Is Boating Dangerous ?

[zeehag]

the worst part of cruising is the waiting--like waiting out hurrycame season....waiting for parts...waiting for crew......waiting aint sailing. waiting can be dangerous.....

[GreenOnions]

Originally Posted by Unicorn Dreams

neither boating nor cars are dangerous for the most part.

It's the operators judgment that is questionable.

I couldn't agree more, as long as you know what you're doing and you trust your instinct you're be fine.

[MarkSF]

Originally Posted by redcobra

Is driving dangerous?

Define dangerous.

[zeehag]

dangerous=loose nut behind wheel falling off......

LIFE is dangerous--none of us makes it out alive.....boating is a piece of cake next to life...

[Kalinka1]

It's so dangerous that i think everyone else should stay off the water and leave it to me

[rgscpat]

You can cut down on on-board accidents by opening boat merchandise that comes in plastic clamshell packaging on shore. That way, when you cut yourself, it's not a boating accident.

[GordMay]

Originally Posted by zeehag

the worst part of cruising is the waiting ...

Cruising isn't just about sailing - that would be passagemaking/voyaging; a very different thing.
Not waiting is more likely to be dangerous, than is waiting.

Originally Posted by zeehag

... LIFE is dangerous--none of us makes it out alive ...

“No One Here Gets Out Alive” was a biography of Jim Morrison (the Doors)

[niel12]

Knowledge of ignorance breeds fear i could'nt put it better myself and capt Phil hit it right on the head.

No one in his right mind will take swim if he is afraid of water and cannot swim! Neither will he do parachute jumping without a parachute!

All that it boils down to is knowledge! Knowledge of your boat, its ability, how to trim your sails, read charts, to checkout weather forecasts, navigation but to name a few basics and then perhaps the most important of all ... believe in yourself!

[redcobra]

Originally Posted by MarkSF

Define dangerous.

Can you die?

I always like Hemingway's quote about Sports. He said, "Bullfighting, Mountain Climbing and Auto Racing are sports, the rest are games."

[mbianka]

This topic got me thinking about one of my favorite folksingers Bill Morrisey who died the other day while touring on the road. He wrote this amusing little ditty:

It's Dangerous Out Here
(Bill Morrisey)

There's Russians on the front porch
There's Martians on the ceiling
There's a cape buffalo on the patio
And you ask me how I'm feeling

There's a sniper by the swing set
The subway has been mined
And here you come with a great big smile
Singing rise and shine.

CHORUS:
There's nothing you can say
That could get me up today
Nothing you have ever said
That can drive me from this bed
You can call me lazy, crazy
Call me stupid I don't care
I ain't getting up
It's dangerous out there.

There's a hunter from New Jersey
In my kitchen drinking beer
There's a Texan out my window
With a chain saw and a leer

I can take a walk around the block
To shake me from my slumber
But there's student drivers out today
And one has got my number

CHORUS:

There's a pounding on my front door
It's enought to make me scream
Why it's two girl scouts, one Jehovah witness
And a whole swat team.
So listen to me darling
Please heed these words I say
It's too scary here in February dear
Set my snooze alarm for May.

[niel12]

Originally Posted by lorenzo b

Given the number of threads about pirates, boardings, murders, self protection devices, on and on and on, one would think boating is really dangerous.

But hey, what's the worst thing that can happen?

You die, right?

Well guess what, you are going to die. We all are, and within a fairly predictable time frame.

It is obvious to anyone that is a cruiser that we are almost all old people, retired or soon to be retired. Say in the 45 to 75 year old range. That means our chances of dying in the next 12 months are about 1 in 30, or 3%. Since everyone dies by 100, you could simplify the math and say there is a 1% chance per year of anyone dying.

Our chances of being murdered are 1 in 100,000.

Our chances of drowning are about 1 in 50,000.

What's with all this negative paranoia?

I foud this description of dangerous:

D - Dare to

A - Afraid to

N - No go in you

G - Great loser

E - Eerie feeling

R - Rewardless

O - Old women fables

U - Uninformed

S - Scared of the unknown.

[Capt Phil]

Hey Lorenzo b, 45-75 isn't old! At least I hope not... you don't really have enough years to pack the required experience into until you hit around 70, I think... you just move a little slower... cheers, Capt Phil

[zeehag]

the longer ye sail the younger ye get......

[sailorboy1]

Originally Posted by zeehag

......waiting aint sailing. waiting can be dangerous.....

What's the danger in waiting? Is it shopping or alcohol related?

[zeehag]

Originally Posted by Don Lucas

What's the danger in waiting? Is it shopping or alcohol related?

neither, as i dont do either..LOl
ye can get killed by a bus or a car.
you can stay in one place too long and find unwanted visitors in your wood.
there are many things that COULD happen to ye while waiting.
i dont like waiting for anything...except a decent weather window.

and YOU are cynical. why do you ask this-- do you drink or shop? or is it your wife??