Is "hiking" illegal

[Factor]

The practice of hiking or hanging over the side of a boat particularly monohull sail boat is pretty old and happens every time I sail past a mono racing to weather or even beam reaching. Some guys get carried away and have all their body wrapped around just the one life line and everything else outside.

So I was talking with some regulatory folk in Australia today - seeing what silly new rules they may be dreaming up and they raised an issue with me that under most state legislation in Australia they consider any skipper who lets crew hang outside the boat without a tether and PFD is probably committing an offence of failing discharge the general safety obligation. The issue of rubber banding spinnakers was also re-raised (thats clearly an offence under MARPOL). SO it seems there may be some stress afoot for those that like to/need to hike. Never do it on my boat but I am in the minority.

[Wotname]

Lordy lordy lordy, please tell me this is not going to happen...

[SaucySailoress]

Last I heard, it was race legal to have no more than 50% of your body mass hanging out (of the boat that is). But I wouldn't be surprised if they change that and decide we all have to wear seatbelts and hard harts while they're at it...

[Factor]

Originally Posted by SaucySailoress

Last I heard, it was race legal to have no more than 50% of your body mass hanging out (of the boat that is). But I wouldn't be surprised if they change that and decide we all have to wear seatbelts and hard harts while they're at it...

Its not about what is "race legal" Race committees rules can't override the various state Marine Safety Acts in Australia.

[UNCIVILIZED]

I absolutely can't see hiking going away. You'll almost literally have throngs of people with torches & pitch forks going after whoever outlaws it. Not to mention that pretty much every racing boat out there is designed from the outset with weight on the rail as part of it's calculations.

On kites, & banding. You can use wool (well, up to a certain boat size), but it's not even a fraction as quick to affix to the sails. And on most boats, the kites HAVE to be banded, or you'd never get them properly hoisted.
If something that big fills up with wind when it's only 1/2 or 2/3 of the way up to the hounds, you have a MAJOR problem on your hands. The kind that causes damage in the 4-5 digit range $ wise, & gets folks hurt.

The whole proposal sounds like someone trying to further their political career, by employing the standard ploy of "it's for the environment", or "it's for their own safety". Anyone ever notice how it's not called "Global Warming" any more, but rather "Climate Change". And that thankfully a certain "famous" spokesman about it has finally shut up (more or less).

The last time I looked, the Skipper of a Vessel is responsible for safety & everything related there to. As well as EVERYTHING which transpires onboard (or so it said the last time I checked, & was taught prior to earning a commission).

[cal40john]

Originally Posted by SaucySailoress

Last I heard, it was race legal to have no more than 50% of your body mass hanging out (of the boat that is). But I wouldn't be surprised if they change that and decide we all have to wear seatbelts and hard harts while they're at it...

A lot more than 50% going on. I think the OP is talking about a difference of opinion between what is legal by racing rules and what government officials think is law.

Not too long ago people were loosening the lower lifeline so you could get even further out, but the rules tightened up on that practice.

Picture from:
RULE 49: Is Gut Hiking Illegal? >> Scuttlebutt Sailing News

I think keelboat hiking is dumb, check out the above link about pain and nerve damage. Put trapezes on if you're going to do anything. A couple of years ago a sport boat owner was complaining that local PHRF rules did not allow the trapezes that came with the boat, that it was unsafe. He pointed out that if a lower lifeline goes, the entire crew is overboard. If a trapeze wire broke he only loses one crew. Which do you think is safer?

http://www.sailing.org/tools/documen...20132016Final-[13376].pdf
49.2 When lifelines are required by the class rules or the sailing
instructions they shall be taut, and competitors shall not position any
part of their torsos outside them, except briefly to perform a
necessary task. On boats equipped with upper and lower lifelines, a
competitor sitting on the deck facing outboard with his waist inside
the lower lifeline may have the upper part of his body outside the
upper lifeline. If the class rules do not specify the material or
minimum diameter of lifelines, they shall comply with the
corresponding specifications in the ISAF Offshore Special
Regulations.

[UNCIVILIZED]

Funny, I was just wondering about the "legality" of trapezes under these "laws" myself. Especially given that so many of the boats that use them were invented in Australia.

[Factor]

Its not the Hiking itself that they appear to be concerned with, its the failure to be wearing a PFD and failure to be tethered, people on a beach cat or similar small boat on a trapeze are clearly tethered and if wearing a PFD would appear to be not in their area of concern?

[Sailmonkey]

So much for the fun left in the sport......


Sent from my iPhone using Cruisers Sailing Forum

[Blue Stocking]

--the "upwind" guys would tell you it gets the brawn out of the way, so that the brain can do their job.

[FSMike]

Thank God the safety rule makers haven't turned their attention to Bahamian sloop racing.
"Out on de pry mon - but don't forget your harness and pfd."
That mental image is just too funny.

[valhalla360]

Personally don't care but this may be one of those rules that won't be enforced unless something happens.

Boat his a big wave, a lifeline breaks, guy smacks his head on the hull side on the way down and drowns. The authorities have to pass blame so captain gets hammered for operating the boat in a dangerous manner. (It's like if you rear end someone, you were by definition following too closely even though they never would have pulled you over for it.)

[jannw]

"Never do it on my boat but I am in the minority"

I'd hate to be crewing on a cat whose owner insisted that I hang over the weather rail.