Accidents Do Happen To Any Of Us

[ExSurveyor]

I picked a used one up off ebay for a tenner,  never used it but always kept handy

 

 

[Viking23]

Wow... how things could have been different, on your own say, banged your head... game over.

A nice dry life jacket will do nothing to save your life. A couple of months ago I followed ChrisB's advice and checked the expiry on both auto life jackets, and one had expired in January 2017, ok, no great worry, probably servicable, but once I found it, I had to order a new one there and then.

Hope it works when I need it lol.

Richard

[Bound2Please]

Just now, Viking23 said:

Hope it works when I need it lol.

Richard

Hope never be in that position again to find our Richard... This time yes i was lucky for sure

Charlie

[quo vadis]

With my wobbly head

have I shown you mr wobbly? 

[Viking23]

Just now, Bound2Please said:

Hope never be in that position again to find our Richard... This time yes i was lucky for sure

Charlie

Charlie, I need to do some more research, and gain more data, but... am I right in thinking that during all the years before you were a moderator, you never fell in once, and after you have become a moderator, you take your first drenching.

So is being a moderator a hazardous role to have lol?

 

Like I say, limited data so far, but evidence does seem to support this hypothesis. 

 

lol

 

 

[Broads01]

I couldn't agree more Charlie. I fell in at Gays Staithe on my trip in May (see my Holiday Tale) and my life jacket was vital. It's so easy to under estimate how being fully clothed when in the water makes you feel like you're wearing bricks. 

[Wonderwall]

Everyday is a school day right enough, we are never short of learning.

Glad it all ended in a happy tale. I must admit , I don't wear my jacket much, close to Yarmouth and poor weather I don it, but mostly just go for it with whatever I've got on.

Ive swam in a few broads ( younger days!) and it was surprisingly warm , hence the relaxed attitude, I'm sure the rivers are a different fish .

Will take this lesson on board when I'm back in paradise late Sept, cheers.

[Bound2Please]

7 hours ago, Viking23 said:

Charlie, I need to do some more research, and gain more data, but... am I right in thinking that during all the years before you were a moderator, you never fell in once, and after you have become a moderator, you take your first drenching.

So is being a moderator a hazardous role to have lol?

 

Like I say, limited data so far, but evidence does seem to support this hypothesis. 

 

lol

 

 

Morning Richard yes you got that in one mate, first trip out after lol........

Charlie

[RumPunch]

Glad it's more damaged pride.

Each of us, everytime we get on the boat, needs to mentally at least do a risk assessment and decide on our actions.

My normal sailing pattern in motor onto the broad, mudweight upwind, put the sails up, then sail off. The hazardous bit is the fact I need to walk back to the helm from the bow once I've pulled the mudweight up, and at that point all the sails are up and potentially the boom could collect me on the way past. So, from the moment I go to weight up, till I'm back at the helm with the sails down at the end of the session, I wear an auto lifejacket.

 

[Vaughan]

I have been thinking of what to say about this, Charlie, as I reckon I know how you feel.

I literally grew up on the water and had to wear a life jacket all day and every day until I was 4 years old and my mother reckoned I could swim well enough. Ever since then I have had a revulsion for them and have never worn one, unless obliged by racing rules, or some such. As almost all my work has been around water I have lost count of the number of times I have fallen in, usually with a lot of people standing around to have a good laugh!

But I am not in my 20s, my 30s, or even my 40s any more. I used to casually clamber up the side of the hull on the rubbing strakes and hoist myself up on deck by the cabin handrail, but I am almost 70 now. I certainly couldn't do that any more! I have no fear whatever of falling in, but I am beginning to wonder, could I get out again? Broads boats don't have bathing ladders or steps, as they do by law on the French Canals. Before our holiday in May, I hadn't been on a boat for a couple of years and I noticed the difference! I always run one hand along the rail when walking on deck, out of long habit, but I found that this time, I needed to. There is a certain loss of the natural balance, that I used to have.

So I think I have come to the time when I ought to wear a lifejacket.

In my case though, it will not be one of these webbing belts with pockets and designer labels, that are supposed to be automatic but often aren't. Most of these are salt water activated, which may not happen on Barton Broad! For me it will be the traditional yellow, padded life vest with a high collar at the back and a belt round the waist. This gives protection against injury if you hit something on the way down and if you do get knocked out, you will come to the surface and float face up, without having to fumble around in the dark trying to find valves, pull rings or inflation tubes and, in some cases, having to get the thing out of a pouch and pull it over your head first. 

We are not spring chickens any more, I am afraid!

[Bound2Please]

8 minutes ago, Vaughan said:

I have been thinking of what to say about this, Charlie, as I reckon I know how you feel.

