I have to concur with that Tadpole..... plus any fool out that far and
using an Autohelm 4000 instead of a wind vane never mind no jack lines, no
harness....

I loved that little bit about a 15 ft line towed behind.... which would be
well past you before you surfaced from any fall..... combined with the
fact you can't pull yourself up a towed line at 4.5 knots.

It's a Bob dream play... could never be duplicated in real life but Bob
can't understand that reality since he has no experience.

My answer to Bob's scenario would be to activate my remote Transporter
Beacon and rematerialize aboard in a set of dry clothes prior to taking the
Warp Engines offline. ;-)

CM


"Flying Tadpole" wrote in message
...
|
|
| Bobsprit wrote:
|
| The Boat: Cape Dory 36
| Conditions: Fair, boat speed 4.5 knots on a reach
|
| What a disaster! You were sailing alone, 400 miles offshore. No land or
vessels
| in sight. Your Autohelm 4000 autopilot engaged you sat down for a meal
when you
| heard a strange noise. Back on deck you see that part of the backstay
adjuster
| is coming loose. You get to work and place your foot on the aft railing.
The
| boat lurches from a gust and wave. It's a one in a million shot, but
it's
| happened. You've fallen off the boat!!!!
| You spin fast in the water and grab the 15 foot long line you were
trailing.
| Slowly, chocking on water rushing over you, you manage to pull your self
to the
| stern. It's exhausting, but you make it to the stern. Only you can't
pull the
| ladder down!!! You can't get aboard. The rush of cold water is wearing
you down
| fast.
|
| What can you do????
|
|
| Stick your face underwater and take a REALLY deep breath, thus
| ridding the gene pool of an idiot who not only was singlehanding
| 400mi offshore without any sort of tether/lifeline, but was
| actually stupid enough to go working in an exposed position
| without taking additional precautions.
|
| I propose that there be a Fool's Act put up, or perhaps an
| international treaty (Foolish Activities Rescue Refusal Treaty),
| where anyone in their majority, regardless of their soundness of
| mind or not, be permitted to indulge in whatever stupidity they
| wish to, provided it neither physically damages another person,
| and provided that they waive all rights to rescue. That way,
| those who want to cross the SImpson Desert without water in the
| height of summer are free to, those who wish to suicide offshore
| may do so, and no-one (who doesn't actually desire to) need put
| themselves at risk to retrieve the fools.
|
| --
| Flying Tadpole
|
| -------------------------
| Break Away, Sail Away and putz away
| now at http://music.download.com/internetopera