In Today's Issue:
Prepare for Overboard Recovery with the "Elevator" Technique!
Sailing Master Secrets ~ John Vigor on Sailing Harness Safety.
Video-of-the-Week ~ Rig Your Preventer for Cockpit Control.
Deal of the Week ~ Save Over 60% on West Marine's Skipper Jacket!
Did You Miss the Latest Member's Sailing Articles?
Sailing Skipper's Quotable Quotes.
Recommended Reading for Sailing Season 2012.
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Prepare for Overboard Recovery with the "Elevator" Technique!
into a "stay-aboard-at-all-costs" mindset. And yet...
this most serious of sailing emergencies does happen now and then.
Recovery will be tough no matter what the marine weather conditions.
Use these steps to prepare your small cruising sailboat ahead of time...
with one little-known method that could be the perfect solution...
to this super difficult task when short-handed sailing!...
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Prepare Your Recovery-Elevator Ahead of Time
Get your small cruising sailboat ready now to put the elevator recovery technique into action if your sailing crew or partner falls into the water.
Use the elevator technique in light to moderate sailing weather conditions. This recovery technique requires that the person in the water is fully conscious and in good shape.
Make sure that the person in the water has on a personal flotation device (pfd) before you start the alongside recovery process. The pfd will protect them in and out of the water. As they brace against the side, it will give some protection from bumps against the hull and sharp edges like toe rails or Genoa tracks as you winch them aboard.
Follow the steps described below along with the illustration. Work out the idiosyncrasies on your vessel. Practice setting up the rig with your crew or partner now. That way all hands will be ready to put this unique technique into effect at a moment's notice.
1. Rig the Recovery Elevator Foot-Rope.
Find a long piece of large diameter line to use as the foot-rope of the elevator. Secure one end of the line to a strong deck cleat forward. Lead the line aft to the cockpit. Stay outside of all stanchions, lifelines, rails and shrouds.
2. Fairlead the Foot-Rope Aft to the Cockpit.
Pass the line through a sheet block or snatch block to lead it to a primary or secondary cockpit winch. Wrap the foot-rope three or four times around the winch. Insert the winch handle. Drop the lifelines in the vicinity of the recovery area.
3. Recover the Person from the Water.
Ease the line to form a deep loop over the side (see illustration). Have the person in the water hold onto the toe rail and stand on the bottom of the foot-rope. Take up tension on the foot-rope smooth and easy. Double check that the person has a good grip on the side of the boat. Grind on the winch a bit at a time to lift the person clear of the water and onto the boat.
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Practice prevention to avoid the danger of recovery in an overboard emergency. Prepare now to deal with the #1 sailing emergency with your sailing crew or partner--wherever in the world you choose to go sailing or cruising!
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Sailing Master Secrets - John Vigor on Sailing Harness Safety
Today, we feature John Vigor, sailor and veteran author of 12 boating books and scores of articles in boating magazines on three continents. John has written for Cruising World, Sail, and Good Old Boat. His career as a newspaperman spanned nearly 40 years in America, England, and South Africa. Visit John's highly entertaining blog at JohnVigor.com
It's hard to know how many sailors' lives have been saved by safety harnesses. No disinterested authority seems to keep the relevant statistics. But I know for a fact that a harness killed one sailor and would have killed another had his boat not run aground.
The fatality occurred in a storm off the South African coast when a racing fleet was overwhelmed by a sudden southwesterly "buster." A fairly beamy 26-foot sloop was capsized by a large wave and stayed upside down a long time. One of her cockpit crew couldn't release the tether of his safety harness and drowned before she righted herself.
Yukio Hasebe, a singlehanded Japanese circumnavigator, almost drowned when he fell off his 30-foot sloop and was dragged alongside the hull. He couldn't pull himself aboard.
The boat sped on for hours, steered by her wind vane, while Hasebe fought for breath and got badly scraped by barnacles. He was bleeding profusely and almost exhausted when the boat grounded on a reef off Australia. He lost the boat but his life was saved.
Lessons...
Make sure you can detach your tether at your breast, even under strain; and think hard about how to get back on board if you go over the side. And one last, but rather important thought: Whenever you can, use a tether short enough to prevent your falling overboard in the first place.
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Video of the Week ~ Rig Your Preventer for Cockpit Control
Sail downwind for any distance along the coast or offshore...
and you will want to rig a boom preventer...
to keep the boom in place and avoid flying jibes.
