Swim Platforms: A Matter of Safety


Any way you look at it, a sailboat with a swim platform is a safer
vessel by design. Generally viewed as a contrivance of luxury, these
platforms have serious merit for the safety conscious. Consider the
single handed sailor. Properly tethered to his boat, he may still fall
overboard. Have you ever tried to re-board a moving vessel from the
water? It can be difficult and may even be impossible, even with a
small ladder in reach. With a swim
platform a tired sailor will have the best chance to board the boat
again.
Even a crewed vessel can enjoy the same advantage. If a person falls
overboard a very fast retrieval can be made. Several recent MOB
fatalities might have been avoided with a platform. Still, the swim
platform must be used only when conditions permit. In swells the
falling stern can badly injure or even kill the victim before they can
be pulled onboard.
At anchor the platform also has it's benefits beyond the obvious as an
inured swimmer can also be handled with greater ease. Finally, the use
of dinghies, and transference of any cargo can be done with a greater
degree of safety. The only real liability of the swim platform is that
it offers a rescue option that may appear "too easy" and be employed
when it shouldn't. MOB drills with and without use of the platform are
suggested.
So the next time you look at that sexy swim platform and envision it's
elements of practical entertainment value, be sure to remember it's
added safety benefits as well.


Robert B
Beneteau First 35s5
NY

"Capt. Rob" wrote in message
oups.com...
Swim Platforms: A Matter of Safety


Any way you look at it, a sailboat with a swim platform is a safer
vessel by design. Generally viewed as a contrivance of luxury, these

Generally are...

platforms have serious merit for the safety conscious. Consider the
single handed sailor. Properly tethered to his boat, he may still fall
overboard. Have you ever tried to re-board a moving vessel from the
water? It can be difficult and may even be impossible, even with a
small ladder in reach. With a swim

If you're properly tethered, you would never reach the water.

platform a tired sailor will have the best chance to board the boat
again.
Even a crewed vessel can enjoy the same advantage. If a person falls
overboard a very fast retrieval can be made. Several recent MOB
fatalities might have been avoided with a platform. Still, the swim
platform must be used only when conditions permit. In swells the
falling stern can badly injure or even kill the victim before they can
be pulled onboard.

Which is pretty rare, since most MOBs happen when conditions dictate a beam
recovery.

At anchor the platform also has it's benefits beyond the obvious as an
inured swimmer can also be handled with greater ease. Finally, the use
of dinghies, and transference of any cargo can be done with a greater
degree of safety. The only real liability of the swim platform is that

Perhaps, but for distance travel, you have no place to put davits. You have
to triail the dinghy, which is a bad idea.

it offers a rescue option that may appear "too easy" and be employed
when it shouldn't. MOB drills with and without use of the platform are
suggested.
So the next time you look at that sexy swim platform and envision it's
elements of practical entertainment value, be sure to remember it's
added safety benefits as well.


Robert B
Beneteau First 35s5
NY

Which is pretty rare, since most MOBs happen when conditions dictate a
beam
recovery.

And yet Cruising World just had an article where a beam recovery proved
impossible and a sailor drowned. Again, the swim platform is an option
that MIGHT prove to be a life saver.

Perhaps, but for distance travel, you have no place to put davits. You have
to triail the dinghy, which is a bad idea.

On the LIS, trailing a dinghy works fine and is the prefered method.
The clutter and weight of a davits system is unwanted vs. towing a
dinghy on occasion.

If you're properly tethered, you would never reach the water.

Too many cases of too much slack for this to be a viable answer. Again
the swim platform option is a plus in the real world.
Again, no one is saying the platform is the best way to go, or even the
second best. But it can save lives and has done so in the past.

RB
35s5
NY

"Capt. Rob" wrote in message
oups.com...
Which is pretty rare, since most MOBs happen when conditions dictate a
beam
recovery.

And yet Cruising World just had an article where a beam recovery proved
impossible and a sailor drowned. Again, the swim platform is an option
that MIGHT prove to be a life saver.

Might is the operative word.


Perhaps, but for distance travel, you have no place to put davits. You
have
to triail the dinghy, which is a bad idea.

On the LIS, trailing a dinghy works fine and is the prefered method.
The clutter and weight of a davits system is unwanted vs. towing a
dinghy on occasion.

As I said, for distance travel, you have no place to put it.

If you're properly tethered, you would never reach the water.

Too many cases of too much slack for this to be a viable answer. Again
the swim platform option is a plus in the real world.
Again, no one is saying the platform is the best way to go, or even the
second best. But it can save lives and has done so in the past.

Huh? It's not a matter of slack. It's a matter of length. A proper tether
will save your life. An improper tether will end it prematurely.

Might is the operative word.


Might is a better word than NOT. As I said, the platform is one more
option which is better than one less.

As I said, for distance travel, you have no place to put it.

I can stow it aboard in the locker or place it on the fordeck. It's
rolled in that locker now and there's still room for a tea party in
there. I also know of folks who tow their dinghies on long cruises. No
big deal.

It's a matter of length. A proper tether
will save your life. An improper tether will end it prematurely.

Too much slack was a reference to length. In any case, people make
mistakes. And again, the swim platform is one MORE option. Nothing
changes that, Jonathan. In a perfect world you don't fall off the boat,
you have the tether set correctly, we don't fall off a boat in calm
seas, the water is warm, the crew can get a MOB up on the
beam....except sometimes none of the above is true. I'll take that swm
platform....for it's fun factor, practicality and safety.
Now if my boat interior was smaller than other 35 footers with no swim
platform I might see another side. But that's not the case. The 35s5
and some others, such as the C&C 99 or C&C 34 XL let you have the cake
and eat it too.

RB
35s5...a well baked boat!
NY

"Capt. Rob" wrote in message
ups.com...
Might is the operative word.


Might is a better word than NOT. As I said, the platform is one more
option which is better than one less.

Sure, and should is an even more operative word. Most of the time, a swim
platform will not be better for MOB recover, and when it's not appropriate,
may temp someone to use it. There's nothing wrong with having a swim
platform, but to claim that it should be used for an MOB is just
wrong-headed.

It's easy to say "might" in situations. You might fall off a horse, but the
chances of that happening in the next 10 minutes are pretty low.


As I said, for distance travel, you have no place to put it.

I can stow it aboard in the locker or place it on the fordeck. It's
rolled in that locker now and there's still room for a tea party in
there. I also know of folks who tow their dinghies on long cruises. No
big deal.

Actually, it is a big deal for several reasons. If you have to "stow" it
that means you'll have to unstow it when you want to use it. I know (well,
used to know) folks who shot heroin, but that doesn't make it smart.

It's a matter of length. A proper tether
will save your life. An improper tether will end it prematurely.

Too much slack was a reference to length. In any case, people make
mistakes. And again, the swim platform is one MORE option. Nothing
changes that, Jonathan. In a perfect world you don't fall off the boat,
you have the tether set correctly, we don't fall off a boat in calm
seas, the water is warm, the crew can get a MOB up on the
beam....except sometimes none of the above is true. I'll take that swm
platform....for it's fun factor, practicality and safety.
Now if my boat interior was smaller than other 35 footers with no swim
platform I might see another side. But that's not the case. The 35s5
and some others, such as the C&C 99 or C&C 34 XL let you have the cake
and eat it too.

It's a minor option for safety during MOBs. We're not talking about a
perfect world. We're talking about being prepared and smart enough to know
what to do, so that a MOB is unlikely.

For the fun factor and practicality, I have no argument at all. I will even
stretch and say that there is some limited safety factor, but not for an
MOB. It's not safe for that when an MOB is likely.