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Lihuedooley77 · 07-08-2018, 10:25

Prarrie Chicken..

You are right on concerining the main sail boom..... and of course a sea story and learning situation.

I also want to add, moving up on deck and to hold on to something solid, like hand rails, life lines, mast , shrouds, head stays and pulpits.

Also, when moving along the deck, we lower our center of gravity by bending the knees .
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Thank you, I should have mentioned the boom, as I had encounter with one, that I neglected heed. It was a jib boom, on a freedom 34.

We were sailing the BVI , from Marina Cay, along the back side of Tortola.
Destination was Cane Garden Bay, or Jost Van Dyke. Easy plan, Just however the wind and day worked out, would determine our harbor for the night.

We were running wing and wing. Main was secured with a preventer. A long extra line, that I had secured to the end of the main sail boom and ran that line up to the starboard bow cleat. That boom was held fast.

Our wing and wing course was taking us in toward brewers bay and hard ground. We needed to head back out to sea. So my genius plan was to free the preventer and sheet in on the main, leave the jib where it was, and then re trim for a reach to Jost.

Erica was at the helm, Nancy on the main sheet, and up I go to the bow to free the preventer from the starboard bow cleat. As, you mentioned, I was fully aware of the main boom.

This beast had an electric main sheet winch, that could not be broke out of its very slow winch mode. I was forward of the mast, with the feed end of the preventer line in my hand watching the main sail boom slowly coming in.

WHAM ! Something struck me at the base of my skull and lauched me airborne to fly over the life lines and OVERBOARD.

I saw the life lines coming, and could hear the bow wave roaring along the hull. I did not want to go overboard. I bent my arms at the elbow and made like an arresting hook on a carrier. I got a decent Trap.

I hooked the life lines at my elbow joint, but my momentum was carrying me onward. My legs were pointed up to the sky, and I hovered above the life line, and..Yahoo ! I fell back down onto the starboard splash way, still on board.

Erica yelled for Fred to get up forward, and help me.

" No, SAIL THE BOAT ! Get us out of here. Point her out to sea. We had land and reefs ahead if we did not change course. Nancy had her feet up on the coach roof bulk head trying to haul that main sheet in faster, but it was maintaining its slow motion turns.

They got the boat squared away and sails trimmed. I got up and walked back to the cockpit to retrieve the now dragging astern preventer line that was still attached to the aft end of the boom.

WHAT THE HECK HAPPENED ?????.

The jib on that freedom, was self tacking. The jib boom was all metal, and the clew end was at a higher angle than the tack. Being closer to land there were canyons between the hills and the wind shifted and we were backwinded that caused that jib boom to swing across the deck with impressive force.

My Irish noggin caught the full impact of that jib boom at the base of my skull. No worries, YOU CANNOT KILL AN IRISHMAN BY HITTING HIM ON THE HEAD.

I removed the preventer from the boom's end, and coiled it up and secured it with a sea gasket in the cockpit locker.

Nancy and Fred were on the Ski or Sheriffs rescue patrol back in minnesota, and checked me out for concussion.....they did the eye following the finger thing. Then it was time to be treated.

They tied some ice in a red kerchief and put the ice on the base of my skull, and tied a bow on the top of my head. Then they handed me a tall glass of MT. GAY RUM. Use to have a photo of me sitting in the cockpit, grinning away, and signaling that my crew was number one.

There was no fault on the part of the crew. I should have been aware of that bloody mean jib boom . Did not enter my pea brain. I was centering more on the main boom.

All was well and we sailed over to Jost, and partied down at Foxy's.

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Just to back up your idea of the boom and human heads and body parts.

And, that we do need to take all aspects of sailing a vessel into account.

Yep, briefing the passengers about the main sail boom is very important, and the same for any jib boom.

Thanks again.

**JPA Cate** · 07-08-2018, 14:07

^^^^Relative to club footed staysails, Jim says, "There's a reason they're called CLUBs." Actually, would not want that kind of self-tacking arrangement.

Ann

Peregrine1983 · 07-08-2018, 14:22

Ann and Pelagic hit my favorite one - that in the event of an MOB someone will be designated a "looker" and their job is to not take their eyes off the MOB.

In addition to the usual (life jackets, extinguishers, basic VHF use) I also show people where the lat/long is displayed on my plotter (it's in big block numbers at the top of the screen at all times), so they can make a mayday call with our position if I and my first mate are incapacitated.

