I'm Suffering My Most Common Boating Injury Again

[SURV69]

Yes ... backing in ...

the engine placement required the stepping design.

For those of us a little "longer in the tooth" ... older, a step of more than 10" becomes akin to a leap of faith ... higher steps even more so.

So my last step requires me to basically jump to the sole, while trying to use the handhold to slow the jump.

When the lower handhold broke, while simultaneously releasing the upper handhold ... that was all she wrote.

nothing should've been on the sole of the boat ... my fault

never should make a too big of a step BIGGER, by stepping back further toward the bow ... my fault.

handholds used for manuevering and actually getting around or actually staying on the boat ... NEED TO BE SUPER STRONG ... not just strong or somewhat strong.

the handhold that broke was a galley handhold ... one of those "cute", handholds that have a bend. I never should've relied on it, but it was the only available handhold for that last big step since that last step is a little more than 3' distant from the last, more substantial handhold. being at 3'+, means I have to release that handhold at the same instant that my knees are bent the most ... right at that most critical moment of the stepdown.

[Lunita]

Going into the cabin of my Hallberg Rassey 31 and the companionway steps detached as I stepped onto the top step. I dropped onto the cabin sole like a sack of potatoes and ripped a bunch of ligaments and tendons in my right foot. After a couple of hours I was able to use a golf club like a cane and hobbled to the car. It took forever to heal!

[Blue Crab]

Originally Posted by HappyMdRSailor

Indeed Ann...

I don't let ANYBODY go up or down steps the wrong way on my boat. ...

Sent from my SAMSUNG-SM-G900A using Cruisers Sailing Forum mobile app

Ann, like Ed, I had no idea there was a seaman-like way. Thanks.

[HappyMdRSailor]

Originally Posted by Blue Crab

Ann, like Ed, I had no idea there was a seaman-like way. Thanks.

Silly Crab... I meant ALWAYS FACING the ladder or steps!

[Blue Crab]

Uh huh. Me too.

[Sun and Moon]

Originally Posted by SURV69

Just fell in my Bristol 29 ... the handhold on the galley broke clean off

That handhold broke on my boat too. I thought about fixing it, but it's just inherently weak. Bad design. I guess I'll put some kind of stainless grab there eventually. Hope your head heals soon.

[Markus Carkus]

About 30 years ago, delivering a 50'er going into charter service in the BVI, I opened a can of pears that had been chilling for a couple of days. I had just tasted the first one (ice cold and downright delicious!) when the boat took a deep roll to starboard and launched me into a bulkhead. I was barefoot and threw up a foot catching all my weight + momentum on the end of my big toe. Broken, dislocated, idk, but hurt like holy hell and still does to this day. I have a big hump on the top of the joint and a podiatrist told me that there is no cartilage visible on an x-ray.
My ex-wife and I had been racing a J-24 one breezy Sunday afternoon and on the way home stopped at a grocery store to get something for the grill. We were standing in the checkout line and the woman ahead of us leaned over and whispered, then gave something to my shorts wearing ex. My ex cracked up and showed me what the woman had given her. It was a referral card to a shelter for women in abusive relationships.