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posted to rec.boats
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First recorded activity by BoatBanter: Feb 2007
Posts: 5,649
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4 knot winds..."No reason to wear a PFD"..famous last words
On Sun, 24 Feb 2008 07:24:02 -0000, wrote:
On Sat, 23 Feb 2008 22:59:26 -0500, JimH wrote:
For us, our boating is limited to some Spring fishing, summer swimming
and fall fishing and swimming. Only during Spring is the water
temperature an issue for hypothermia. A life jacket is in easy reach
for me at all times while on the boat, as it is for all aboard.
If the water temps are below 80 degrees, hypothermia is an issue, and not
the only one. Cooler temperatures will quickly sap your strength. A
mere 100 yard swim, fully clothed, in @50 degree water, damn near killed
me. The only thing that kept me going, was I knew I was dead if I
stopped swimming.
Been there, done that.
I learned a lesson three/four years ago in the St. Lawrence Seaway. I
was in a Luhrs on a charter trip - slipped on a soft spot which had
something slick on it and over the stern I went head first. In July.
I wasn't wearing a PFD because I had left it at the motel with Mrs.
Wave for some reason. Couldn't get back into the boat because the
moron captain had a broken ladder.
Long story short, I got hypothermia after about a half hour.
It ain't pretty. And while I always wear a PFD of some sort,
floatable jacket or that Orca under a T-shirt, that time I didn't and
guess what. :)
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