I literally grew up on the water and had to wear a life jacket all day and every day until I was 4 years old and my mother reckoned I could swim well enough. Ever since then I have had a revulsion for them and have never worn one, unless obliged by racing rules, or some such. As almost all my work has been around water I have lost count of the number of times I have fallen in, usually with a lot of people standing around to have a good laugh!

But I am not in my 20s, my 30s, or even my 40s any more. I used to casually clamber up the side of the hull on the rubbing strakes and hoist myself up on deck by the cabin handrail, but I am almost 70 now. I certainly couldn't do that any more! I have no fear whatever of falling in, but I am beginning to wonder, could I get out again? Broads boats don't have bathing ladders or steps, as they do by law on the French Canals. Before our holiday in May, I hadn't been on a boat for a couple of years and I noticed the difference! I always run one hand along the rail when walking on deck, out of long habit, but I found that this time, I needed to. There is a certain loss of the natural balance, that I used to have.

So I think I have come to the time when I ought to wear a lifejacket.

In my case though, it will not be one of these webbing belts with pockets and designer labels, that are supposed to be automatic but often aren't. Most of these are salt water activated, which may not happen on Barton Broad! For me it will be the traditional yellow, padded life vest with a high collar at the back and a belt round the waist. This gives protection against injury if you hit something on the way down and if you do get knocked out, you will come to the surface and float face up, without having to fumble around in the dark trying to find valves, pull rings or inflation tubes and, in some cases, having to get the thing out of a pouch and pull it over your head first. 

We are not spring chickens any more, I am afraid!

All of what you have said there, makes total sense, think i wont be doing that again. I have been fortunate over the years as that was my first dunking ever.

The getting out was rthe hardest part for sure, im no where near as strong as I used to be, in fact looking up just the height of the gunnel on our Elysian I new I couldnt get up there and neither the wench or my cousin could pull me out there. The bank was only sensible option, and thanks to tree roots i managed at second attempt.

Im no spring chicken either not that far behind you Vaughan

Charlie

[Regulo]

My mate Dave went in on Barton last year, while re-boarding Sunbird from our inflatable. A good swimmer, there was no panic. BUT whatever we tried, he just couldn't get back aboard. He'd got his leg tangled in the dinghy tether on the way in, and that was hampering any significant movement. I have a rescue ladder, but never having bothered to try it out, found it didn't go deep enough into the water from Sunbird's deck height to be any use. We eventually recovered by dropping the life ring, he dropping it over his head and under his arms, then me hauling with everything I had (not much!). If that had failed, next course would have been a gentle tow to the bank. Needless to say, the rescue ladder now reaches the parts it couldn't reach before, and I WILL wear my lifejacket religiously from now on. Until it's happened, you won't believe how difficult it is to get someone out of the water, even when they're able to help themselves. Dave wasn't wearing a lifejacket, so what might have transpired if he'd knocked himself out on the way in, I shudder to contemplate.

[HemsbyPie]

Hope you got yourself checked out after, secondary drowning is no joke!!

Have to agree about getting out of the water without help - even with proper gear on it's a struggle but with wet clothes dragging you back it must be exhausting!!

[Bound2Please]

As it goes HemsbyPie i never mind my cousin who was with us is a retired nurse.

Exhausting is a tad under stating it, i now know i cant do things i did easy in my 20's even if brain thinks i can..

Charlie

[Broads01]

2 hours ago, Vaughan said:

I have been thinking of what to say about this, Charlie, as I reckon I know how you feel.

I literally grew up on the water and had to wear a life jacket all day and every day until I was 4 years old and my mother reckoned I could swim well enough. Ever since then I have had a revulsion for them and have never worn one, unless obliged by racing rules, or some such. As almost all my work has been around water I have lost count of the number of times I have fallen in, usually with a lot of people standing around to have a good laugh!

But I am not in my 20s, my 30s, or even my 40s any more. I used to casually clamber up the side of the hull on the rubbing strakes and hoist myself up on deck by the cabin handrail, but I am almost 70 now. I certainly couldn't do that any more! I have no fear whatever of falling in, but I am beginning to wonder, could I get out again? Broads boats don't have bathing ladders or steps, as they do by law on the French Canals. Before our holiday in May, I hadn't been on a boat for a couple of years and I noticed the difference! I always run one hand along the rail when walking on deck, out of long habit, but I found that this time, I needed to. There is a certain loss of the natural balance, that I used to have.

So I think I have come to the time when I ought to wear a lifejacket.

In my case though, it will not be one of these webbing belts with pockets and designer labels, that are supposed to be automatic but often aren't. Most of these are salt water activated, which may not happen on Barton Broad! For me it will be the traditional yellow, padded life vest with a high collar at the back and a belt round the waist. This gives protection against injury if you hit something on the way down and if you do get knocked out, you will come to the surface and float face up, without having to fumble around in the dark trying to find valves, pull rings or inflation tubes and, in some cases, having to get the thing out of a pouch and pull it over your head first. 

