Food For Thought
As we ramp up for the coming racing season it might not be a bad idea to spend a little time thinking about safety. Here a link to an article in 48North recounting the experiences of several sailors who went overboard while racing and what they learned: What Overboard Survivors Want You To Know.
A Lesson From Scuttlebutt.
The scary video at this site shows why spectators and photographers should stay clear of the pin when 90 ft. boats cross the start line at 20+ kts! Notice the unflinching way these professionals force their right of way.
The Really Big One
"An earthquake will destroy a sizable portion of the coastal Northwest. The question is when." A thought provoking article from the New Yorker on the Cascadia subduction zone and the consequences when it finally, and according to the article inevitably, moves again. The next full-margin rupture of the Cascadia subduction zone will spell the worst natural disaster in the history of the continent. When the 2011 earthquake and tsunami struck Tohoku, Japan, Chris Goldfinger was two hundred miles away, in the city of Kashiwa, at an international meeting on seismology. As the shaking started, everyone in the room [...]
Columbia River Man Overboard
Coast Guard image A post by John Selwyn Gilbert on Scuttlebutt. I was knocked overboard – at dusk – about 25 years ago in the Governor’s Cup on the Chesapeake Bay when the J/35 I was racing death-rolled to weather while I was trimming the spinnaker. As soon as I hit the water, I knew the boom was coming down and I actually pushed myself as far under as I could to avoid it. When I came up, the boat was already far away from me. I initially tried to swim to the buoy they threw, but realized [...]
High winds cancel White-cap race – again
After a light and variable morning the wind began to rise rapidly around midday. When the Race Committee decided to cancel in late afternoon the wind at the ferry dock was southerly, averaging high 30's and gusting over 50 mph, making the decision easy, even though an official Gale Warning had not been issued. The Bay was a mass of whitecaps with breaking rollers across the Boat Haven entrance (it was low tide) making exit difficult. Ironically, around race time the wind suddenly switched to a Westerly and dropped below 10 kts., making the RC feel foolish. However this was [...]
Think It Can’t Happen to You? Think Again…
The PTSA continues to encourage all members to think safety and practice a man overboard rescue before they actually experience one. Here's retired Coast Gaurd swimmer and safety trainer Mario Vittone's comments on the above rescue from his Facebook page. A very telling video about drowning and victim recovery. A distressed swimmer usually cannot reach for flotation. Close isn't good enough. Also, they will rarely hold on to line without flotation attached. Grabbing the rope means submersion and they let go. Victim #2 came very close to drowning. (25661 crew - what did you learn? Flotation first!).
New Equipment / Skill Requirements for Sailboat Racing
So effective March 1st this year there is revised equipment / training requirements, if you venture outside our bay you may run into a club with the checklist below, such as the Swiftsure, Round The County, and other events. Might be a good idea to print out this information and have it around so you can run thru the list before you get inspected. Click the link below to open the file. sers Hope you all are getting ready for the Shipwrights Regatta on February 22nd! Satch
Win a LIFESLING!
Win a Lifesling by practicing two MOB drills Boating safety is a concern to all sailors and in an effort to promote safety; the PTSA is encouraging the entire fleet to practice man-over-board drills. During the spring and summer race series all boats which complete the man-over-board drills and watch the LIFESLING video will be eligible to win a new LIFESLING (value $150, compliments of PTSA and West Marine) Of the two drills, the skipper can be at the helm during one of the retrievals. The second drill should be run by a member of the crew. It [...]
Providing GPS Data to DSC VHF Radios
The DSC (Digital Selective Calling) "panic button" is one of the more important safety innovations in the last few years. Pressing the button for 5 seconds will send an automated mayday call to all nearby DSC radios. The mayday message will sound an alarm on other boat's radio and then show the position of the distressed vessel. The mayday message will also interrupt any conversations occurring on any receiving radios. The Coast Guard automatically sees and records the message. The fact that the GPS coordinates do not have to be relayed over voice is quite an innovation. There [...]
Cold Water Shock and Drowning
Dr. Kent Benedict gave a talk on cold water shock and drowning at a recent U.S. Sailing Safety at Sea seminar in the Bay Area. Like many of the talks at the seminar, the topic was presented in light of the tragic race drownings in California last year. Dr. Benedict related that all of the Low Speed Chase deaths at the Farallone Islands were caused by drowning, not by trauma or hypothermia. This drowning was probably initiated by cold water shock. When suddenly submerged in cold water, the body will start an uncontrollable gasping reflex for 10 to 30 [...]