your responsibilities as a sailor

I'll have you know that my fat is not ugly, unhealthy yes, ugly no

Edited by maxibuddah - 20 May 13 at 10:17am

Originally posted by iGRF We have plenty enough reserve buoyancy in a wetsuit, and if you must then maybe an impact vest, but clinging to the same old same old crap that has been used since the sixties, is bollox and in my view very dangerous.

There was always plenty of buoyancy in a winter steamer when windsurfing off Hayling (i.e. salt water), and passable buoyancy with a shortie hence in those situations I didn't wear a buoyancy aid.

Dinghy sailing in freshwater is completely different, with or without a wetsuit - I can accept there may be some class specific issues (skiffs etc.) but I have no personal experience of those.

I wouldn't sail without one, I also wouldn't want to have to jump in after someone, or have to pull out a dead body, because that person felt it was their right not to wear one.

Originally posted by maxibuddah I'll have you know that my fat is not ugly, unhealthy yes, ugly no I know that I contributed about them but please don't let this thread go off on a buoyancy aid tangent, start another thread if a discussion about them is to happen, it's hard enough to follow as it is.

It's not a bad thread title, your responsibilities as a sailor, which in your case should include keeping a civil tongue in your head on the start line and when greeted by a little bit of ice inside your hungover tent... As to the visual appeal of all that fat hanging around tents and start lines, all I can say is beauty is most definitely in the eye of the beholder and to that end better covered up by a phantom boat than not.

This is sort of off topic...or is it? On Saturday we were sailing at another local club. This club has been established for many years like ours which is a couple of miles away. The club in question has a reservoir buried in a valley with the boat park and club house the wrong side of the dam. Wind is horrible and access is horrible. The club house has its charms but is falling down. Membership consists mainly of elderly established members a few good juniors and 'youth club' juniors on a Friday night. There are four clubs in the area and three of  clubs very close one of which has already failed. We were recently given money by Sport England to install mains electricity and because of good management our club is smart and convenient with good facilities. The club in question has applied for a grant to build a new clubhouse and they are hopeful of getting it. In my opinion this would be ridiculous in a shrinking sport. Some things are not worth preserving and there are other facilities available (us). I was not entirely convinced that we deserved the money for our electricity. It was given to us so that we could increase participation, we are now an 'Inspired Facility' but will our membership increase because of it. Does providing comfy facilities get the fat kids off the xbox?

Originally posted by winging it which takes us neatly back to responsibilities as a club - we largely expect to get safety cover provide, and we assume that safety cover is competent, but is that fair? Yes  Moreover, does the club have an obligation to the safety crews to ensure their training is up to date, yes and what form should tha training take, Powerboat driving training plus how to rescue people and boats, with practice on a regular basis should the volunteers pay for it, No or should it be free for thoise doing that duty? yes

As club members, we should expect that services provided by the club, even through club volunteers, are up to the job, and of course it should be free - we are asking people to give up their time to do this, having already paid their subs, so the costs should be borne by the membership as a whole.