Quote:
Originally Posted by Jim Cate
Another thing to consider when thinking about regaining the boat whilst underway: the speed through the water not only makes it very hard to get back to the boat, but as you are trying to climb up -- ladder, knotted rope, whatever -- the water rushing by keeps you from getting oriented correctly for the task.
....
This isn't exactly analogous to clambering up the transom of a moving yacht, or over the side, but it is an indication that static exercises will not accurately mock up a real overboard self recovery.
So, stay on board!
Cheers,
Jim
|
Jim
Valid point, indeed.
One way to mitigate this, for
boats with a solo watchkeeper, is to tow a tripline.
(NOT a 'lifeline': the accent is on "Trip")
I believe this has been raised earlier in the thread, instantly squelched by a dismissal by invoking some secret cabal of 'big strong guys'. I don't know who they are, but I resent their speaking on behalf of weaklings like me.
I'm not sure why, but every time the notion of trailing a tripline comes up, the majority of respondents
rule it out because the "speed through the water" will make it impossible to get back to the boat. A more nuanced dismissal contends that it will not be possible to get to it in time, and then there's the counsel of perfection: "you shouldn't have gone
overboard in the first place".
Then there's the 'trailing ropes get caught in props' argument.
OK, Now we're getting into useful territory. This, I reckon, is a very valid argument.
It still does not qualify as a full dismissal: it's hardly a consideration in the case of a single-hander (eg the protagonist in this thread), or a boat with no auxiliary.
The problem can furthermore be mitigated on a boat with well briefed and/or self- disciplined and thoughtful sailors, bearing in mind that if the tripline has a handle, they are likely to be able to recover the
MOB by hauling in the tripline. If s/he has
lost grip on it, they should haul the tripline in if they plan to
motor.
Now we have a new variation (and this isn't aimed at you Jim, it has already been raised on this thread) : we're back at the boat, but we can't climb a swim ladder or
rope ladder because of the speed through the water.
People: The word "Tripline" changes the
game: the point of it is that, if it's properly set up, you can
stop the boat by yanking it.
So it seems to me not to make any sense to raise 'speed through the water preventing regaining, or reboarding' as an argument against triplines.
The boat may be surging about, and
that may present difficulties.
That's a valid concern, and can't be magicked away ... but in extremis, people forced to abandon their boat or raft and make it up scrambling nets onto ships frequently point out that heaving is not devoid of hidden merit in this situation: you have to time your upwards rushes for when gravity is being counteracted by the vessel dropping towards you.
I would rather focus on how to make things go right than
rule measures out because of things which might go wrong.
It's like addressing the possibility that my reserve chute might not open, or might not slow me sufficiently, rather than discarding the idea of reserve chutes altogether.
The notion that a reserve chute is not entirely satisfactory could alternatively be thought of as providing a useful antidote to any 'moral hazard' tendency to daydream while packing the main chute...
- - - - -
No-one is forcing anyone else to adopt this idea on their own boat, and you may not be able to imagine how a tripline could stop a boat ... but on behalf of those of us who can not only imagine but can implement such a thing, I think it would be a lot more useful to the discussion if you could find valid grounds in order to dismiss it.