What priorities do you have for staying safe

[JPA Cate]

[QUOTE=hellosailor;1765172]""A ship in port is safe, but that's not what ships are built for," Rear Admiral Grace Murray Hopper


You want safe? Go hug an oak tree. A big one, well inland.[/QUOTE
HS's post struck a note for me.

Life isn't safe--we all know how it ends. Given that, the question, relative to cruising boats, becomes, "what equipment do you need to feel content on board?" and that one requires answers specific to your own feelings.

RC, within that context, relative to specific equipment, we have an EPIRB. Also are capable of HF radio communication and VHF. Sometimes use jacklines and tethers, depending on assessment of wind and seas.

Use Met Eye for some trip planning, also have access to HF wx. and gribs. Jim's a ham radio operator, so the HF is dual purpose, entertainment and communications, including text message only e-mail.

We have a number of GPS, including a hockey puck one that works fine with my little netbook, which are both backups for Jim's notebook and the main GPS. There is also a "spare" handheld GPS, and backups go all the way back to a sextant and tables.

Two hockey puck hand held compasses, one flux gate hand held compass, two outdoor compasses, one binnacle mounted, one bulkhead.

Other people will have lots more electronic stuff than we do, but the question was "what do you carry?", not "what should one have?".

I liked Dockhead's list: keeping the water on the outside and the people aboard really is primary!

Ann

[sailorboy1]

Originally Posted by MarkJ

Same with kids.



Mark

FYI - I think Mark loves kids and wishes everyone who comes into a location where he is would spend them over to play on his boat









(not in a a creepy way you perverts)

[Rustic Charm]

Well, some interesting answers so far.

Most seem more philosophical than I had expected. And some aluding to not being worried about safety at all, which I wasn't really expecting and I suspect are not to be taken seriously

Thanks Ann for some very practical points.

[El Pinguino]

Never ever second guess yourself.

If you get out of bed and think ' looks grim, not sailing today'.... don't have a left lobe/ right lobe conversation with yourself over breakfast... 'its not really going to be that bad.....'

Same goes for tucking in a reef, etc etc.... don't talk yourself out of it...

Don't ask me how I know this stuff......

Of course you are allowed to go the opposite way ....

[MarkJ]

Originally Posted by sailorboy1

FYI - I think Mark loves kids and wishes everyone who comes into a location where he is would spend them over to play on his boat


(not in a a creepy way you perverts)

ROTFLMAO!

Actually I won't have any kids on my boat!
I was recently asked to organise an event for cruisers kids and I point blank refused. In this day and age a single older male being associated with children in any way whatsoever is perilous. Its unfortunate, especially for people who do love kids, and feel they have something to impart that we normally can not. But a few raving rat bags have destroyed families, and children. The many, many good people who would otherwise volunteer to do community services that involve children now refuse to.

In the last few months I have instructed some kids sailing courses when their normal instructor has been unavailable, and I occasionally help on the race committee for kids sailing regattas... But I ensure I am always with other adults.

What a sad world we live in!!


Mark

[Rustic Charm]

Originally Posted by MarkJ

ROTFLMAO!

Actually I won't have any kids on my boat!
I was recently asked to organise an event for cruisers kids and I point blank refused. In this day and age a single older male being associated with children in any way whatsoever is perilous. Its unfortunate, especially for people who do love kids, and feel they have something to impart that we normally can not. But a few raving rat bags have destroyed families, and children. The many, many good people who would otherwise volunteer to do community services that involve children now refuse to.

In the last few months I have instructed some kids sailing courses when their normal instructor has been unavailable, and I occasionally help on the race committee for kids sailing regattas... But I ensure I am always with other adults.

What a sad world we live in!!


Mark

I can understand your hesitance about this but it's an unnecessary over reaction. And I say this as a person who works in protecting children.

There are many many single male parents in society and they are not under 'general' suspicion. The unintelligent wacko's that believe all men are perps are not generally in authority.

Across Australia over the next two years individual states are all rolling out agreed safe working and volunteering with children processes. This is entirely gender and sexual neutral despite the fact that most children who are sexually abused are abused by males. The fact remains, being male alone does not increase the risk.

Young children, rarely ever make up lies about being sexually abused. Which makes it perfectly safe to volunteer with young children. Common sense of course though would mean taking precautions of not putting yourself in a situation where you can be accused or come under suspicion. But I don't believe this means 'not' volunteering.

[JPA Cate]

I had not really considered volunteering as a safety issue in terms of dangers to me. Mark, if you enjoy working with youngsters, perhaps have another adult friend with you, and then allow your self to volunteer with them would work for you?

