Here's an interesting question....

Has anyone considered "leashing" themselves to their boat?

You know, sort of like a surfboard?

Sometimes, I like to tool around 3 or 4 miles off shore. When the whales go on the move, I may go even further, chasing them. Being seperated from my boat is the biggest liability in my mind.

What do you guys think?

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"HOBIE....
Say it LOUD and there's music playing...
Say it SOFT and it's almost like praying.....
I just sailed my WAVE out the Marina !"
West Coast Story

There are a few threads on Catsailor.com about this, search for tether.

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Sail Like you Have a Pair
Bluish gray 73 - 83 H16
Super Nice Yellow 84 H18

I don't know what worries me more falling off my boat or getting knocked out and getting dragged down with it. The likelihood of the first possibility is ranks with the severity of the second.

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Tree nuts are not acceptable for hull buoyancy.

The likelyhood of falling off is much greater than the chances of being knocked unconcious. Offshore solo being tethered is not a bad idea. The Tybee 500 guys are always tied to the boat via chicken lines so they can't completely fall off if their feet get blown out by waves.

Hey zzcoreyzz,

Are you still sailing this year, and if so where do you launch from in your area. I sail year-round launching from Long Beach but it would be nice to know of any other nearby locations to launch from. Was even thinking about going up to San Pedro.

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Happy Sailing,

David

I wear a surfboard leash when I take my Kayak offshore alone. I've never sailed my Hobie alone so I haven't thought about it. I think a leash would get in the way on deck. How about trailing 30 feet of dock line with a loop on the end? If you fall off you could swim and quickly grab it.

Never work on a cat. Lets say the boat speed is 10mph. 10mph = 14.7 feet/sec. If you fall off, you've got 2.1 seconds to grab that line before its out of reach - not gonna happen, it will take >2 seconds for the "shock" to wear off and for you to realize you need to grab the rope. In addition, your catamaran can go a lot faster than 10mph.

*edit*
This could be a good idea on a monohull

I'd think if you did tie a tether, it would be best tied to a bow. That way, you would act as a sea anchor and turn the boat around or capsize it, rather than have it drag you along. Maybe a 50' piece of 1/4" polyprope and hank it up using a velcro strap to gather and secure it, so that the tension of your weight would release it.

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What - Me Worry?


2006 Hobie Wave 7358
"Ish Kabibble"

I'm not understanding what the issue is about falling off your boat. That's something I was concerned about when I first started sailing 5 years ago but as you become more familiar with your boat, that concern deminishes.

Does that mean that you can't fall off you boat??? Absolutely not. It just means that you will soon be able to isolate the conditions in which falling off your boat is possible. The biggest question is "will the boat stop if you fall off?" I've found that falling off your boat usually involves some form of radical sailing (i.e. flying a hull, trapezing, sailing on a broad reach sitting on the stern of the boat). In almost all of those cases. if you fall off the boat, the boat is going to capsize. Also be aware that in strong winds, a capsized boat can even move faster than you can swim. For me, in those instances where falling off applies, my hawaiian righting line doubles as a lifeline. I make sure that it has a lot of slack in it just in case I need to reach for it.

I sail solo 90% of the time in the Pacific with 6 foot swells & 30mph winds and I can't remember a time when I've even almost fallen off my boat. That dosen't mean that it won't happen. That's why I keep my GPS & VHF in a sports fanny-pack at all times when sailing. This is mother nature we're talking about and nothing is fool-proof. My suggestion is to just go out and enjoy yourself with safety-first a priority and not to sail outside your comfort zone. Of course, it's a lot more fun when you do. .

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Happy Sailing,

David

Attach a snap shackle on your waist (or to your harness...really easy) and just pass the mainsheet through it. This way you're always attached..and it doesn't require any special ropes to tangle in...works really slick, and takes 1 second to disconnect.

I tried walking off the front of the wing while on the wire one day. That hurt

Karl,

You are just using the wrong technic .... first you must stand the boat on its nose/bows ... then when you step off the wings you go flying out ... far out ... around the forestay ... landing/splashing down safely on the leeward side .... then the boat tries to land on top of you ... but that's a small minor detail ....

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HarryMurphey
H-18 mag/ #9458
Fleet 54 Div 11

OK
So I have a friend who got his first catamaran, an A cat, after a few years of 470 sailing. He takes this brand new boat out for a sail on a nice day (a $20K boat and that was a few years ago). The boat flips and he falls off. No big deal right? Now the boat is on its side and sailing down wind because the tramp is working as a sail. My buddy takes two strokes towards the boat and realizes there is no way he can swim that fast. He then turns around and starts on the long swim back to shore (more than a few miles).
Fortunately the story has a happy ending. A fisherman picks him up and they rescue the boat. Good thing, but you get the point.

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http://hobiebob.blogspot.com/

The down side of having a 160lb boat.

I watched a tiger sail out from under the skipper and take off down wind spinny full and boat on its side. Luckily the crew had a grip of the sheet and pulled back to the boat and got the spinny snuffed. They are fast on their side.

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Rich Vilvens
F-18 5150
[email protected]
http://www.sailblogs.com/member/f-185150sailing/