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30-12-2017, 02:02
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#1
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Moderator
Join Date: Mar 2009
Location: Denmark (Winter), Helsinki (Summer); Cruising the Baltic Sea this year!
Boat: Cutter-Rigged Moody 54
Posts: 33,750
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Why Do Sailors Still Die Being Dragged Along By Their Tethers?
Another death in the Clipper Race: https://www.clipperroundtheworld.com...n-speirs--cv30 It took the highly trained amateur crew 38 minutes to get him back on board. It seems to me that a high percentage of offshore fatalities occur just this way. Why does it take 38 minutes to get someone back on board? Why can't a full crew just haul a MOB back on board by main force by his tether, in seconds? Why can't they stop the boat? I'm having trouble visualizing how these accidents happen. My lifejackets have transparent face masks which keep spray out of your mouth, but maybe we need some kind of breathing apparatus? In another recent fatality just this way, the victim was even working with the crew to figure out how to get him back on board -- but still drowned. Something is wrong with this picture.
__________________
"You sea! I resign myself to you also . . . . I guess what you mean,
I behold from the beach your crooked inviting fingers,
I believe you refuse to go back without feeling of me;
We must have a turn together . . . . I undress . . . . hurry me out of sight of the land,
Cushion me soft . . . . rock me in billowy drowse,
Dash me with amorous wet . . . . I can repay you."
Walt Whitman
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30-12-2017, 02:48
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#2
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cruiser
Join Date: Nov 2007
Location: Probably in an anchorage or a boatyard..
Boat: Ebbtide 33' steel cutter
Posts: 5,030
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Re: Why Do Sailors Still Die Being Dragged Along By Their Tethers?
Quote:
Originally Posted by Dockhead
Another death in the Clipper Race: https://www.clipperroundtheworld.com...n-speirs--cv30 It took the highly trained amateur crew 38 minutes to get him back on board. It seems to me that a high percentage of offshore fatalities occur just this way. Why does it take 38 minutes to get someone back on board? Why can't a full crew just haul a MOB back on board by main force by his tether, in seconds? Why can't they stop the boat? I'm having trouble visualizing how these accidents happen. My lifejackets have transparent face masks which keep spray out of your mouth, but maybe we need some kind of breathing apparatus? In another recent fatality just this way, the victim was even working with the crew to figure out how to get him back on board -- but still drowned. Something is wrong with this picture.
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Looks likely that it was actually a tether connector failure due to side loading while they were getting a halyard on to get him back onboard. Might have all happened in seconds, we don't know.
https://www.facebook.com/sailorgirlH...type=2&theater
Half hours sounds pretty good going getting a MOB back onboard in the southern ocean. Must have been awful for the crew, poor guy. Southern Ocean is close to the edge..
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30-12-2017, 03:49
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#3
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cruiser
Join Date: Nov 2007
Location: Probably in an anchorage or a boatyard..
Boat: Ebbtide 33' steel cutter
Posts: 5,030
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Re: Why Do Sailors Still Die Being Dragged Along By Their Tethers?
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30-12-2017, 04:25
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#5
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Registered User
Join Date: Jan 2012
Location: Australia
Boat: Catalina 470
Posts: 4,578
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Re: Why Do Sailors Still Die Being Dragged Along By Their Tethers?
I've been thinking about tethers quite a bit lately, actually since that poor chap in the caribean went missing a little while back.
I can't really answer your question but I question the whole jack line thing.
Sometimes I truly believe I'm going to head overboard due to focusing to much on the tether that wants to catch on everything, including me.
My passages this year made me truly understand if I go overboard I'm going to die.
I'm changing my system to center jack line and strategically placed padeyes that I can clip onto at certain points.
My current system increases my chance of going overboard and just means I'll die next to the boat, because I don't believe my partner could get me back on, particularly with the sides of modern boats.
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30-12-2017, 04:41
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#6
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S/V rubber ducky
Join Date: Jul 2007
Location: heading "south"
Boat: Hunter 410
Posts: 20,362
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Re: Why Do Sailors Still Die Being Dragged Along By Their Tethers?
That it took a full crew 38 minutes just highlights that odds are if you go over you are going to die! Life is better if you stay ON the boat!
__________________
Don't ask a bunch of unknown forum people if it is OK to do something on YOUR boat. It is your boat, do what you want!
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30-12-2017, 05:00
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#7
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Marine Service Provider
Join Date: Jan 2011
Location: St. Petersburg, FL
Boat: Retired Delivery Capt
Posts: 3,683
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Re: Why Do Sailors Still Die Being Dragged Along By Their Tethers?
Very short answer—— Simple physics. If you run a jackline 1’ from the edge of the boat and use a 3’ or 6’ tether- if you fall there is a good chance you fall off the boat. If you rig the jackline down the centerline of the boat this cannot happen.
__________________
"Whenever...it requires a strong moral principle to prevent me from deliberately stepping into the street, and methodically knocking people's hats off- then, I account it high time to get to sea..." Ishmael
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30-12-2017, 05:19
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#8
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Moderator
Join Date: Mar 2009
Location: Denmark (Winter), Helsinki (Summer); Cruising the Baltic Sea this year!
Boat: Cutter-Rigged Moody 54
Posts: 33,750
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Re: Why Do Sailors Still Die Being Dragged Along By Their Tethers?
Quote:
Originally Posted by Snore
Very short answer—— Simple physics. If you run a jackline 1’ from the edge of the boat and use a 3’ or 6’ tether- if you fall there is a good chance you fall off the boat. If you rig the jackline down the centerline of the boat this cannot happen.
