good idea
Posted: Tue Feb 21, 2006 4:26 pm
Idle time and all,
I've never had a knock down in all my years of sailing, but I always store and fasten things as if one was coming. Batteries, hatchboards, food, spare parts, anchors, coolers, wine bottles, etc. are all contained so that no damage might be done if the boat is laid out horizontal suddenly. Several advantages acrure from taking the time to do this. 1. In a knock down, nothing heavy flies across the cabin or cockpit to strike you or the crew, start a fire or break a port light. 2. The balance of the boat won't shift suddenly beyond it's design parameters 3. If the boat is swamped, you will know exactly where everyting important is located, even in the dark, because it will not have moved from where you secured it. One dangerous item that may not be immediatelly apparent but which has trapped people under water is loose line. Secure everyting in it's place.
I've never had a knock down in all my years of sailing, but I always store and fasten things as if one was coming. Batteries, hatchboards, food, spare parts, anchors, coolers, wine bottles, etc. are all contained so that no damage might be done if the boat is laid out horizontal suddenly. Several advantages acrure from taking the time to do this. 1. In a knock down, nothing heavy flies across the cabin or cockpit to strike you or the crew, start a fire or break a port light. 2. The balance of the boat won't shift suddenly beyond it's design parameters 3. If the boat is swamped, you will know exactly where everyting important is located, even in the dark, because it will not have moved from where you secured it. One dangerous item that may not be immediatelly apparent but which has trapped people under water is loose line. Secure everyting in it's place.
MM