"News f2s" wrote in message
...

"Don W" wrote in message
news:ahbAh.9596

You might experiment with this during the summer by jumping overboard
while the boat is going 7kts and seeing how hard it is to grab the dink
as it goes by.

I can tell you now, Don, that grabbing a dink doing 5 kts was impossible.
Trying to drag my clothed body thru the water was far too much for my grip
to last more than a few seconds. Quite apart from the hell of being rolled
over by taking a bad grip in the first place . . .

JimB


Charlie Sheen can do it. I saw it in a movie.

"News f2s" wrote in message
...

"Don W" wrote in message
news:ahbAh.9596

You might experiment with this during the summer by jumping overboard
while the boat is going 7kts and seeing how hard it is to grab the dink
as it goes by.

I can tell you now, Don, that grabbing a dink doing 5 kts was impossible.
Trying to drag my clothed body thru the water was far too much for my grip
to last more than a few seconds. Quite apart from the hell of being rolled
over by taking a bad grip in the first place . . .

JimB



Wasn't there some guy in his 70s who managed to haul himself out of the
water when he got knocked off his boat... I seem to recall the story that
he grabbed the boat as it went by and climbed back on. Or, is this a Usenet
myth? g

--
"j" ganz @@
www.sailnow.com

Capt. JG wrote:

"News f2s" wrote in message
...

"Don W" wrote in message
news:ahbAh.9596


You might experiment with this during the summer by jumping overboard
while the boat is going 7kts and seeing how hard it is to grab the dink
as it goes by.

I can tell you now, Don, that grabbing a dink doing 5 kts was impossible.
Trying to drag my clothed body thru the water was far too much for my grip
to last more than a few seconds. Quite apart from the hell of being rolled
over by taking a bad grip in the first place . . .

JimB


Wasn't there some guy in his 70s who managed to haul himself out of the
water when he got knocked off his boat... I seem to recall the story that
he grabbed the boat as it went by and climbed back on. Or, is this a Usenet
myth? g

I'd sure give it a try if I was the only one on
deck when I went OB, but I sure wouldn't bet on
the outcome.

Then there was the tragedy a few years back
between Fiji and New Zealand, where the guy fell
overboard at night while his wife was asleep, and
his tether was just long enough to let him drag
and drown. The wife found him when she woke up in
the morning.

Don W.

"Don W" wrote in message
...


Capt. JG wrote:

"News f2s" wrote in message
...

"Don W" wrote in message
news:ahbAh.9596


You might experiment with this during the summer by jumping overboard
while the boat is going 7kts and seeing how hard it is to grab the dink
as it goes by.

I can tell you now, Don, that grabbing a dink doing 5 kts was impossible.
Trying to drag my clothed body thru the water was far too much for my
grip to last more than a few seconds. Quite apart from the hell of being
rolled over by taking a bad grip in the first place . . .

JimB


Wasn't there some guy in his 70s who managed to haul himself out of the
water when he got knocked off his boat... I seem to recall the story
that he grabbed the boat as it went by and climbed back on. Or, is this a
Usenet myth? g

I'd sure give it a try if I was the only one on deck when I went OB, but I
sure wouldn't bet on the outcome.

Then there was the tragedy a few years back between Fiji and New Zealand,
where the guy fell overboard at night while his wife was asleep, and his
tether was just long enough to let him drag and drown. The wife found him
when she woke up in the morning.

Don W.



We had one off the coast here... the guy fell off the bow... got hit by a
mini-rogue wave and lost his footing. He was tethered but bonked his head.
His wife panicked and couldn't figure a way to haul him in. By the time she
got it together, he was dead from blunt trama. A good point of order on not
having too long a tether and not having jacklines that run the entire length
of the vessel.

--
"j" ganz @@
www.sailnow.com

News f2s wrote:

"Don W" wrote in message
news:ahbAh.9596


You might experiment with this during the summer by jumping overboard
while the boat is going 7kts and seeing how hard it is to grab the dink as
it goes by.


I can tell you now, Don, that grabbing a dink doing 5 kts was impossible.
Trying to drag my clothed body thru the water was far too much for my grip
to last more than a few seconds. Quite apart from the hell of being rolled
over by taking a bad grip in the first place . . .

JimB


I suspected it might not be easy. I've water
skied a lot, and have tried to master the trick
where you have the boat pull you on your chest
sans skis. A lot of the good barefooters can do
this. It is a lot harder than it looks ;-)

Don W.

In article ,
"KLC Lewis" wrote:

But this inflatable dink has me rethinking things. By towing the dink when
weather allows, if crew should go overboard the dinghy could be cut loose
immediately.


Sounded good at first, but in the time I could reach the painter and
untie it from both cleats, I would have crash-tacked Xan and been half
way back. Additionally, I wouldn't be able to keep an eye on the COB.

But Xan turns on a dime at any speed. All I have to do is lean a hip
into the tiller, leaving my hands free. A more stately craft with more
crew might consider the option though.

