[C320-list] C320 MKII ladder & safety

[Jane & Ken]

I agree with everyone who states that it is better to stay on the boat as opposed to falling off the boat! That being said, I also am aware that there is NO SAFE WAY TO SINGLEHAND (sail alone), but solo sailing--while not safe---is great fun.  There are only ways to make solo sailing LESS DANGEROUS.
Tying yourself to the boat is good, if and only if you are able to hoist yourself back aboard.
Being pulled behind a boat (sailing by its self) at five knots will exceed the ability of most of us to reach a ladder release----try this sometime---you will be humbled, and drowned unless someone is on board to slow the boat.  REALLY, try it to see how much water you can ingest before giving up.
The survivors of solo sailing always use jack lines (they keep you on board, but you must clip/unclip/reclip to be alive).     Ever read a story about a solo sailor who fell overboard with the boat sailing five knots and the sailor having no line tied to the boat AND the sailor??
Neither have I.     End of sermon.

--- On Mon, 1/26/09, David Gleason <djgleason1 at juno.com> wrote:

From: David Gleason <djgleason1 at juno.com>
Subject: Re: [C320-list] C320 MKII ladder & safety
To: C320-List at Catalina320.com
Cc: C320-List at Catalina320.com, c320-list-bounces at lists.catalina320.com
Date: Monday, January 26, 2009, 2:34 PM

Orlander:

When sailing single handed,, I ALWAYS am attached to the boat via a
lanyard attached to the mast or jack lines.  The lanyard is long enough
that I am able to reach a trailing line with grab loops in it to pull
myself back to the stern of the boat.  However, with a boat moving at 3+
MPH, the resistance against your body is really strong.  The faster you
are sailing, the greater the strain.  This is something to play with when
conditions are light.  The first time I jumped in, at anchor, in front of
the shrouds, I found that the lanyard was not long enough to allow me to
reach the stern of the boat.  I would have been beating myself up against
the side of the hull.  I made the lanyard longer and then had to add the
trailing line to grab ahold of if I went overboard behind the shrouds, as
I was too far away to be able to grab anything.