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THIS COULD HAPPEN TO YOU ON A DABCHICK SO TAKE NOTE
Weymouth, UK – As we went through the sailing photos from the Sail for Gold Regatta, this doozy caught our eye, not because of the drama of the capsize, but because of the safety concern it so clearly demonstrates. Whether sailing a little Laser dinghy like this one, or a big sailing yacht, some of the dangers to watch out for are all too easily ignored by the novice sailor. We always remember to warn guests about the boom, or to keep one hand for yourself while working on deck (to avoid falling overboard), but we are often oblivious to the dangers of the running rigging – one of the most hazardous parts of any sailboat.
As you can see in the photo above, this dinghy racer’s foot was caught in a line when the capsize took place during a race off Weymouth last week. Luckily, this solo sailor was able to quickly get free from the danger, and came away from the incident unharmed, but the photo should serve as a warning to us all. All too often we are aboard sailboats where the bitter ends of lines are carelessly thrown about the cockpit and deck. You don’t need to capsize for this “deck spaghetti” to become a serious hazard for the crew. Should a line come under load and wrap around a body part, these ropes can become deadly instruments, injuring limbs, or flinging a person overboard without warning. While it is a good idea to keep a rigging knife on you at all times in order to free yourself, it is not often that a scenario like this will give you enough time to put that knife to good use – much better to avoid the situation all together.
So remember: Messy lines are much more than an eyesore, they can cause serious harm. Coil those lines neatly, and keep them away from your feet. Being neat and organized under way, also known as “keeping things ship-shape,” is not only a fine maritime tradition, it can quite literally save your life. If your sailing buddies accuse you of being anal retentive (and some may), you can spin a salty yarn about Davy Jones’ locker like the shipmates would in days of old, or just show them this photo.
– by the YachtPals Crew exclusively for YachtPals.com