wheels 543 Posted June 26, 2012 Share Posted June 26, 2012 How many people go ashore in their dinghies from their yachts with enough life jackets aboard? If you only have the nice inflatable ones, do you leave them in the bilge of the dinghy while you walking or shopping ashore? So easy to see they won't be there when you return. Surely though, there has to be a bit of common sense. We (team wheels) are both good swimmers. Well...Dawn's an excellent swimmer and I have plenty of floatation In the summer, going from ship to shore I don't see any need. You tend to idle along between many other anchored boats and the water is warm. So what's the difference between falling out of the dink or swimming?? But if we are traveling a good distance and at speed, or it is winter and the water is freezing, then it is a different story. An LJ is a good idea. However, currently I travel 600m down stream to the boat on her mooring and back at the end of the day and haven't been wearing my life jacket. I can easily swim to shore if something happens. But I probably should be wearing my LJ now the water is so cold and so this is a good reminder and will. Link to post Share on other sites
Guest Posted June 26, 2012 Share Posted June 26, 2012 It's worth reading up on cold water immersion http://live.cgaux.org/?p=872, especially the statement; “It is impossible to get hypothermic in cold water unless you are wearing flotation, because without flotation – you won’t live long enough to become hypothermic.” They are referring to <10 degrees which is common in central and south NZ this time of year. Link to post Share on other sites
Guest Posted June 26, 2012 Share Posted June 26, 2012 She who must be obeyed and I are in our eighties, we didn't wear jackets on our way to Osaka 25 years ago or on our susequent cruise home, but now wear them every time we are in the dinghy. I certainly think it is common sense for us. Watch for the silly old bugger wandering around Oneroa with his jacket on. Link to post Share on other sites
wheels 543 Posted June 27, 2012 Share Posted June 27, 2012 I have been in water at only 9 deg. I did OK for about 1/2 hr. I felt OK and thought I could have gone much longer, but when I got out, I then felt really cold. When I got into a shower, I had to start it on cold and slowly warm it up as it just hurt too much. Link to post Share on other sites
Rats 28 Posted June 27, 2012 Author Share Posted June 27, 2012 I think the article points out cold water shock will get you quicker than you think, I had a mate on one boat that was from Nova Scotia and he couldn't swim when I asked him why.... he said its so cold up in his neck of the woods the conventional thinking was if you pitched into the drink "why prolong the inevitable!" (sp?) Link to post Share on other sites
DrWatson 380 Posted June 27, 2012 Share Posted June 27, 2012 There are a few different conversation lines in this thread: 1, the legal implications of this ruling, 2, the effect water temperature has on your suvivability 3, the sense of wearing a lifejacket when you row ashore. I'll start with 2. I started this season (yes we have seasons here for sailing) with a capsize into 9 °C water. I was wearing a 3mm wetsuit, and my inflatable life jacket. After about 5 minutes of trying to right the thing (it's really a two man job...) my friend who I'd just deposited on the dock swam out and we righted it and headed out of the water. I was shaking violently as my body tried to shiver me warm, and I couldn't speak. This was after only about 10 minutes in the water wearing a wetsuit. OK so I've got little bodyfat, but that water stripped away my body heat REALLY bloody fast. I'm not sure I would ever take the route of dying with dignity, resigning myself to knowing that I'll just prolong the agony. I once had a cancer scare - 17 at the time - and the feeling of euphoria at being cleared and not sentenced to 3 months to live etc was insane. I decided from that moment on to never give up. I'll go to my grave fighting for every breath, every last second, like a 6ay old being forced to go to school, I'll go down kicking and screaming and dignity be damned. Life is too precious to give it up without one hell of a fight. 1. I think the owner was only held accountable because he didn't provide lifejackets for all, AND more importantly because he was in a position, present even, to prevent the misuse of his vessel. If I were to borrow AC and charge off up the coast complete with 50 bottles of rum, the Norwegian women's beach volleyball team and no lifejackets I doubt AC would be held accountable unless he were downstairs mixing rum cocktails for all and sundry. 3. Wearing a lifejacket in the tender is a pain in the arrse, yes. But it is also one of the most dangerous parts of any journey. You've been beating into the wind all day solo, you're exhausted, you anchor up in a bay, have a rum, then wobble your tired body down into the usually tippy dinghy to go visit Team Wheels and KM whom you've noticed across the way. After a jolly evening you're well ready for your bunk, and so you fall into your dinghy, and wobble off into the darkness. Climbing back into your boat you screw it all up - there goes your tenuous grip on balance and in you go, striking your temple on the toerail as you bank blank blank blub glub glub... Now in that situation if you were wearing that crappy nasty piece of orange fat-suit that lives in your dinghy, you're kindly rolled onto your back and cough splutter you regain consciousness let's say after a minute and, hurting like a mother fkr, you are now able to at least try and rescue yourself. The sans fat-suit option is that the good KM and Wheels find you wrapped around their warp in the morning... Don't say it doesn't or won't happen, because it does. When you're with someone all the time, your 2ic is there to fish your dopy arrse out of the water, you are in a much better situation, but when you're out alone, rowing out to check your mooring as a blow comes in, the chop could spit you into the sea and before you know it you're too tired and cold to continue and it's lights out. Cellphone in a plastic bag, and a cheapo lifejacket - cheap at almost any cost. Link to post Share on other sites
Rats 28 Posted June 28, 2012 Author Share Posted June 28, 2012 Hell if I had the Norwegian Women's Beach volleyball team and 50 botts of Rum I wouldn't be charging anywhere and especially anywhere that KM and Wheels would be anchored Be a nice quiet party just the three of us....... Link to post Share on other sites
Guest Posted June 28, 2012 Share Posted June 28, 2012 via email HI David, for the post on wearing lifejackets, had you considered these, as they look like a shirt, so no probs leaving them on while shopping ashore, and solves that problem of i am too tough to wear a life jacket... I brought a rain coat like life jacket for dad as he would not wear a normal life jacket... comes in auto as well. note auto not suitable for on deck where getting wet will set off inflator. manual best for that. I have had a couple screen printed would be keen to do some for Crew.or.nz. ? Link to post Share on other sites
Guest Posted June 28, 2012 Share Posted June 28, 2012 Looks good, but attatching a crotch strap might be a bit tricky. Link to post Share on other sites
Guest Posted June 28, 2012 Share Posted June 28, 2012 You could walk around with it inflated and save hours at the gym.......... Link to post Share on other sites
Guest Posted June 28, 2012 Share Posted June 28, 2012 Hi David, yes, a crotch flap on order , not a strap, is available I think, and this can be worn shirt tucked into the shorts so flap not seen or if that doesn't matter, on the outside of shorts, like some of the dingy sailors do for the wetsuits. Link to post Share on other sites
Guest Posted June 28, 2012 Share Posted June 28, 2012 http://crew.org.nz/forum/viewtopic.php?f=6&t=19891 Sort of topical to this thread. Link to post Share on other sites
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