Mich & Jon.

I have an interesting story to tell you about SOS.

I no longer allow anyone wearing them to go forward (Bow Pulpit) to work
on setting sails.

I had a crew member go forward to set the tack on the Assy Spinnaker. He
didn't set his tether to the jack line. He just used it as a hand hold.
As he knelt down to hook the tack, we took water over the bow and into
his lap, inflating his SOS. It pushed his chin up and he couldn't look
down to see the hook for the Tack and was having a hell of a time
locating the Jackline to get back to the mast area.\

The Assy was in a sock and the peak was already hauled up. Poor Bob was
hanging on the the loose end of the "Sock", trying to get hold of the
Jackline. The Jackline going forward gets rather low going to the Bow
Pulpit so the jibs can tack without interference. Bob vision was only
straight ahead. The Mast Man finally made fast the halyard, went down
the jackline, took the loose end of the Sock and sent Bob back to the
mast to give him some slack so he could set the tack.

We don't allow SOS equipped crew forward of the mast any more

Ole Thom