It's compromised, but hasn't yet failed. I much rather have a cut than
fall in the water.

The cut may lead your grip to fail...and splash anyway.

RB

So, when you go forward you crawl on your hands and knees?

In rough conditions I stay very low. One hand for me, one for the boat.

RB

2) They won't necessarily catch you. They'll break, especially under your
considerable weight.

On Yoda, a sudden lurch caught my friend off guard and he toppled from the
cabin trunk. The lines caught him, though at 6'6 and near 300lbs he certainly
tested them. There's no way a proper lifeline will break from someone's weight,
unless the core is rotted or the lines are bad. NO WAY.

RB

You've never been in "rough conditions."

"Bobsprit" wrote in message
...
So, when you go forward you crawl on your hands and knees?

In rough conditions I stay very low. One hand for me, one for the boat.

RB

The key word is "may."

"Bobsprit" wrote in message
...
It's compromised, but hasn't yet failed. I much rather have a cut than
fall in the water.

The cut may lead your grip to fail...and splash anyway.

RB

That was a rhetorical flourish. I've never thought of lifelines as a primary
safety item, mainly for the reason that they won't keep you on the boat if
push comes to shove. Last summer when we were doing the feeder race for Bay
Week I went under the lifelines up to my thighs on the bow of the J-33. If I
had been unfortunate enough to be unconscious at the time I would have keep
right on going. The stanchion was the grip of last resort at the time. And
of course I have gone forward in a crouch when conditions merited it. My
point was, and remains, they are not an important safety item for the
primary reason that they will not keep you on the boat in the types of
conditions you're referring to, and thinking of them as such is silly and
naive. Even relying on them in moderate conditions would be hubris at best.
John Cairns
"Jonathan Ganz" wrote in message
...
Actually, I've done that several times, even in the bay. It can get pretty
rough.
Certainly off the coast also.

"John Cairns" wrote in message
...
So, when you go forward you crawl on your hands and knees? You really
need
to spend some time offshore Bob.
John Cairns
"Bobsprit" wrote in message
...

Lifelines are very useful and important:
1) Working forward, stay low and they can and will catch you
2) If you take a fall from anywhere, accept over them, they can and
will
catch you
RB

Racko-Nos Pam writes:

So, when you go forward you crawl on your hands and knees?

not hands and knees. hands and feet, body low. Better control that way.

You really need
to spend some time offshore

That is where I learned it. Racko-Nos, are you suggesting that should you
happen someday to get offshore you might learn some other way to go forward in
waves as high as the freeboard?

jonny, stay on your feet, don't go to your knees. more control that way.

Actually, I've done that several times, even in the bay. It can get pretty
rough.
Certainly off the coast also.

"John Cairns" wrote in message
...
So, when you go forward you crawl on your hands and knees? You really need
to spend some time offshore Bob.
John Cairns
"Bobsprit" wrote in message
...

Lifelines are very useful and important:
1) Working forward, stay low and they can and will catch you
2) If you take a fall from anywhere, accept over them, they can and will
catch you
RB

My
point was, and remains, they are not an important safety item for the
primary reason that they will not keep you on the boat in the types of
conditions you're referring to

John, you just said that the lines saved you from going overboard. No safety
item will save your life under all conditions. But lifelines can be an
important factor as you've just shown. You WERE conscous and the lines kept you
aboard. They've done the same for me twice. As I said, that's more than my fire
extinguishers have done!
Every safety item on a boat contributes and should be given equal care and
respect, from life lines to a flare gun. They are ALL primary safety measures.
That's a smart philosphy that every boater should follow. Anything less leads
to neglect and a level of safety is lost or comrpomised.

RB

jonny, it means you didn't understand the context of the sentence, therefore
the substitution of one letter for another and the elimination of a third
letter in a message of maybe ninety letters has left you completely baffled.

Umm... sorry, but I think I need an interpreter... what does
"I'm suggestion that that is a total non-sequitur" mean?

"Dave" wrote in message
...
On Thu, 19 Feb 2004 13:06:33 -0800, "Jonathan Ganz"
said:

It's compromised, but hasn't yet failed. I much rather have a cut than
fall in the water.

You'd probably prefer to be rich but happy rather than poor but unhappy
too.
(In case you missed it, I'm suggestion that that is a total non-sequitur)

Dave
S/V Good Fortune
CS27