On Sun, 22 Feb 2004 10:17:42 -0500, Matt Colie
wrote:

I am not saying that the young man involved might have done better, but
I think the group should know what the situation is really like.

I am never without a knife (except on an airplane recently), and have
had one all my life. It is an essential working tool for a waterman.

But, did you ever try to get your knife free to do something after you
were in the water? It sure did not go the way I had thought it might.
If you have grabbed up your oilskins (foulies for some) and left the
knife inside, kiss off getting it free after you hit the water. Even
still, be it a folding knife in a pocket (requires two free hands) or a
sheathknife at your hip, getting it out to do what you need after you
are in the water is not something done without practice. If the blade
is not at a lanyard, it will probably be lost.

Please think about it.

I switch my knife to my harness when I wear one, particularly when
solo sailing. Otherwise it's on my belt. I snap-hook a two-foot or so
lanyard to the D-ring, or to my belt buckle. Keeps everything on the
front.

I suppose a good way to secure a longer bit of lanyard would be the
old "thin rubber band" method used to break out genoas lashed to the
deck...a simple hoist is enough to break the bands, and yet secures
the sail to the deck in most winds. Yes, I still single-hand with
hank-ons! Anyway, you could flake the lanyard into six-inch loops and
tie it with a thin rubber band and slip it into a PFD vest pocket. One
pull free of the scabbard frees the lanyard, but there's little chance
of, say five feet of lanyard hooking on your neck or some other
inconvenient place prior to use.

R.