I like hitting these points because I (perhaps selfishly) feel they increase my chances of getting back on the boat/being rescued if I go over.

inspectr · 07-08-2018, 19:32

I have taken newbies on charters in the Whitsundays, and several times in Greece (Ionian) as well as the Canal MIdi. We have a Dufour 35 on Sydney Harbour that is used much of the summer with grandkids and guests
Nobody under 12 years old comes on board without a PFD. Thats easy as the boat is on a mooring and the tender boys will not let the kids on the tender with no life jacket
We ask every guest, "Are you a strong swimmer?", if not, PFD while above decks - no exceptions. We prefer water skiing jackets for the 3 - 8 year old as they give a lot more freedom tom move about the boat, auto inflate PDFs for teens and adults. I will occasionally inflate one the out of date PDFs to demonstrate how it works before servicing the jackets and inflators
The boom is called a boom for a good reason, that's the last sound you hear as you lose consciousness and fly overboard.
Give the kids and newbies the helm, one of the best distractions for oncoming seasickness.
Second all the comments about the heads, never ceases to amaze me how much toilet paper some persons use, not only on the boat but in the office! Tissues and so called disposable wipes are the worst! However you need to have a bin with a liner in the heads and insist that all that was not eaten goes in the bin.
My guest lecture starts with, "This is not a democracy! I am responsible for your safety while you are with me and you need to listen and do what I ask. If I am shouting its because the wind or engine makes it hard to hear, nothing insulting or personal."
ON the other hand we are so used to good experienced crew that we all fall into the habit of using boating terms. Rather than saying pull on the traveller, our port traveller is red, the starboard one is green, much easier to say pull a little on the red line there. The port genoa sheet is white with red flecks and the starboard one is white with green flecks. Each line, outhaul, reefing lines, Cunningham etc are all colour coded. Winch handles are colour coded too, red and green, hell, I even wear one green and one red sock for emphasis
Agree, no guest uses the BBQ or the stove full stop
I always sail with one other experienced crew when guests are aboard, but we always try and teach our guests about the GPS, Autopilot and the VHF
We always talk around the preparation for getting under way, explain the electronics, motor start, anchor and mooring buoys etc.
We try to treat every guest as potential future crew and sailing companions, most of them while leaving ask if they can come the next time!

hellosailor · 08-08-2018, 11:33

"The boom is called a boom for a good reason, that's the last sound you hear as you lose consciousness and fly overboard."
Only if it is a wooden one. An aluminum boom makes this really incredible intense BELL sound when it taps your head, trust me on that. I don't know how it found me while I was in the companionway one day, but for the next few hours I was regularly asking the others if my pupils were the same size or anything seemed off.

Where's that bell?! Followed by the very unpleasant knowledge of what was ringing.

I'd practically forgotten...if someone doesn't know sailboats, absolutely, that's something to warn them about. "That will kill you if you don't watch it."

jkindredpdx · 09-08-2018, 07:41

Quote:

Originally Posted by hamburking

... Most of my guests had very little interest in actual sailing, or the boat, other than looking pretty on a "yacht" and getting a tan. There is a big difference between "crew" and "passenger". In hindsight, I wonder why I took them sailing at all...

I make it clear to potential guests that Sedna is a Sail BOAT, not a Sailing Yacht. Don't wear white or nice clothing, dress shoes, or floppy hats. Be prepared to be thrown around... I really prefer to sail solo (with my dog Buddy). It's much more relaxing.

nknowland · 10-08-2018, 08:06

Yes. Even returning guests.

petermjdavies · 10-08-2018, 08:53

Yes! Other people have posted suggestions. How complete you make it is up to you, up to the conditions and how long they are going to be on board.

We make guests wear life jackets on deck. We do tell them about heads, fire fighting tools, how to clip onto jackstays and cockpit points. We also show them where the emergency button is on the radio. Most important, in an emergency, stay calm and listen to the skipper.

forget the crap about beer fridges and other miscellaneous. We call ours a safety briefing and that is what it is focused on. We try and put newbies on the helm when it is safe, since that is the easiest thing to learn.

dancor01 · 10-08-2018, 10:22

Many forget "Master on board after God"
With that phrase also come responsibilities. Master are responsible for the safety of there crew and there ship. But also it doesn't hurt to listen to what other have to say. Sometimes it's helpful other to be ignored. And at time we have to put our foot down.
Have to make a decision in a split second. And there is no second chance, or playback.
Was in the Bahamas a calm evening, next thing you know 20 knots winds, a few minutes later it's 60 knots. Other boat start dragging. Open discussion are not an option anymore. Do as your told.

Olddan1943 · 10-08-2018, 11:49

The airline industry cannot get folks to listen to a one minute presentation, I wonder if folks listen to and remember a safety presentation on a boat.

dancor01 · 10-08-2018, 12:19

Quote:

Originally Posted by Prairie Chicken

In the safety brief, however detailed you wish to make it, don't forget to warn non-sailors to beware of the boom.

Make you wonder why it's called a boom.... Oh wait Boom your gone

dancor01 · 10-08-2018, 12:21

Quote:

Originally Posted by Olddan1943

The airline industry cannot get folks to listen to a one minute presentation, I wonder if folks listen to and remember a safety presentation on a boat.

Turn around and sew you for millions.

LargeMarge · 10-08-2018, 14:30

Quote:

Originally Posted by ozsailer

...Here in Queensland Australia it is not unheard of for the powers at be to board your boat...

In Oregon, we call them 'the grown-ups'. Because they aren't much fun.

And yes, everybody, irregardless of age or abilities or time-aboard, gets the orientation... every morning and every evening... until it becomes habit.