cockpit.

True, I suppose.

I'm not even talking about working on deck - just sitting or standing there as a change from the cockpit. I've always liked standing leaning against the windward side of the mast watching the world go by. KS's cabin top is quite high, so makes a good seat under way. As little kids, my brother and I used to get togged up in our oilies (or not, if it was warm) and go and ride on the foredeck either side of the anchor windlass on my grandad's boat. I've been known to set up my canvas bucket on the cabin top and sit on the side-deck to have a wash and shave under way - saves filling the cockpit with shaving foam and soapy water. I use the whole of a boat.

My fantasy boat (sort of pilot-cutter-esque in style although not really following that design) would have fife-rails at the mast designed to double as seats (one of them also the gas locker). You need places to be other than just the cockpit.

Pete

 

[Kukri]

As do I. Two feet of side deck and six inches of bulwark rail and clipped on...

Cannot sit on fiferails as they are galvanised steel and not comfy, but can sit on coachroof...

http://i535.photobucket.com/albums/ee352/acraigbennett/Mirelle/Mirelledeckfromfwd.jpg

 

[westernman]

As do I. Two feet of side deck and six inches of bulwark rail and clipped on...

Cannot sit on fiferails as they are galvanised steel and not comfy, but can sit on coachroof...

http://i535.photobucket.com/albums/ee352/acraigbennett/Mirelle/Mirelledeckfromfwd.jpg

I like the twin rocket launcher just in front of the mast.
A must for the cruising in the Gulf of Aden and the Red Sea.

 

[LauraKatie]

I tink it all about visability.
If conditions allow a reasonable chance of maintaining visual contact then clip on can be more of a hindrance.
Certainly clip on at night, in fog or sailing alone on deck.
Assess the risk and act accordingly. Common sense with risk assessment should prevail

 

[john_morris_uk]

Curiously, either Tabarly broke one of the golden rules for handling a gaff cutter, or his novice crew did not understand his instructions - he was swept over by the gaff whilst lowering it in order to set the trysail. There is a standard procedure for this (which needless to say is nowhere in the RYA syllabus) - you trap the topsail sheet, or the vang if no topsail is carried, round a cleat in the cockpit to "tame" the gaff until you can smother it.

It's a bit of a disingenuous swipe to cite something not being in the RYA syllabus when there is no defined 'official' syllabus way to perform any evolution on a large/heavy displacement sailing vessel. There might be a view on what is better or worse on a conventually rigged sloop, but if it's safe and seaman like then I think you will find then it's fine.

Why the uncalled for jibe?

 

[GrahamM376]

One thing I do not like about the "everything leads to the cockpit" idea is that people lose their skills at working outside it. That may become neccessary at some time.

I doubt there's much danger in losing skills - that assumes we had some in the first place! We actually spend much of our time on deck while autohelm steers and it's an easy boat to move around but, on longer passages, we're effectively sailing single handed much of the time and I certainly don't want SWMBO leaving the cockpit at night, clipped on or not, whilst I'm asleep.

 

[westernman]

I doubt there's much danger in losing skills - that assumes we had some in the first place! We actually spend much of our time on deck while autohelm steers and it's an easy boat to move around but, on longer passages, we're effectively sailing single handed much of the time and I certainly don't want SWMBO leaving the cockpit at night, clipped on or not, whilst I'm asleep.

+1

 

[KellysEye]

We always clip on in bad weather and at night. As said towing somebody behind a boat will kill them. We tested towing in the Med and above four knots it's difficult to keep your head above water, six and you would probably drown.

 

[dt4134]

I've been thinking about this for a few days, and I don't think there is an easy answer.

The MAIB are currently investigating (at consultation stage) the tragic loss of life in a RORC race last year from the yacht Lion.
If I recall correctly that was an incident of a MOB still attached. Given that Lion is not what I would term a high performance boat, I think the report when it is published will probably profide some food for thought on this subject.

The Lion report has now been published. Quite a sobering report. Although things weren't done perfectly they were not a bunch of numpties yet they still lost the skipper. Took a long time to get him back on board but it seems like he was dead from pretty early on in the incident.

Four strong crew, which I understand to be the mast man, two trimmers and the bowman struggled for some time to lift him back on board (he'd gone under the headsail and lower guardrail).

The MAIB suggest more frequent use of the short line on a three point clip, but I have my doubts about how regularly that can be done when working on the foredeck.

 

[Sybarite]

My solution: I would have a line loosely coiled on the pushpit with a bowline loop. If a crew member ever went overboard while being clipped on I would clip his life line into the bowline making sure the other end was tied to the boat. This would drag him/her 10-20 metres behind the boat instead of getting smashed up against the hull.

QUOTE]

I don't think this is feasible. Unclipping a person being dragged at 15 knots (or even 6 knots) and holding him with one hand whilst trying to attach his clip with the other would be virtually impossible for the common of mortals.