Killer Cold Water

The link says that body-fat is a plus in cold water. I wouldn't say that I'm fat—just easier to see. ;)

1998-Johson-Boat-works-C--Scow_1047_2.jpg


One summer on New Hampshire's largest lake, I spotted a 17' scow-class sailboat about ½-mile away—sailing in my direction. It appeared to be dragging a big bag attached to the mast. (A sailing scow can be described as a "double-wide" Sunfish—or a big sailing surfboard—sporting paired rudders).

This wooden scow never changed course, and came directly to my location. The "bag" was a chubby woman in her 20s, who apparently slipped off the scow and couldn't get back on. They came into 2' of water, and couldn't move. :confused: My friend, who had prepared for a Newport-Bermuda sailing race by lifting weights, simply lifted her 200 pounds :( out of the water and placed her on the dock. The skipper was shaking uncontrollably, and wouldn't budge from his seated position in the cockpit. We telephoned for their friends to pick them up by land. After an hour, when they could both walk, they left. I secured their boat to a mooring, which they picked a couple of days later.

This was July! :eek:

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I'm on Mascoma Lake in Northern NH. Good days I share the wind and the waves with the Dartmouth College sailing team.

Early and late season and big wind days in summer I try to be sure there is other traffic on the lake.
I have only turtled once and it was on a busy summer Sunday. Help was immediately forthcoming.

I too am "easy to see".
 
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Stache said:
I'm on Mascoma Lake in Northern NH. Good days I share the wind and the waves with the Dartmouth College sailing team.

Early and late season and big wind days in summer I try to be sure there is other traffic on the lake.
I have only turtled once and it was on a busy summer Sunday. Help was immediately forthcoming.

I too am "easy to see".
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That must be nice, the lake I live on usually doesn't get too much wind. And there is no boats or way too many.
 
Nice boat, alas totally wrong boat for their needs. They confused
a high speed sailing weapon with a family sailboat. I'll bet it went
up for sale shortly after this incident.
 
On a side note I read an interesting article where a gent could not get back on his sailing dinghy after he righted it. He was close to shore so he grabbed the sheet and sailed it back to shore, steering with the rudder from outside the boat. Might be a handy trick if fatigue or an injury prevented reboarding.
 
signal charlie said:
On a side note I read an interesting article where a gent could not get back on his sailing dinghy after he righted it. He was close to shore so he grabbed the sheet and sailed it back to shore, steering with the rudder from outside the boat. Might be a handy trick if fatigue or an injury prevented reboarding.
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I suspect that might have been the case with the scow. If it had taken an hour to right the craft, they'd already be fatigued. The skipper told the crew to hang on, but couldn't make any course changes with her bulk dragging on one side.

Meanwhile, being dragged through cold water pulled even more body warmth from the crew member! A strong breeze had the same effect on the wet and fatigued skipper.:(

As for a dinghy capsizing, I once saw a dad using a bailing pump after righting an Optimist pram. His little son looked on while dad was outside the craft in 20 feet of water! :eek:

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