Singlehander Missing Near Little Creek Inlet, VA

[four winds]

Deploying the ladder from the water; very good idea that I can't believe I didn't think of myself.

Mine is secured with a snap shackle. Maybe I could simply fit a long release lanyard that reaches near the water level. Something to check on tomorrow after I clean the fuel filter.

[Wand]

Originally Posted by CarlF

When single handing, short, multiple tethers are good. As is a 50ft dragged floating line. As is a boarding ladder that can be deployed from the water. Even then, the odds are grim once over the lifelines. Carl.

Quite right Carl. And replace those racing minimum lifelines with something solid and higher. The standard 700mm staunchions and wire are worse than useless; one metre is what you need, joined with solid tube and filled in with netting so you won't get washed through.

Even crewed boats cannot always get you back aboard once over - a well-qualified racing crew lost one of their own in Port Phillip Bay last summer.

But as a single hander, once you're in the water, it's usually ta ta.

[John A]

Originally Posted by At sea

But as a single hander, once you're in the water, it's usually ta ta.

How many of you single handle with a companion / wife / girlfriend / children / friends who are not as expert as you at sailing?

Unless you have people in your crew with the skills to keep sight of you, maneuver the boat back to you, the strength to haul you out of the water, and cares enough about your sorry ass to go through the effort, we all single handle.

Stay on the boat folks!

[CarlF]

Yes - tall stanchions, short tethers, crawling - and stay in the cockpit!

During the 2002 ARC a man drowed in mid Atlantic after being dragged alongside his boat by his harness. His brother was the only crew (double handed boat). They were able to discuss what to do but the one brother was unable to get the other aboard before he drowned.

This is one tough story.

Brother cuts sailor's body adrift - CNN

Carl

[ssrigger]

Oh this is so sad! I'm praying!!! First that he's somehow safe... (Hard to believe he set off like that) Second for his family! And third that this never ever happens to any of us!!! I will always pray for safe travel, and clear level headed thinking.
This means wearing a tether at night or in bad weather, and a life jacket for whatever good it will do me when my husband is down below sawing logs.

[alleno]

Arno was my brother-in-law. He owns and operates a boat yard in Perth, Western Australia, where he has built and restored yachts for the last decade or so. He has made a few single handed open ocean trips that I know of, mostly in the Indian and Southern Oceans round the south-west of Western Australia.
He went to the US in December to inspect the Wampeter and returned to the US and bought the boat in mid January. He has been preparing it for the last couple of weeks.
He has a sister and four daughters in Australia.

[Wand]

Originally Posted by alleno

Arno was my brother-in-law. He owns and operates a boat yard in Perth, Western Australia, where he has built and restored yachts for the last decade or so. He has made a few single handed open ocean trips that I know of, mostly in the Indian and Southern Oceans round the south-west of Western Australia.
He went to the US in December to inspect the Wampeter and returned to the US and bought the boat in mid January. He has been preparing it for the last couple of weeks.
He has a sister and four daughters in Australia.

That's very sad. He clearly sought to prepare things in a seamanlike manner before departure. Unfortunately, as has been shown many times over the years, good seamanship is not always a sufficient defence against the elements. My condolences.

[John A]

Originally Posted by alleno

Arno was my brother-in-law. He owns and operates a boat yard in Perth, Western Australia, where he has built and restored yachts for the last decade or so. He has made a few single handed open ocean trips that I know of, mostly in the Indian and Southern Oceans round the south-west of Western Australia.
He went to the US in December to inspect the Wampeter and returned to the US and bought the boat in mid January. He has been preparing it for the last couple of weeks.
He has a sister and four daughters in Australia.

How sad.

Please accept my condolence for you and your families loss. I'm sure that it was a tragic accident.
Forum members lets not turn this into another woulds, coulda, shoulda debate. Please.

[four winds]

Hits me more emotional when a relative joins to chime in with some background info. Very sad. I hope it was premature to refer to Arno in the past tense.

JohnA, unlike the thread about the loss of your boat there is no "confession" of the events that took place. So there is no starting point for the shoulda woulda to begin. But it can serve as an impetus to evaluate one's own safety plans. That is what it has done for me.

[Mimsy]

alleno, you and your family have my deepest sympathies. It could have happened to any one of us.

[marc2012]

Alleno also extend my sympathy to you & your family.marc

[biltong]

I don't know if it would have helped, and fortunately I didn't have to test it out, but we had 'Last Chance' trailing off the back of our yacht on all crossings. About 50 metres of knotted 3/4'' line.
My sympathies to the family and friends

[Hannah on 'Rita T']

I was harsh last night. I didn't know he had bought the boat. I realized it might have been a sentimental last sail before selling. We use tethers but three nights ago I realized there would be no way I could get husband aboard if he went over. My plan was, as I watched him go forward at midnight to retrieve two five-gallon jerry jugs was that I would throw him a stout line and pull himaround the boat to the port side ladder. The diesel jerry jugs are going to the portside and the water to the starboard, water never has to be transferred in the dark.

[nv5l]

Alleno, please accept my sincere condolences.

[John A]

Originally Posted by biltong

I don't know if it would have helped, and fortunately I didn't have to test it out, but we had 'Last Chance' trailing off the back of our yacht on all crossings. About 50 metres of knotted 3/4'' line.
My sympathies to the family and friends

For those who drag a "Last Chance", I suggest that you do two experiments while sailing.

Take a piece of biodegradeable paper and throw it overboard and see how quick it reaches 50 meters. Picture yourself recovering from the shock of falling overboard in the conditions that caused you to go overboard and have the wits to find and hold on to the line as it goes by.

Next take a two gal. bucket and attach a 60 foot line to it and tose it overboard to be filled with water. Let it drift to the end of the line and note the difficulity of retreiving about 20 pounds from the water while the boat is underway. Then realize what your waterlogged clothes and 180 pounds would do to your effort to hang on and get yourself back to the boat.

The drag from the 300 feet of line is going to result in a loss of speed and that's about all.