I completely understand your concerns. Only one baseless accusation of impropriety as a visitor in another culture, can cause you a world of hurt.

Ann

[rwidman]

Originally Posted by Rustic Charm

Guys (includes gals) what are your priorities in staying safe?

What equipment do you see as your highest priority?

What maintenance issues do you have as your priority?

What are your weather priorities? For keeping safe.

Do you have other sailing priorities?

Did you get your answer?

The things you need to do and the equipment you need to stay safe varies a lot depending on the size and type of boat and your boating location. For example, safety concerns for crossing the ocean would be different than cruising the AICW. It's too general a question to answer effectively.

I will try to mention one thing that I think is important for any boat in any situation - Have some sort of boarding ladder that can be deployed by a person in the water. This way, if you find yourself in the water you can get back onto your boat.

[Rustic Charm]

Originally Posted by rwidman

Did you get your answer?

The things you need to do and the equipment you need to stay safe varies a lot depending on the size and type of boat and your boating location. For example, safety concerns for crossing the ocean would be different than cruising the AICW. It's too general a question to answer effectively.

I will try to mention one thing that I think is important for any boat in any situation - Have some sort of boarding ladder that can be deployed by a person in the water. This way, if you find yourself in the water you can get back onto your boat.

Thank you. I was not after any one answer. I was just putting a discussion topic up.

The 'boarding ladder' is a good idea. I think I'd struggle to get on to mine with it's high sides if I fell off even at anchor.

[Stu Jackson]

Originally Posted by Rustic Charm

Most seem more philosophical than I had expected.

In a way, that's the whole point.

Once experience is gained, the skipper and crew find what works for them.

Conditions, size and type of boat, location, weather and sea state ALL make the choices.

In answer to your OP:

Come back.

[blackswan]

Originally Posted by Rustic Charm

Guys (includes gals) what are your priorities in staying safe?

What equipment do you see as your highest priority?

What maintenance issues do you have as your priority?

What are your weather priorities? For keeping safe.

Do you have other sailing priorities?

Highest equipment priorities: Crew/seamanship and vessel integrity/fitness for purpose.

Maintenance Priorities: as above

Weather priority: Passage weather in its expected average and extreme predictions should be no more than the crew and vessel can comfortably handle.

Other sailing priorities: Crew safety, wellbeing and enjoyment "as long as it's fun"

[Oceanride007]

Redundancies,
Safety Gear
Clean Bilge
Reliable Rig
Reliable Engine
Strong Hull

If any of the above is compromised, its sad because of the boat bucks, if the next item fails, before you spend the time/money without a redundancy, then that's not pleasant.

I've had to turn down 2 delivery jobs, because of my concerns, both vessels sank, was a mystery to some, not me.

This doesn't answer your question, because all failure scenarios have a string of contributing causes. Thats why they are so fascinating.

I'd be all fore a new "Forum heading" called "Marine casualties" or "Incident report" or similar. I'd have a few stories to tell, for all the failure scenarios mentioned above.

[GoingWalkabout]

Originally Posted by Oceanride007

Redundancies,
Safety Gear
Clean Bilge
Reliable Rig
Reliable Engine
Strong Hull

If any of the above is compromised, its sad because of the boat bucks, if the next item fails, before you spend the time/money without a redundancy, then that's not pleasant.

I've had to turn down 2 delivery jobs, because of my concerns, both vessels sank, was a mystery to some, not me.

This doesn't answer your question, because all failure scenarios have a string of contributing causes. Thats why they are so fascinating.

I'd be all fore a new "Forum heading" called "Marine casualties" or "Incident report" or similar. I'd have a few stories to tell, for all the failure scenarios mentioned above.

Oceanride007. I think it would be a great to have an Internet accessible boat incident report. We all can learn from the mishaps of others in an attempt not to follow suit.

[TanzerTom]

Hate to be silly, but if safety is a priority... Stay in bed, on land. The government mandated nanny state crap has me wanting to be "unsafe" on purpose. Sorry.

[ALAIN97133]

Originally Posted by Rustic Charm

Guys (includes gals) what are your priorities in staying safe? What equipment do you see as your highest priority? What maintenance issues do you have as your priority? What are your weather priorities? For keeping safe. Do you have other sailing priorities?

LIFELINES, flat on deck -From cockpit to pulpit- that I hook unto before leaving the safety of the cockpit & that allow me to walk up & down the deck always hooked with my harness. Dear Bob (Sundance previous owner) had two he never used, made of blue textile (Picture)... I used them for my 11 passage but I hate them cause my harness hook got caught in the textile when hooking in or out. I'll will replace them with stainless lines with white platic sheating as I always had on all of my previous sailboats.