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MarkJ · 02-12-2015, 11:58

Help! I can't tack till I find my Starboard helmet!

Sent from a stupid phone that replaces words with weird stuff.

thomm225 · 02-12-2015, 12:24

I think it was only one or two guys saying use bike helmets on a sailboat.

The rest was after the thread drifted on over to cycling with or without a helmet and then motorcycles and helmets.

Then a guy got upset because he thought someone was trying to tell him what to do............in order not to get hurt or killed but he considered that rude behavior. He thought he should be allowed to get hurt or killed any way he wanted even though it could raise the health insurance for 1000's of people. Then I think smoking came into the equation but I didn't read the whole post because this guy really went on a rant which I believe all started with bike helmets!

There's only so much practical advice on singlehanded sailing you can give a guy that has never sailed and is living in Colorado that might sail solo in 7-10 years!

Your bound to get some drift one way of the other..............

reed1v · 02-12-2015, 13:23

This board is obviously composed of a lot of newbies and folks with limited sailing experience on one hand, and on the other folks who have sailed across oceans and spent decades doing so. IT is saddening to see the sheer stupidity of those who rile against helmets in sailing, much as idiots did back in the 60s against bike helmets; or even those who fought bans on cigarette smoking in public places. Perhaps you will learn when your faced with a hurricane and your far out to sea. A sailboat will be tossed around like a ping pong ball, and nothing you can do will stop you from being thrown around inside that boat; and no matter how well you store things, flying objects will embed themselves into whatever they hit, including you.

Stu Jackson · 02-12-2015, 13:34

Quote:

Originally Posted by reed1v

.............and no matter how well you store things, flying objects will embed themselves into whatever they hit, including you.

And how you choose to prepare for it and deal with it is and should be up to you.

Mandates for certain things may make sense for government to do.

This isn't one of 'em.

For example, many of us have been warning, warning, warning for over decades about wiring harnesses being FIRE HAZARDS on boats, yet we still see folks with decades old boats being unaware of the issues.

Folks who don't do their homework and rsearch just won't get it. Ever.

You can lead a horse...

reed1v · 02-12-2015, 13:40

Quote:

Originally Posted by Stu Jackson

And how you choose to prepare for it and deal with it is and should be up to you.

Mandates for certain things may make sense for government to do.

This isn't one of 'em.

For example, many of us have been warning, warning, warning for over decades about wiring harnesses being FIRE HAZARDS on boats, yet we still see folks with decades old boats being unaware of the issues.

Folks who don't do their homework and rsearch just won't get it. Ever.

You can lead a horse...

I was not asking for mandates, just telling what worked for us over 65 years of sailing the world. If you are a know it all, then why are you even interested in others' advice? It was the intent of this web site to share knowledge and advice so others can learn and hopefully cruise safely. Guess that is lost on you.

**Jim Cate** · 02-12-2015, 13:46

Quote:

A sailboat will be tossed around like a ping pong ball, and nothing you can do will stop you from being thrown around inside that boat; and no matter how well you store things, flying objects will embed themselves into whatever they hit, including you.

Gosh, Reed, I'd think that if this is true that you would be advocating full body armor.

I personally haven't found a viable need for a helmet in our years of cruising. Most of my head bumps have come whilst entering or leaving quarter berths with limited head room, and I'll be buggered if I'll consider wearing a helmet to bed.

Frankly, I think that you are a bit over the top saying that all who fail to wear helmets sailing are stupid. They evaluate the hazard differently and come to a different conclusion. To say that this makes them stupid is pretty arrogant IMO.

But then, you did say that you were a surgeon...

Jim

TheThunderbird · 02-12-2015, 14:59

I will try the helmet, when sailing alone

I already stopped the practice of peeing out, way too dangerous!

reed1v · 02-12-2015, 18:00

Wearing a head protection device makes sense when your going to encounter bad weather conditions such as typhoons(hurricanes), just plain bad seas(roaring forties and furious fifties), or in highly uncertain situations(we once got stuck inside a bay with a tsunami coming our way). Otherwise, no, you do not need head protection devices on.

