GL: man overboard

[Bill Allen]

As someone who spends a fair amount of time swimming around a boat, you go 
over the side even with a unpowered boat you're in for quite a swim. There's 
almost always some current or wind which will move the boat faster than you 
can swim without fins. In rough seas the problem becomes even greater as you 
now have large waves to contend with and even if you get to the ladder most 
of us will have a big problem getting up the normal one or two steps in the 
water ladder. You also need to deal with the ladder and platform comming 
totally out of the water at each and every crest. The only way to prevent 
the problem is stay on the boat. Use a pee bottle and when you get near any 
area that is even remotely hazordous make certain someone is right there or 
when the seas are rough just stay away from the sides. Most of us travel 
with their wives whats the chance she'll be able to drag you back in the 
boat in big seas. I'm 6 1 225 and in decent shape and the few times i've had 
to drag someone in the boat it was all I could do. Seems to be it's the old 
once of prevention thing. We all get sloppy, most time we get away with it, 
sometimes you don't. We all need to thing about the what ifs and adjust our 
actions to suit.
----- Original Message ----- 
From: "Ralph Yost" <ralph at alphacompservices.com>
To: "'Vance Nelson'" <vbnelson at gmail.com>; <fred at tug44.org>; 
<great-loop at lists.samurai.com>
Sent: Thursday, October 04, 2007 7:59 AM
Subject: Re: GL: man overboard


> "3. Make sure your boarding ladder on the transom can be deployed from
> the
> water and that your jackline is cleated so you can reach the ladder
> while
> being towed.
> 6. Throttle back somewhat for the short time you are outside - i.e. give