--
Jere Lull
Xan-a-Deux ('73 Tanzer 28 #4 out of Tolchester, MD)
Xan's NEW Pages: http://web.mac.com/jerelull/iWeb/Xan/
Our BVI FAQs (290+ pics) http://homepage.mac.com/jerelull/BVI/

I'd like to play devil's advocate here, so I'll offer whatever
criticisms of the scheme I can, but in truth I do not really have any
expert opinion about this, I'm just speculating. I think that was what
you were asking for, please forgive me if I misunderstood.


So, from the home office in sunny California, the top ten reasons why I
think this might not work...


1) Trailing a dingy is often untenable during rough conditions, exactly
the time you'd like to incorporate the "quick release" system you proposed.

2) The dingy would need some form of covering to protect it from
becoming swamped, thereby reducing its effectiveness as a "life raft"
for the MOB.

3) The overall amount of drag the dingy would add to the vessel's
progress over the entire passage would not compensate the practical gain
of using this approach over a "life sling" or other similar device.

4) You increase the chances of fouling the prop or rudder by
continuously towing a dingy, thereby offsetting any benefits you might
have gained.

5) The dingy might be better employed as an additional search and rescue
vehicle, especially if the MOB is incapacitated and/or unable to place
themselves back on board.

6) The dingy could be lost during the attempted rescue, thereby greatly
endangering the rest of the crew should the vessel flounder.

7) The dingy could act to further injure the MOB, complicating an
already difficult situation.

8) Even if the MOB could self rescue, there is still the very real
possibility that the dingy would be overturned again.

9) Bringing the dingy back on board would require some form of winching
system in any kind of weather. This could complicate the boat layout
or its maneuverability.

10) It just looks funny.


KLC Lewis wrote:
But this inflatable dink has me rethinking things. By towing the dink when
weather allows, if crew should go overboard the dinghy could be cut loose
immediately. This would provide conscious MOB with a boat to swim towards,
and give rescue crew another marker (though one with more windage) to help
with locating the missing crew. The floating line in the water would also
give the MOB something to grab, and its streaming direction would offer
clues as to the current and rate of drift, assuming it's not being trailed
behind a wind-driven dink.

And, of course, trailing a dinghy in the water in fair weather could become
a handful if the wind picks up.

Any thoughts?

"AMPowers" wrote in message
...
I'd like to play devil's advocate here, so I'll offer whatever criticisms
of the scheme I can, but in truth I do not really have any expert opinion
about this, I'm just speculating. I think that was what you were asking
for, please forgive me if I misunderstood.


So, from the home office in sunny California, the top ten reasons why I
think this might not work...


1) Trailing a dingy is often untenable during rough conditions, exactly
the time you'd like to incorporate the "quick release" system you
proposed.

2) The dingy would need some form of covering to protect it from becoming
swamped, thereby reducing its effectiveness as a "life raft" for the MOB.

3) The overall amount of drag the dingy would add to the vessel's progress
over the entire passage would not compensate the practical gain of using
this approach over a "life sling" or other similar device.

4) You increase the chances of fouling the prop or rudder by continuously
towing a dingy, thereby offsetting any benefits you might have gained.

5) The dingy might be better employed as an additional search and rescue
vehicle, especially if the MOB is incapacitated and/or unable to place
themselves back on board.

6) The dingy could be lost during the attempted rescue, thereby greatly
endangering the rest of the crew should the vessel flounder.

7) The dingy could act to further injure the MOB, complicating an already
difficult situation.

8) Even if the MOB could self rescue, there is still the very real
possibility that the dingy would be overturned again.

9) Bringing the dingy back on board would require some form of winching
system in any kind of weather. This could complicate the boat layout or
its maneuverability.

10) It just looks funny.



Worthy of consideration, all. Thanks for your thoughts! :-)

AMPowers wrote:

I'd like to play devil's advocate here, so I'll offer whatever
criticisms of the scheme I can, but in truth I do not really have any
expert opinion about this, I'm just speculating. I think that was what
you were asking for, please forgive me if I misunderstood.


So, from the home office in sunny California, the top ten reasons why I
think this might not work...


1) Trailing a dingy is often untenable during rough conditions, exactly
the time you'd like to incorporate the "quick release" system you proposed.

2) The dingy would need some form of covering to protect it from
becoming swamped, thereby reducing its effectiveness as a "life raft"
for the MOB.

3) The overall amount of drag the dingy would add to the vessel's
progress over the entire passage would not compensate the practical gain
of using this approach over a "life sling" or other similar device.

4) You increase the chances of fouling the prop or rudder by
continuously towing a dingy, thereby offsetting any benefits you might
have gained.

5) The dingy might be better employed as an additional search and rescue
vehicle, especially if the MOB is incapacitated and/or unable to place
themselves back on board.

6) The dingy could be lost during the attempted rescue, thereby greatly
endangering the rest of the crew should the vessel flounder.

7) The dingy could act to further injure the MOB, complicating an
already difficult situation.

8) Even if the MOB could self rescue, there is still the very real
possibility that the dingy would be overturned again.

9) Bringing the dingy back on board would require some form of winching
system in any kind of weather. This could complicate the boat layout
or its maneuverability.

10) It just looks funny.

Well said sir.

Don W.