rhys wrote:
On Mon, 20 Dec 2004 16:16:11 GMT, "Roger Long"
wrote:


Safety perception is a funny thing. My wife is petrified to have me take the
kids up in my well maintained airplane in clear calm conditions but sees no
danger in boating at all. Now that I'm coming back to sailing after learning
to fly and think very proactively about safety and what can go wrong, I can
see about 100 more ways to hurt or lose a kid on the water than in the air.


You are right. Aircraft are a lot more dangerous than boats by a wide
margin, but neither is remotely as dangerous as a car.

As for safety equipment, many good suggestions have already been made,
but I would add that a floating, gasketed "crash box" you can grab is
appropriate.

As most of your sailing is going to be freshwater and/or coastal, I
assume you are not going to have a liferaft. But you will likely have
a tender, and it may be an inflatable. I keep my "crash box" lashed
beneath the companionway steps; in the event of an emergency, a quick
slash with my belt knife will free it. You have a belt knife, right?
G

In the box are a flashlight, a signal mirror, a roll of polypropolyne
heaving line, a handheld waterproof GPS, a handheld waterproof VHF, a
handheld bearing compass, some batteries, a signal mirror, a small
first aid kit, some flares, glowsticks and gaffer tape. It assumes
that I have to take to the tender by stepping up off the sinking boat,
and that me and the crew is wearing PFDs and harnesses already.
It also allows for a boat that is still floating, but perhaps
dismasted or disabled electrically (via lightning strike or battery
explosion) to navigate and./or report and take a position.

Last thing (because I could natter on all night) would be hard points
in the cockpit for snapping on harness lanyards, properly laid out and
USED jacklines, properly rigged preventers (you will be going mostly
downwind, and usually fast) and plenty of the usual engine spares so a
busted belt doesn't ruin your day G

R.

How often do you put fresh battries in your "crash box"?
krj

On Mon, 20 Dec 2004 22:06:27 -0500, krj
wrote:



How often do you put fresh battries in your "crash box"?
krj

Once a year. I transfer the unused AA batteries from the box and they
get eaten quickly by the GPS and the mini-flashlight I have hanging in
the companionway. Or they go into the Grundig YachtBoy and die an
honourable death giving me the BBC World Service while I'm having late
night beverages in the cockpit.

The Cs go into my ship's clock and my kid's toys, and the big Ds go
into a boombox. I buy cheap alkalines at a surplus place and make sure
they have 1.6 volts DC before I put them in the crash box. If I use
the Zodiac a lot, I will run through the Ds as I have battery powered
nav lights in addition to this year's installation of a Harley AGM 12
volt battery to give me switchable running lights. Sometimes I like to
putt-putt in Lake Ontario under the stars and the Zodiac is better for
this than the sailboat. The running lights aren't legally required at
9,9 hp outboard size, but there's a lot of "party boat" traffic near
my club and it was an easy modification.

R.