Thread: Cruising Skills
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Old 04-23-2014, 04:20 PM   #54
BandB
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City: Fort Lauderdale. Florida, USA
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Quote:
Originally Posted by psneeld View Post
Some pretty gross oversimplifications...
grounding in Maine is not "no big deal"...

6-8 in open water is Kayak weather.... 6-8's in a breaking inlet for many of us in 40 something footers ....is another story . You have to know when to not even get close enough that there's no return.

The trouble is ...that may be the only inlet for 50 miles and you have someone with a compound fracture and severe bleeding. The USCG helo is busy 100 miles away and the second recall crew is hours away....

99% comfortable????? Even the TFers with serious 50 years of cruising I doubt feel 99%...unless they are that good that the described scenario is less likely than getting struck by lightning (person not boat)...

And again...that's only seamanship...not family, money, etc...etc...

I wish you luck.
You are correct it's oversimplification and I was only referring to one case in one location. I don't consider it nothing but it was soft grounding on the ICW in Georgia.

As to 6-8 ft., obviously it's not all the same, period very critical as is the location.

Someone with the injury you described is cause for serious concern. It's also why we've taken courses in medical care on board and subscribe to a service that provides 24/7 doctors and advice. Still we would be very concerned until we got the person to professional medical care.

Note I said 99% but that was with captains with decades of experience. Never claimed that sure just depending on our own abilities. And the point wasn't the precise percentage, it was that there is some level as you move to greater comfort that you know for yourself you've made it there. I don't even know what percent comfortable I am driving to a restaurant in my car or sitting at home while it storms. I just know as I get more training, more experienced at something, do it more, I'm more confortable. And in my life I take precautions and then feel ok. Were it not for my wife reminding me I'd be less comfortable in general and finding something to worry about.

Amit Kalantri wrote "Preparation doesn't assure victory, it assures confidence."

Yes, all this oversimplifies it but I think any discussion will do that. One could write a book on the subject and still miss some of the details and nuances. The question was asked and I answered best as I could for me. May be totally different for others.
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