OTOH, when my grand kids come cruising, they, along with the crew, wear inflatable life vests, tethers, footwear, fingerless gloves, and yes head gear.
But then again, the North Atlantic up where we are can get real mean real quick and our martin 242 can easily fly off building seas.

Of course seat belts are not necessary unless your going to have an accident.

MarkJ · 02-12-2015, 18:05

Quote:

Originally Posted by thomm225

There's only so much practical advice on singlehanded sailing you can give a guy that has never sailed and is living in Colorado that might sail solo in 7-10 years!

As an athiest can I say "Amen"?

Good post

tp12 · 02-12-2015, 18:12

Quote:

Originally Posted by thomm225

Then a guy got upset because he thought someone was trying to tell him what to do............in order not to get hurt or killed but he considered that rude behavior. He thought he should be allowed to get hurt or killed any way he wanted even though it could raise the health insurance for 1000's of people. Then I think smoking came into the equation but I didn't read the whole post because this guy really went on a rant which I believe all started with bike helmets!

Yes, I don't believe we should be curtailing personal freedoms to make other people's jobs more convenient. You're allowed to disagree, of course

I am an adult capable of making my own risk assessments and judgments. As we all should be able to. I don't need or want you to parent me or anyone else who has 'my best interests/their own convenience' at heart

Health Insurance already has this covered in its risk assessments so have no fear for your premiums and there's also many products out there that cater for different activities and risk profiles.

groundtackle · 02-12-2015, 19:17

I think you should forget the helmet idea and try a wig

At least if the following report is a good predictor
Nick

Wearing helmets 'more dangerous'
Ian Walker on his bike
2,500 overtaking motorists in Salisbury and Bristol were recorded
Cyclists who wear protective helmets are more likely to be knocked down by passing vehicles, new research from Bath University suggests.
The study found drivers tend to pass closer when overtaking cyclists wearing helmets than those who are bare-headed.

Dr Ian Walker was struck by a bus and a lorry during the experiment. He was wearing a helmet both times.

But the Royal Society for the Prevention of Accidents said tests have shown helmets protect against injuries.

To carry out the research, Dr Walker used a bike fitted with a computer and an ultrasonic distance sensor to find drivers were twice as likely to get close to the bicycle, at an average of 8.5cm, when he wore a helmet.

The experiment, which recorded 2,500 overtaking motorists in Salisbury and Bristol, was funded by the Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council.

Dr Walker, a traffic psychologist from the University's Department of Psychology, said: "This study shows that when drivers overtake a cyclist, the margin for error they leave is affected by the cyclist's appearance.

Ian Walker
This study suggests wearing a helmet might make a collision more likely
Dr Ian Walker
"By leaving the cyclist less room, drivers reduce the safety margin that cyclists need to deal with obstacles in the road, such as drain covers and potholes, as well as the margin for error in their own judgements.

"We know helmets are useful in low-speed falls, and so definitely good for children, but whether they offer any real protection to somebody struck by a car is very controversial.

"Either way, this study suggests wearing a helmet might make a collision more likely in the first place," he added.

Dr Walker thinks the reason drivers give less room to cyclists wearing helmets is because they see them as "Lycra-clad street warriors" and believe they are more predictable than those without.

He suggests different types of road users need to understand each other.

"Most adult cyclists know what it is like to drive a car, but relatively few motorists ride bicycles in traffic, and so don't know the issues cyclists face.

"There should definitely be more information on the needs of other road users when people learn to drive and practical experience would be even better."

Wig wearing

To test another theory, Dr Walker donned a long wig to see whether there was any difference in passing distance when drivers thought they were overtaking what appeared to be a female cyclist.

While wearing the wig, drivers gave him an average of 14cm more space when passing.

In future research, Dr Walker hopes to discover whether this was because female riders are seen as less predictable than male riders or because women are not seen riding bicycles as often as men on the UK's roads.

However, a spokesman for the Royal Society for the Prevention of Accidents insisted: "We wouldn't recommend that people stop wearing helmets because of this research. Helmets have been shown to reduce the likelihood of head and brain injuries in a crash.

"[The research] highlights a gain in vulnerability of cyclists on our roads and drivers of all types need to take more care when around them."

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