Quote:
Originally Posted by Seaworthy Lass
A few things will reduce the risk of being thrown about on this new boat. The timber will be oiled, not varnished, so although not as non-skid as some industrial flooring, it will not be as slippery as the floors at home. In addition, despite the beam, there are no large expanses of empty space, increasing safety. No rugs either.
The boat will also be bristling with numerous handholds strategically placed so "one hand for the boat" can be permanently maintained. This is critical. A totally non skid floor does not ensure safety, as balance can still be so easily lost without slipping.
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Hi SWL
I agree that safety below has many factors, of which floor surface is only one.
It's good to hear that you aren't creating huge open spaces, and I'm particularly delighted that you are going to have lots of handholds. I am horrified how so many modern modern
boats seem to have very few handholds.
For example, back in the 1970s it was common for yachts to have a very strong handhold either side of the
passage forwards from the
companionway: one on the inner edge of the chart table and the other on the inner edge of the
galley. Sometimes this was a vertical pole, other times it was a robust handle -- but very few
boats have these now. The demand for an loft-style open
interior seems to have led to aesthetics winning over safety and usability
Even boats which do have grabrails don't see to give much choice. For example, most boats have
either a grabrail under the roof
or one on the side of the cabin below the windows, but not
both. Depending on conditions and on the build of the crewmember, one may be much better than the other -- but few boats give people the choice.
Similarly, many boats these days have big fixed
saloon tables, but few have built-in handholds on those tables. Other boats rely on solid fiddles to serve as handholds, but those are insecure holds since the surfaces are shiny and it's not possible to wrap hands securely around them.
If I was building a boat, I'd want all that,
and a securely non-slip floor ... but this isn't my boat
Hope yours gives you lots of pleasure and keeps you safe