Safety & Seamanship

Those who use citronella or Skin So Soft for an insect repellent will not appreciate these high-octane anti-itch remedies. But it is safe to assume that such a conservative attitude is reserved for those who are not in the thick of battle with a foe as formidable (and miniscule) as battalions of Lilliputians.

We recently checked out some equipment that illustrates the challenges of designing and marketing new safety gear, one of the more tightly regulated sailing-equipment categories.

When it comes to speculation, it makes sense to do some research before second-guessing any maritime mishap. And with this in mind, Ive spent the last couple of months sorting through statements, Race Control press releases, and information deduced by the authors of the Volvo Race Independent Report (VRIR) into the stranding of Vestas Wind.

The International Hydrographic Office has a six-level rating system that indicates the accuracy of the data used to create a charted area. This zone of confidence (ZOC) layer is included in all digital charts approved by the International Maritime Organization for use in Electronic Chart Display and Information System (ECDIS). By selecting the overlay (a pattern of small asterisks, see photo), the user sees a graphic representation of the accuracy in a charted area. Most charts rely on numerous surveys, each with a different degree of accuracy, so these overlays provide vital information.

Pinpoint navigation is a pipedream that the industry has been silent about for way too long. Just read the I accept contract on your multifunction display (MFD) screen, and youll run across phrases like electronic charts are inadequate as a primary means of navigation. Or, if you don't believe the chart makers disclaimer, just listen to what the U.S. Air Force, the owner of GPS, has to say about a system that was never intended to be a standalone navigation alternative. And yet thats just what we recreational sailors have accepted it as.

The air surrounding us on the surface of the earth weighs about 1.2 kilos per cubic meter, and when we stack up these invisible building blocks of the atmosphere, they add up to tons of pressure pushing down upon us. Its little wonder that when air at the surface starts moving sideways, it has a profound effect on sails and the sea surface.

Many electronic barometer/barographs feature an auto alarm that warns of pending bad weather, and we found them to be accurate enough to heed. But whats most interesting is how an instrument that only tracks pressure and temperature can make such accurate calls. It all boils down to how rapidly atmospheric pressure is changing, and according to Alan Watts in his Weather Handbook (a longtime favorite among cruisers), a change of 3 millibars or more per hour is a reliable indicator that gale-force conditions are likely to be headed your way.

Last summer, I asked my father to join me and my two boys for an overnight passage to the Keys. At the last minute, he decided not to go. Too unsteady on his feet anymore, he said. So you will understand, as I try to explain how sailing-especially around Fathers Day-stirs up mixed emotions. …

Earlier last month, I had the chance to join renowned sailing author Lin Pardey and survival expert Steve Callahan (author of Adrift: 76 Days Lost at Sea) for a round table discussion at the Port Townsend Wooden Boat Show, in Port Townsend, Washington. Since my own approach to cruising was shaped by the philosophy of self-sufficiency that Callahan, Lin, and her husband Larry have long advocated, I wasnt surprised by their responses when discussion turned toward two categories of safety equipment weve covered extensively: the combined inflatable life jacket/harness and electronic devices used to signal distress.

Sailors know the most about the things we use the most. We check our amp hours every day, our standing rigging frequently, our sails every time theyre up, the anchor shackle before settling in for the night. After all, these are the things that keep us comfortable and safe on a daily basis. The corollary is that we know the least about the things we use the least. How often do we check the chain on the backup anchor, the lines on the drogue, the clew of the storm sail? After all, its human nature to not think about things we hope we never have to use.