Trapeze harnesses

Originally posted by timnoyce well i don't want to start the skiff/non skiff debate again but i do sail a twin wire cherub. I always wear a life jacket because thats the rules isn't it?! Where i sail inland they try and make the windsurfers wear life jackets!

Depends a lot on where you sail... a lot of clubs dont mind.
My club, farmoor, has a policy on wearing bouyancy but when the 18s came to visit a while ago I seem to remember most of them not wearing them, I think by agreement with the club that it is safer without.
My view is that windsurfers do not wear them, nor do any of the aussie skiffs and it doesnt seem to afect the number of casualties on either side.

^I wear one on them and it definantly helps stop the snagging. I agree with not being able to cut away stuff as easily but I dont sail a trapeze boat so the advantages outweight the chance of being traped


Its not about trying to copy the cool sailors, and I agree sailing an enterprise or similar there is no excuse for not wearing one but personaly I think In many classes it is far safer not to wear one, especialy in crewed boats where there is always someone there to help. Sure, if you get knocked out you wont float as well but even in a bouyancy aid you can quite easily end up floating face down. The increased bulk and less manuverability means there is probibly more chance of something going wrong and the bouyancy makes it very hard to move underwater without being pulled upwards possibly being traped against the hull.rigging etc.
Certain harnesses provide quite a bit of bouyancy on their own too to you are not consigning yourself to certain death if you dont wear one.

At the end of the day, no-one wants to drown, and im sure its a horible way to go but if im going to go that way id rather get knocked out and drop into the depths quietly than spend my last moments strugling franticaly to free myself from being tangled up with my bouyancy working against me.


Edited by Isis

I might be overeacting a bit but... as I've been involved in one drowning and a near miss whitewater canoeing, 3 rescues of swimmers (one when swimming and two from a dinghy) and been teaching sailing for 20+ years I think I'm entitled to a strong opinion

Just as a point of interest how many of those advocating no BA have had to recover their crew (or practiced) in moderate wind and large wave conditions. And have they tried to recover an unconcious or injured caualty either back into a dinghy or safety boat? I'm not too concerned if they want to kill themselves (although think of the bad publicity for the sport) but they could put the safety crew at risk if it forces them to enter the water to rescue someone and think how your crew would feel if you drowned because they couldn't turn the boat round and find you fast enough to get back to you (in a dinghy and 3 foot waves you loose sight of a head when about two or three wave crests away...

This argument sounds a bit like the no seatbelts because one in a thousand times they make things worse, forgetting the other 999 accidents where they saved someones life.

Next time you're between starts on a breezy day (downwind with the kite up) fall over the side without warning your crew and see what happens (but first please make sure you've got an adequate BA, a whistle and have the safetyboat standing by)

As a sometime safety boat driver - I'm a bit nervous of people wearing stuff over their bouyancy and/or trap harness.  When you knock yourself out, where are the handles to haul you out with?

On the other hand - covering up stops you getting snagged,  knocked out, entrapped and drowned in the first place.

Cultural thing I guess.

I'm sorry to be a killjoy here but there is absolutely no excuse for not wearing a bouyancy aid!

Those who try to argue the point are probably the same people who claim wearing a seatbelt in a car is dangerous because it stops you getting out if the car catches fire.

Get real people, bouyancy aids save lives and I would change clubs in protest if they even contemplated letting people sail without.