If you are planning to go out on the water this weekend do NOT read this blog. If you do you will probably end up being so worried about your personal safety that you will cancel your boating plans and curl up at home on a sofa with a good book. On no account click on this link. STOP. Too late. You went and clicked didn't you?
For the 2% of readers who resisted the temptation to follow the link, let me explain that Boating Safety Law and News has been reporting almost every day in the last few weeks about different ways in which you can get yourself killed or critically injured on the water. I assume you are wary of such dangers as your boat capsizing or being struck by a barge, and I know that you are much too careful to drive your jetski into the side of another boat. I'm sure you aware of the risks if you don't wear your lifejacket and of the danger of carbon monoxide poisoning if your cabin is not well ventilated. And we all know that it's not a good idea to drink and drive, whether your vehicle is a car or a motor boat.
But have you ever worried about a fellow boater pulling out a semi-automatic pistol and shooting at you? Have you thought about how dangerous it is not to have your boat properly lit at night? Have you considered that you could be critically injured after being struck by a kayaker? Or that you might meet your end while snorkeling and being struck by a hit-and-run driver?
OK, by now I've probably scared you enough. You're ready to play it safe, stay on the shore and just play with your radio-controlled model boat. Think again. The most bizarre way to get yourself killed while boating occurred when a Florida man used an inflatable to go and rescue his stalled radio-controlled boat and another RC boat punctured his raft.
It's a dangerous world out there kiddies. Play safe on the water this weekend.
14 comments:
I don't think I want to go sailing tomorrow any more :|
(Thankfully we Aussies aren't as gun happy ;))
That is it, I'm staying at home, I'm dropping my ASA class, I'm going to take up watching sport golf on TV!...then again life is short maybe I'll live wild & crazy in the fast lane and go sail.
ciao
My dad was a water safety, boat freak. He made sure we read every horror story and followed every rule! My mother still died scuba diving at 44, but she panicked and got the benz. It was probably all the horror stories from dad thoughout the years. I think when your numbers up, it's probably up.
Freaky things are getting to be the norm...yikes!
At least on the water I'll have a good chance of dying happy instead of decaying and decomposing in some nursing home. Let's see... we went sailing and dipped the gunwale of a Thistle in the water on Thursday, yesterday I moved our MacGregor and untangled an errant rudder uphaul from the prop, and today should be a good day for sailing. Meantime, my son had his own "boating related" accident yesterday - - he was painted the Sorceress' new boat trailer when a bee landed on his nose and stung him. Yes kiddos, it sure is dangerous anywhere near a boat!
My daughter won't listen to any more of my horror stories...she says I take the fun out of boating...I think as careful as I am that Tammy may be right....when the good Lord says your number is up it is up!!
Dwayne from lawboat...
enjoy the stories!!! I know you can't keep from looking....
If we took in a fraction of all of the horror stories involving sailing and how dangerous it is, we'd never cast orf in the first place. Nor would we ever cross a road again.
Thank goodness for common sense.
It is probably still more dangerous to travel in a car on a freeway in the US or Canada than sailing/boating.
When I was a lad our family regularly went sailing on our 24 foot sailing boat.
On one occasion we were approaching the hard in Maldon to unload after a trip away. It started to rain lightly and my Mum decided to put on her waterproofs. Just as were coming alongside, my mum started some kind of war-dance in the cotpit, load yells and screems, whilst simulataneously stripping off her waterproof trousers.
It turned out, as my mother discovred to her agony, that a bee, having taken a fancy to the bright yellow of the trousers, had taken up residence and was a bit put out with finding my mum wearing them! She recieved a lovely sting! Good job British bees only sting once.
It certainly drew a crowd of on-lookers.
As much as we read on Dwayne's blog... it won't keep us from the water. I'd like to think that most of us have enough common sense to use PFDs properly, and to not drink and boat, which is a really dumb idea.
That said...sailing is probably a better way to go than a lot of others I can think of.
We can't know when our number is up...so why not do something so enjoyable... at least we'll be smiling... :D
A certain skipper of my acquaintance managed to hit the poor defenseless boom yet again. Fortunately, the aluminum (aluminium for you Brits) appears relatively undamaged. Best I not say more, but skipper and boom are promising to behave better toward each other from now on.
Tillerman:
I posted this on "cheat the nursing home" too. For your readers to create further confusion or debate.
'To take the risk vs. boating safety discussion further:
"Psychological research studies that have investigated the mental health of risk takers have been inconclusive or contradictory, and in some cases risk taking behaviours (e.g. ocean sailing) have even been shown to lead to increases in self-esteem."
From this internet site: http://www.risktaking.co.uk/intro.htm
They also add this:
"• Psychoanalytic theorists stressed the importance of these safety needs, and concluded that people who deliberately chose to take risks were therefore illogical or even pathological. There is no evidence to support these speculations however.
• Although some people are undoubtedly “riskier” than others, it can be argued that we have evolved as a species to take risks in order to survive. Our own DNA is therefore likely to contain genes that influence our risk taking behaviours."'
Dwayne
Will I guess you're allowed to bombard me with comments Dwayne as I did write a post telling people NOT to read YOUR blog. Did it have any effect?
never had so much traffic!!
thanks!!
Dwayne
As I suspected Dwayne - dealing with bloggers is just like bringing up kids - they always do the opposite of what you tell them. Please feel free to write a post absolutely demanding that your readers NEVER ever look at my blog.
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