Windermere MOBreinforces lifejacket advice.....

Croak

Croak

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Windermere MOB reinforces lifejacket advice.....

Page 7 of feb PBO. what the #### has the story got to do with life jackets.

Man fell in, man couldn't get out of water back into boat, wardens rescue man!
 
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Croak said:
Page 7 of feb PBO. what the #### has the story got to do with life jackets.

Man fell in, man couldn't get out of water back into boat, wardens rescue man!
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My gawd is it February already, where did January go?

Seajet said:
For swimming a dinghy style buoyancy aid would be far better, it's really difficult in an inflated lifejacket.
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Depends how you swim. Lifejackets are designed to keep your head above water thus forcing you to swim on your back I recommend the use of the breast stroke leg action while waiting for rescue.
 
Well, I've done a lot of swimming in buoyancy aids when dinghy sailing, and I had my LJ inflate when I went overboard; swimming more than a few feet in the LJ was exhausting, it's a hard call as the LJ gives much more support for back-stroke but it would be slow progress.
 
pcatterall said:
Perhaps lack of a deployable ladder was more of an issue?
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Perhaps the modern idea that safety is all about buying the right plastic and electronic toys is the real issue?
I see a lot of people wearing LJ's that lack 'boat sense'.
They move awkwardly on a boat.
They are not aware of wash etc.
They don't keep a hand free to hold on.
They stand in the wrong place instead of sitting safely in the cockpit, for no reason.

You can still fall off, but some people are way more likely than others.
 
lw395 said:
Perhaps the modern idea that safety is all about buying the right plastic and electronic toys is the real issue?
I see a lot of people wearing LJ's that lack 'boat sense'.
They move awkwardly on a boat.
They are not aware of wash etc.
They don't keep a hand free to hold on.
They stand in the wrong place instead of sitting safely in the cockpit, for no reason.

You can still fall off, but some people are way more likely than others.
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Well put
 
lw395 said:
Perhaps the modern idea that safety is all about buying the right plastic and electronic toys is the real issue?
I see a lot of people wearing LJ's that lack 'boat sense'.
They move awkwardly on a boat.
They are not aware of wash etc.
They don't keep a hand free to hold on.
They stand in the wrong place instead of sitting safely in the cockpit, for no reason.

You can still fall off, but some people are way more likely than others.
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While that is entirely true, don't let it blind you to the basic truism that any of us will fall over the side in the event of a certain set of circumstances - no matter how you try to minimise or reduce that risk, it is still there & the consequence may be fatal.

Life lines, being aware, holding on, wearing warm clothing (even when wet), L/Js or BAs, boarding ladders deployable & useable from in the water (need at least 3 rungs below the water), having another person on board - all of these help reduce the risk of dying, but none of them can entirely eliminate it. Just remember that every one of those that you are without on a given occasion will increase the risk of dying a little.
 
Searush said:
While that is entirely true, don't let it blind you to the basic truism that any of us will fall over the side in the event of a certain set of circumstances - no matter how you try to minimise or reduce that risk, it is still there & the consequence may be fatal.

Life lines, being aware, holding on, wearing warm clothing (even when wet), L/Js or BAs, boarding ladders deployable & useable from in the water (need at least 3 rungs below the water), having another person on board - all of these help reduce the risk of dying, but none of them can entirely eliminate it. Just remember that every one of those that you are without on a given occasion will increase the risk of dying a little.
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Life is sexually transmitted & terminal
 
If I understood what I was told correctly, the reason he couldn't get out of the water is his leg was hooked over the boarding ladder and he couldn't get it off.

I was only half listening to the tale so may have it wrong.

The Wardens had a real job getting him out of the water and only just managed to do it.

My conclusion was that I don't want to do a winter visit to the boat alone and if I have to go alone I check in with someone at regular intervals untill I'm back on dry land. We did both wear lifejackets during our visit on Sunday though.
 
aquaplane said:
If I understood what I was told correctly, the reason he couldn't get out of the water is his leg was hooked over the boarding ladder and he couldn't get it off.

I was only half listening to the tale so may have it wrong.

The Wardens had a real job getting him out of the water and only just managed to do it.

My conclusion was that I don't want to do a winter visit to the boat alone and if I have to go alone I check in with someone at regular intervals untill I'm back on dry land. We did both wear lifejackets during our visit on Sunday though.
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I understand this and support it, and I guess in the end it always - and necessarily - comes down the same old same old: only the individual can assess what level of risk they are prepared to put up with, and make decisions accordingly. Just before the lock gate out of my marina, there is a large, obvious sign that says, "It is the skipper's decision and his or hers alone as to whether to put to sea," and I, for one, wouldn't have it any other way. My decision is that there is only rule on my boat, and that is anyone on deck always wears a lifejacket. If that person is me and I'm single handed, my personal policy is that I'm always clipped on.

Many others have different approaches, including not sailing in winter, and I support their decision, even if my conclusion is different (though frankly, after Sunday's sail single-handed with a storm two hours in front of me and heading towards me, thereby leaving me with no fail-safe Plan B except to get to where I was headed in thoroughly unpleasant weather and sea state, I decided I'd reached completely the wrong conclusion and much preferred the sound of your approach, Aquaplane ;-))
 
aquaplane said:
If I understood what I was told correctly, the reason he couldn't get out of the water is his leg was hooked over the boarding ladder and he couldn't get it off.

I was only half listening to the tale so may have it wrong.

The Wardens had a real job getting him out of the water and only just managed to do it.

My conclusion was that I don't want to do a winter visit to the boat alone and if I have to go alone I check in with someone at regular intervals untill I'm back on dry land. We did both wear lifejackets during our visit on Sunday though.
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So if that is the case it sounds like what we have discussed at length, the need to have a ladder that goes at least 3 feet into the water.

yes, a reminder to myself......... do something about the ladder!!
 
The reply from the RNLI to a question about this topic in this months PBO letters page seems to miss the point somewhat. Ie, Thermal shock could be an issue.
 
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