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Which begs the obvious question -- then why don't they?
__________________
"You sea! I resign myself to you also . . . . I guess what you mean,
I behold from the beach your crooked inviting fingers,
I believe you refuse to go back without feeling of me;
We must have a turn together . . . . I undress . . . . hurry me out of sight of the land,
Cushion me soft . . . . rock me in billowy drowse,
Dash me with amorous wet . . . . I can repay you."
Walt Whitman
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30-12-2017, 05:36
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#9
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Registered User
Join Date: Jan 2012
Location: Australia
Boat: Catalina 470
Posts: 4,578
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Re: Why Do Sailors Still Die Being Dragged Along By Their Tethers?
Quote:
Originally Posted by Dockhead
Which begs the obvious question -- then why don't they?
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One of the reasons is you have to get there first,where a jack line from stern to bow is available from the cockpit.
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30-12-2017, 05:45
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#11
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Registered User
Join Date: Jan 2012
Location: Australia
Boat: Catalina 470
Posts: 4,578
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Re: Why Do Sailors Still Die Being Dragged Along By Their Tethers?
People do what all the other people do, follow the herd.... I'm not sure you qualify for heard exceptance Boatie,try again next year.
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30-12-2017, 05:45
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#12
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cruiser
Join Date: Nov 2007
Location: Probably in an anchorage or a boatyard..
Boat: Ebbtide 33' steel cutter
Posts: 5,030
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Re: Why Do Sailors Still Die Being Dragged Along By Their Tethers?
Quote:
Originally Posted by Dockhead
Which begs the obvious question -- then why don't they?
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Maybe it was? RKJ said the poor guy was on his long tether.
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30-12-2017, 05:47
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#13
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Moderator
Join Date: Aug 2009
Location: Solent, England
Boat: Moody 31
Posts: 18,398
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Re: Why Do Sailors Still Die Being Dragged Along By Their Tethers?
Or, why don't we?
Does a yacht have a strong point to clip on before climbing out into the cockpit?
Are there sufficient strong points in the cockpit?
How do crew go from the cockpit forward past a sprayhood whilst remaining clipped on?
How long should the tether be? you might get away with 3ft with a side jackline, but a centre line jack will require a 6ft tether. That is a long way to fall from the windward to leeward side and warrant some serious re-enforcing to both jackline, the mountings and tether to support the average person.
Something to really consider during a custom build perhaps.
Pete
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30-12-2017, 05:48
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#14
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Senior Cruiser
Join Date: Jan 2010
Location: PORTUGAL
Posts: 30,561
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Re: Why Do Sailors Still Die Being Dragged Along By Their Tethers?
Quote:
Originally Posted by daletournier
One of the reasons is you have to get there first,where a jack line from stern to bow is available from the cockpit.
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I disagree.. its no big deal to put a pad eye each side of the hatchway with 2 lines running to a single pad eye at the mast.. then a single line running to the bow that one can transfer to from a secure position.
Clip on before you climb out of the cockpit.
__________________
It was a dark and stormy night and the captain of the ship said.. "Hey Jim, spin us a yarn." and the yarn began like this.. "It was a dark and stormy night.."
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30-12-2017, 06:01
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#15
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Moderator
Join Date: Mar 2009
Location: Denmark (Winter), Helsinki (Summer); Cruising the Baltic Sea this year!
Boat: Cutter-Rigged Moody 54
Posts: 33,750
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Re: Why Do Sailors Still Die Being Dragged Along By Their Tethers?
Quote:
Originally Posted by Pete7
Or, why don't we?
Does a yacht have a strong point to clip on before climbing out into the cockpit?
Are there sufficient strong points in the cockpit?
How do crew go from the cockpit forward past a sprayhood whilst remaining clipped on?
How long should the tether be? you might get away with 3ft with a side jackline, but a centre line jack will require a 6ft tether. That is a long way to fall from the windward to leeward side and warrant some serious re-enforcing to both jackline, the mountings and tether to support the average person.
Something to really consider during a custom build perhaps.
Pete
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Well, I have jackstays on either side deck, but after some thought, I don't see how a centerline one would be better -- I never clip on to the leeward one anyway. The problem must be at the pointy end where it doesn't make any difference -- leeward, windward, or center, they're all going to be in about the same place, and you're screwed if green water comes over the bow.
In rough weather, I heave to before doing ANYTHING at the bow, period, full stop -- a hard and fast rule on my boat. And I rarely have to do anything at the bow, with all furling headsails, but on rare occasions a line gets tangled or a furler needs some attention, or an anchor needs some extra lashing down, or a nav light needs fixing. Heaving to makes that kind of work relatively safe, it seems to me.
But still -- there ought to be a way to survive going over, even with a short handed crew. Couldn't you just heave to and haul him up by his tether? Why couldn't that be done in under a minute if you have a full crew? I am still failing to visualize this. I know I don't make 20 knots, but even from full chat at 9 or 10, I can heave to and stop the boat in seconds. At most I might have to center the traveler and haul in the mainsheet, but how many seconds does that take? 30? I just fail to visualize why sailors keep getting dragged by their tethers and drowned -- I must not understand something.
__________________
"You sea! I resign myself to you also . . . . I guess what you mean,
I behold from the beach your crooked inviting fingers,
I believe you refuse to go back without feeling of me;
We must have a turn together . . . . I undress . . . . hurry me out of sight of the land,
Cushion me soft . . . . rock me in billowy drowse,
Dash me with amorous wet . . . . I can repay you."
Walt Whitman
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