But how can you rig for smooth, easy control...
from the safety and comfort of your sailboat's cockpit?
Watch this new video on how two offshore sailing skippers...
solved this sailing problem fast!
Note - This video is formatted to play on any computer or mobile device.
Please allow a few seconds for the video to load onto your personal device.
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Deal of the Week ~ Save 60%+ on West Marine's Skipper Jacket!
If you are anything like me, nothing beats the comfort of insulation in the wet and cold of autumn sailing. Layers matter. And fleece fabric provides great mid-layer comfort in the marine environment.
West Marine has slashed their Fleece Skipper Jacket from $79.99 to $29.99. You save a whopping $50--over 60%--on this comfortable sailing gear. These jackets are going fast, and sizes are limited.
Wear this Jacket as a stand-alone in mild weather or down below in the cabin for cozy lounge wear. Topside, use it as a mid-layer under your foul weather jacket to provide warmth and comfort in the toughest sailing weather. This gear will be hard to beat at this price!
Skipper Fleece Jacket features:
- 100% Polyester
- Full-length pull tab two-way zipper
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Order Online: West Marine's Fleece Skipper Jacket
Free Shipping: If you ship to and pick up from a West Marine Store.
Customer Support: 1 (800) 262-8464=============================================================================================
Did You Miss the Latest Member's Sailing Articles and eBooks?
Would Your Sailboat Steering Compass Pass this "Zero Error" Test?
November 1, 2012 ~One of the top sailing navigation gear projects to put on your list will be to check your steering compass for accuracy. Did you realize you can do this in the comfort of your home? Make sure your sailing compass passes this seven step "zero error" inspection for worry-free sailing today!!
//www.skippertips.com/members/1503.cfm Five 'Sailing Rope' Rules for Longer Rope Life!
October 30, 2012 ~ As another sailing season winds to a close, it will be time to go over each part of your sailing running rigging, docking lines, and rope anchor rode. Follow these five simple sailing tips to add life on your sailing rope and save repair and replacement costs.!.
//www.skippertips.com/members/1500.cfmSailing Navigation - Are Your Navigation Lights Visible to Others?
October 25, 2012 ~ Ah, another great sailing day as the sun kisses and dips beneath the razor sharp horizon. You move to the power panel and flip the switch to energize navigation lights. On a fine night like tonight with unlimited visibility, you should show up like a Christmas tree to others vessels large and small. Shouldn't you?..
//www.skippertips.com/members/1497.cfm How to Dock Your Boat Like a Pro in Gusty On-the-Dock Winds
October 18, 2012 ~ No matter where you sail, there will be times when you need to dock your boat at a pier, wharf, or seawall with a strong, gusty on-the-dock wind. Often you will see skippers place the beam to the wind and let the boat blow down onto the pier. But that can cause costly damage if the boat slams into the pier. Use this little-known technique from master boat handler for maximum control!
//www.skippertips.com/members/1492.cfm=============================================================================================
Sailing Skipper's Quotable Quotes...
Ultimately, sail trim is all about keeping a boat sailing fast and balanced.
- Brian Hancock,
from 'Maximum Sail Power'
Get instant access to 600+ sailing articles, 130+ sailing skills videos,
180+ sailing newsletters, 14+ FREE eBooks and much more. Click here now!Recommended Reading for Sailing Season 2012! "SEAMANSHIP SECRETS"
from International Marine / McGraw-Hill
"You will be in the hands of an experienced and trusted guide."
-- Daniel Spurr, former senior editor of Cruising World magazine"Written so clearly that navigation and seamanship will be comprehensible to anyone."
-- Dave and Jaja Martin, circumnavigators and authors"It should be read by anyone contemplating coastal cruising or
blue water voyages."
-- Ted Brewer, famed yacht designer and veteran cruising sailorCaptain John Shares 25+ Years of Experience to Show You How to...
- Complete 90% of your navigation--before you cast off the lines.
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- Extend the trouble free service of any size inboard diesel engine.
- Balance any sailing vessel in heavy weather in three easy steps.
- Use "terrain effect" to forecast weather anywhere in the world.
- Control boat emergencies with a simple method called M-A-T-E.
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Would Your Sailboat Steering Compass Pass this "Zero Error" Test?
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