Safety plans & furnishings... My M17 has a transom mounted swim ladder, normally stowed folded but I can deploy it from in the water if needed. Just a flimsy snap strap and one worn out bungee ball cord keep it stowed upright. I'm wearing my PFD at all times while under way, which is a well fitting, properly fitted, paddling/sailing designed, always-ready-to-float-you PFD, not an inflatable. I also usually wear it when I'm scampering around the boat & dock setting up to head out...just in case, to avoid being like the unfortunate mariners who drowned when tied to a dock or mooring. I could never feel as safe wearing an inflatable. I worry about boating friends who use them. So much can go wrong on the way overboard (or long before...did the cartridge leak? Is the mechanism working? etc.) that will render it unlikely to get inflated after one hits the water. Plus when inflated they are bulky and obstructive, like the old horse-collar "life jackets" - whereas with a well designed & fitted paddle/sail PFD one can swim half-decently (if one is at least a half-decent swimmer :-), and they are less obstructive when re-entering a boat from the water. cheers, John On 12/2/20 9:02 AM, casioqv@usermail.com wrote:
Good question! I need to add a permanent swim ladder to my M15, but haven't installed one yet. That said, I always sail clipped in with a harness, and put out a removable swim ladder when at anchor. These days, 99% of my sailing is with my 3 year old son, and we both always wear a life jacket and clip in unless inside the cabin. I added a large stainless bow eye just under the companionway step for clipping in the cockpit, and use a dockline from the bow cleat to the stern cleat if I need to go forward... however there is never really a need to go forward in an M15 if you have a jib downhaul.
When racing in calm conditions with experienced crew and a lot of other competitors and spectators around, I will forego the harness and tether so it doesn't slow me down. Also, I *can* enter an M15 using my own strength without a ladder, largely because I'm heavy enough to roll the boat to near the waterline.
Sincerely, Tyler '81 M15 #157 S/V Defiant
----- Original Message ----- From: "Edward Epifani" <edepifani@hotmail.com> To: "For and about Montgomery Sailboats" <montgomery_boats@mailman.xmission.com> Sent: Wednesday, December 2, 2020 8:42:00 AM Subject: Re: M_Boats: Fwd: Clever
Certainly begs the question: what are Montgomery sailor’s rescue plans... Both solo and companion sailing? Have you practiced?
Sent from my iPhone
On Dec 2, 2020, at 8:16 AM, Conbert Benneck <chbenneck@gmail.com> wrote:
Good morning fellow sailors,
Here is an excellent idea that will make a wonderful Christmas present for yourself or any sailor firends
Happy holidays,
Connie
-------- Forwarded Message -------- Subject: Clever Date: Tue, 1 Dec 2020 11:21:47 +0100 From: benneck@gmx.de To: 'Conbert Benneck' <chbenneck@gmail.com>
Dad,
This is one of those „Why didn’t I think of that” devices:
https://newatlas.com/marine/seearch-wearable-inflatable-open-water-rescue/?u... <https://newatlas.com/marine/seearch-wearable-inflatable-open-water-rescue/?utm_source=New+Atlas+Subscribers&utm_campaign=fcb3367b08-EMAIL_CAMPAIGN_2020_12_01_09_11&utm_medium=email&utm_term=0_65b67362bd-fcb3367b08-90008546>
Gerhard
-- John Schinnerer - M.A., Whole Systems Design -------------------------------------------- - Eco-Living - Whole Systems Design Services People - Place - Learning - Integration john@eco-living.net - 510.982.1334 http://eco-living.net http://sociocracyconsulting.com