Backpacks

[Manureva]

A distressing tale.\

Last week, a man drowned after slipping into the water while trying to board his yacht late at night - with a heavy back pack on. It actually contained a starter motor that he was having repaired.

I don't want to give details as it is no doubt the subject of an enquiry - suffice to suggest, have we thought of this scenario? Weiged down by a heavy back pack while trying to board, and perhaps not being able to get it off under water?

[JeanneP]

Good topic! Poor fellow.

Who thinks about that?

I do, but only since fairly recently because I now have a gimpy knee and I know it can go out at the most unreasonable times. I have to put the backpack on the boat before I get on. But I think that most people put the heavy stuff in the backpack because it's easier than carrying it with one arm in a sack, and then get on the boat rather than take the time to offload everything first, then get on.

[redbopeep]

Originally Posted by JeanneP

Good topic! Poor fellow.

Who thinks about that?

I do, but only since fairly recently because I now have a gimpy knee and I know it can go out at the most unreasonable times. I have to put the backpack on the boat before I get on. But I think that most people put the heavy stuff in the backpack because it's easier than carrying it with one arm in a sack, and then get on the boat rather than take the time to offload everything first, then get on.

I'm such a wimp--I would never get on the boat with a backpack on--fear of losing my balance, falling, etc--if getting on at the dock. Further, I wouldn't be wearing one in a dingy because I'm just a paranoid person who's been trained not to wear backpacks in small boats (learned that in a whitewater canoing class).

When we first relaunched the boat, before making a brow (small platform) that could be hung from the side of the boat, because of our high freeboard (a little over 5 ft at the lowest point just aft of midships) I found it sort of like mountain climbing. Without the brow, if alone, I have to tie a rope 'round the handles or straps of anything really heavy I want to bring up from the dingy, climb up on deck and then haul on the rope to get the pack (or packs) up since when I'm standing in the dingy, my face is about at deck level and I often don't have the strength to heft anything over about 30 lbs up that high without risking losing my balance in our (fold up non-rigid bottom) dingy (told you I was a wimp!). Once hubby made the brow (a 15" wide by 7 ft long wooden grate platform which can be deployed to hang down at any desired height...in case of using it to get into and out of the dingy it is about 12" above the water) in fair weather I can place things on the brow then stand on it and heft everything onto the boat's deck. In bad weather, I'd not be setting things up onto the brow because of too much movement between boat, brow, and dingy--I'd still be stuck tying a rope to things and hefting them from deck.

I can see how it would be easier to put the stuff on one's back rather than go thru the contortions that I do--I imagine someone with more confidence in their own physical abilities would do so.

[JeanneP]

Originally Posted by redbopeep

I'm just a paranoid person who's been trained not to wear backpacks in small boats (learned that in a whitewater canoing class).

Now, see, that's where I didn't know what I didn't know - we all bring different knowledge to our various ventures, and I've never been whitewater canoing.

Experience and others' knowledge counts for a lot.