We are not spring chickens any more, I am afraid!

Vaughan, I don't think age comes in to it. When I went in I had a horrible moment when I thought the life jacket wasn't going to inflate. Thank God it did, otherwise I'd have been in the sh** and the couple that pulled me out may have struggled. I can recommend the life jackets Richardsons issue - reasonably light, quick to put on as you approach a mooring and light years better than those horrible orange polystyrene things they used to issue. 

[ChrisB]

My plan and one of my two reasons for having platforms fitted is make way to stern. Grasp a platform, haul up a bit, bend knee and get foot on cavitation plate of outboard. Push up and sit on platform. If canopy up unbutton it from sitting position. Grasp rim of cockpit above engine well and get feet onto low transom where engine is mounted, stand up and transfer to standing on platform. Climb over back of boat and wreck my cockpit cream upholstery.

[Viking23]

Wow Chris that wood work looks great, the last time I saw it was pre winter.

We fitted a boarding ladder soon after we failed to get an abandoned sailor    out of the middle of Hickling Broad. His dinghy was sailing away un manned at a rate of knots.

After several attempts, we called over a low free board aluminium fishing boat, three young men on board, and with myself and the sailor, it was still a struggle. I always thought that the rudder plate on our engine would have made a good foot hold, but no. I even had a home made rope ladder that we tried, but again didn't work, to use one requires training and practice. 

This is my set up.

The netting around the engine is anti coot netting, they seem to like engine wells on the Thames lol. 

Richard

[Koolwabbit]

Hi new to forum and had to join to comment on this incident. Back in March I acquired my first boat and ended up having to move it from Loddon to Oulton Broad solo. Didn't see another boat the whole journey and eventually reached Fishers Row. Too knackered to attempt manoeuvring the broad I decided to moor up for the night. Fine, until a gust of wind pushed boat out from bank pulling me in. The shock of hitting cold water was terrible but I managed to hold on to fender rope and doggie paddled as I had no idea how deep the water was.As mentioned earlier no traffic on river and after what seemed ages I was ready to give in and let go of fender. Turns out I was only 2 inches from bottom but still couldn't climb out. Suddenly a young man appeared in a kayak , told me not to panic he would soon have me out. He got on to bank, climbed on to boat , grabbed a mooring line and made a loop in end . Lowering into water he told me to put my foot into loop and use as a ladder rung. He saved my life and said he had heard a loud splash so knew he had better investigate.

Never got his name as I was still in shock. I now never step onto boat until my life jacket is on.

Nigel

[Springsong]

The most dangerous time is getting on the boat whatever shape or size. So in theory we should do as Nigel says never step onto the boat without a jacket on, EVER I am as bad as anyone at doing it, worse really as those that know me know that I would swiftly sink by the left leg if I ever fell in. I go swimming ( in a pool ) every week and I wear a life jacket because I no longer float and people, without a crotch strap they are totally USELESS so be warned by one who knows. I should add that We have a rather nice set of mahogany steps that fold down another set of five or six steps into the water, so far that you actually cannot motor with the second half down it bends the fittings. 

Edited July 21, 2017 by Springsong
just added a bit

[Bound2Please]

A warm to the forum Nigel from me and the Wench (some call her Inge) A practical first post indeed, ive never thought of a loop in a mooring rope to put foot it, to haul some one out of the water with.

Charlie

[deebee29]

Welcome to the forum Nigel

That really could have turned into a disaster. I think these are timely reminders of how important it is to wear a life jacket

[Viking23]

Hi Nigel, what a great first post and a memorable introduction. I hope you can share with us, other experiences too. 

Welcome to the forum.

Richard

 

[ChrisB]

1 hour ago, Viking23 said:

Wow Chris that wood work looks great, the last time I saw it was pre winter.

Richard

I would love to take the credit but that must go to the young gentleman who works at Broadsedge. He stripped them to their component parts so they are as good underneath as on top.

[ranworthbreeze]

Hello Nigel,

Welcome to the forum, great early posts.

Regards

Alan

[Koolwabbit]

Thank you for the welcome.  Must add I am a complete newbie to boating and have tried to self teach myself ie this forum , books and advice from friends but nowhere anything about what to do if you fall in. Could someone put a guide on here?

Now got one of these on boat

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Emergency-Boat-Boarding-Ladder-94-cm-3-Steps-RIB-Foldable-Safety-EMLAD3-/302364497746?epid=1973286487&hash=item4666541752:g:nyIAAOSw7ZFVAhRE

Nigel