Kevin McCready

I'm happy with the law. I wear an inflatable life jacket when I row the dinghy out to the boat and back. On some days it's totally necessary, on others it isn't, but I do it because it's a good habit. Safety is habit. I do tasks exactly the same way all the time, even if it takes a bit longer. I enjoy the zen of it - it's part of being on the water. When you’re tired and in trouble, your brain will do the task you’ve trained it for. I've seen people paralyzed with indecision in emergency situations - not a pleasant sight. I watched a couple of young people head out for a romantic tootl

And I might add that most of them were from NZ families. For those family members, to hear some of the comments on this forum would be sickening. Lift your game guys.

Sabre, KnotMe, BP et al, Drownbase lists deaths from drowning in NZ since 1980. 72 deaths where lifejackets were available and not worn. 71 where lifejackets may have saved people. 42 lifejacket status unknown 28 wearing lifejacket 529 lifejacket not applicable Wendy Pannett runs the database and has helped me before on my research on people drowning in rips. She's very keen to help people in their research. You can reach her on 021 440 891 or wendy@prdept.co.nz You're welcome. And next time, Sabre, please don't make assumptions about what or who people on this forum may know or n

That's a fair point KnotMe. But if you tabulate the probabilities on both sides of the ledger they'd be overwhelming. Wear an appropriate PFD for the activity you're engaged in. Make safety a habit, not an optional extra. Enjoy the zen of what you're doing. https://kmccready.wordpress.com/2015/01/05/storm-fantasy-sailing-yacht-safety-card/

matt, You haven't upset me, though it sounds to me like you've already made up your mind. FWIW it's impossible to prove the counterfactual in any individual case (as you allude to), but the probability is high that many lives would have been saved if people were wearing PFDs, is it not?. So what probability number would satisfy you? How many lives would it take to be worth the legislation? How much is a life worth?

You must have missed the joke, Scott.

Mattm, I don't mind a sensible discussion and I don't mind the odd joke or two. But the type of "discussion" here doesn't bode well for a dispassionate and compassionate consideration of the pros and cons of this issue. Happy to start with a real dialogue which we could perhaps begin with a revisiting of your comment: "The harbour masters Christmas party piss up fund (or tidly winks/ what ever their type do for fun) will be empty by January, this will give it a great head start for next year."

People break the law, therefore the law shouldn't exist. I must have missed that bit in my jurisprudence and logic class. But hey, it's Christmas and I love a good laugh. Keep it coming.

"dickheads will still drown" has to be the nadir of the opposition to safety on the water here. We're talking about human beings who may not be as fully aware of the risks as we'd like them to be. That's no reason to condemn them to death. Disgusting.

I bet those experienced witty sailors with years of experience aren' t the ones I know with mouldy old kapok "life jackets" which are hidden under piles of rubbish and weighted down by the spare anchor in the forepeak in case they float away.

I wonder why there's an increased death and injury rate from people not wearing seatbelts in the last couple of years? Judging by the witty comments here I think I'm getting the picture.

Do you mean The Canvas Man Wanganui? As per this pic?

Hard to tell, but looks like a little blue one which was towed to Okahu Bay The Landing yesterday afternoon at about 3 pm.

Some grown ups promote good laws for the good of society.

Seems like a perfectly good article to me.

cut and paste from various sources: Rogue waves (freak waves, monster waves, episodic waves, killer waves, extreme waves, and abnormal waves) can be eight times bigger than surrounding seas and come against the prevailing current and dominant wave direction. They can happen in clear weather and be an almost vertical wall of water preceded by a trough so deep that it was referred to as a "hole in the sea". 2005 report said a 12-metre (39 ft) wave in the usual "linear" model would have a breaking force of 6 metric tons per square metre [t/m2] (8.5 psi). Although modern ships are designed to

Spare sailing/boatie books can always be left at Spirit of New Zealand office. Lots of young people getting into sailing would be interested. Princes Wharf Corner Quay and Hobson Streets Auckland

Good point. I hadn't thought of that. In smithy's pic the female part is secured differently, but the male part was planned to be countersunk. Levering it off at 15 kg might tear it from its home before it releases from the female part.

seems Smithy used this one http://www.fastmount.com/en/clip_system/standard%20range#product-PC-M1B Seems you just lever it off. But if you're upside down how much weight will if hold?

and their website was useless. http://www.fastmount.com/ how much force is needed to get the panel off, or how do you get it off. With say 10-15 kg falling on the panel from the inside, will it pop off or pull the female part out?

I still don't get it. More pics? Link to the kit? How does the white bit work?

Set up a siphon. Don't swallow.

First use the special absorbent pads which remove the oil and diesel like magic from the surface. Then ... good luck

So I guess the Icebridge work is a hoax? http://news.nationalgeographic.com/2016/11/nasa-ice-bridge/

Those denying significant sea level change get an airing in this pdf. Then are neatly demolished. You might need to contribute your scientific expertise to help your favourite denier - all three of them (as opposed to hundreds of other scientists) all seem to be floundering, swamped, or totally sunk. www.iopscience.iop.org/article/10.1088/1748-9326/11/4/048002/pdf