I Almost Died Thread

[Mary Flower]

Originally Posted by Rakuflames

You're so right, and I have a pet peeve about this. We all know how to do a cleat hitch, and what it should look like when properly done.

Madam, if I may say so, you have a lovely cleat hitch.

Jim

[Mary Flower]

Originally Posted by JazzyO

I just love stuff like that and would love to learn it, but where can you these days? I'm also quietly sure about the fact that I'm too much of a modern softie to be disciplined enough for it to be any use. I feel quite sad about that. Just finished reading Robin Knox-Johnston's book on his circumnavigation (1968/9) and it is quite a revelation. I'm in awe half the time and bewildered by the lack of preparation the other half. Most prevalent is the thought I could never have done it because he has so much practical experience of just solving stuff with minimal tools.

Since it appears that you like to read, may I suggest four books that are classics and will go a long way to improving your understanding of seamanship skills.

- Chapman Piloting & Seamanship 67th Edition
- The Annapolis Book of Seamanship
- The Ashley Book of Knots
- The Marlinspike Sailor

All are available from Amazon and all are packed with advice, techniques, practices and theory of the art of seamanship. Read the books, absorb what they have to say and then put the knowledge to use on your boat. That is an excellent way to develop your skills.

As far as your lack of discipline goes, perhaps when you have a greater understanding of the how and why behind good seamanship, it will become less a matter of discipline and more a matter of common sense. Doing something the right way can avoid a whole mess of problems before they ever get started.

For example, consider the following scenario. A sailor fails to properly coil his main halyard after raising the sail. He is sailing happily along with the auto pilot steering in a fresh breeze when he gets caught in a sudden line squall and the boat becomes dangerously overpowered. He needs to reduce sail in a hurry so he snaps his harness tether to the jack line, rushes forward to the mast and releases the halyard from its cleat. But instead of running freely, the poorly coiled halyard gets hung up part way up the mast. Now the sail is stuck and the knotted halyard is just out of reach.

In a panic, the sailor lets go his hold on the boat to try to stretch to reach the halyard just as the still overpowered boat gets hit with a violent gust and gets laid over. The sailor loses his footing and goes over the leeeward lifeline, still attached by his tether. But the tether is too long and he doesn't have a quick release on it so he is dragged alongside the boat with his head pulled under water. His wife, who was below, hears his screams and rushes to the cockpit but is too panicked to think to disconnect the auto pilot so the boat can head up and lose way. She lacks the strength to pull her husband back aboard and can only watch helplessly as he is drowned right next to the boat.

That is why one coils all halyards properly. Every time. No exceptions. Doing otherwise can have a way of ruining your entire day.

[Normanby]

When solo, I only ever pee in a bucket, on my knees on the cockpit floor.

I'm terrified at the thought of the boat sailing away from me.

[rebel heart]

Originally Posted by Normanby

When solo, I only ever pee in a bucket, on my knees on the cockpit floor.

I'm terrified at the thought of the boat sailing away from me.

Remind me to never borrow your bucket.

[Rakuflames]

Originally Posted by Mary Flower

Madam, if I may say so, you have a lovely cleat hitch.

Jim

Yeah, and all my lines look that good, too ...

[Connemara]

Not sure this was gonna be fatal, but ....

Was single-handing a distance race last weekend. Passed the finish line DFL, but happy because it was a nice day and a great sail. Was lazily loafing back into the bay (on port) when I caught a last-minute glimpse of another boat about to hit me head on. I veered to starboard and missed the head-on smack, but the pulpits tangled, his head sail ripped, and there was an almighty bang.

Neither of us saw the other until too late, but luckily there were no injuries and no irreparable damage ... except to my self-confidence. I had been idly asking myself whether to tack and sail a bit longer; if I had, he would have T-boned me, probably with a lot more damage and perhaps some injuries.

Lesson: Keep your head out of the boat.

Connemara

[Rakuflames]

Go to Grog's Knots online. They have an app you can put on your cell phone, Ipad, Ipod, etc. Then just practice knots while you watch TV. Life is so much better in a pinch when you don't have to think about how to make the knots.

[Mary Flower]

Originally Posted by Rakuflames

Yeah, and all my lines look that good, too ...

I suppose that would go without saying!

[Rakuflames]

Originally Posted by Normanby

When solo, I only ever pee in a bucket, on my knees on the cockpit floor.

I'm terrified at the thought of the boat sailing away from me.

There are people who are going to try to chop me up like steak tartar for saying this --

but do you have a dragline on your boat?

It has to be made with FLOATING line (FLOATING, remember that part, critics. It really can't wrap around the propeller if it's made right!)

Did I mention FLOATING?

We just had a report of someone who fell off, grabbed his dinghy, and pulled himself up to his boat while it was sailing, something that others here insisted, not all that long ago, was humanly impossible.

My dragline heaves the boat to. My drag line extends much farther than a dinghy, giving you more time to grab it.

My grab line has figure 8 loops in it to make it easier to pull yourself back to the boat.

Then of course my ladder can be deployed from the water.

It is a last-ditch thing to *possibly* save yourself, but the part where the boat heaves itself to and stops sailing is a bit useful if you're in the water and trying to get back to your boat.

I've tested mine. I know it works.

[Geoduck]

The "I almost died thread"
I went to Vietnam in '68.
Do I need to say more?

[Johnathon123]

Originally Posted by Geoduck

The "I almost died thread"
I went to Vietnam in '68.
Do I need to say more?

You win


Thanks Mate

[Capt Phil]

Good call, James... Geoduck wins hands down! Phil

[AfterHoursNLCT]

I missed it by 10 numbers. Glad I didn't win that lottery...LL

[Therapy]

Nothing....................................yet.

[crashkahuna]

Hit in head by boom when crew accidentally jibed. I was semi conscious fortunately did not go over the side as that would have been it. Totally my fault not paying attention to crew as it was his first time sailing.