#WaterSafety - Alistair Rumball of the Irish National Sailing Club shares a story from a friend that serves as a timely reminder of the importance of keeping vigilant whenever on or near the water.
Alistair’s friend was mooring his Jeanneau Sun Odyssey 35 for the night at Conwy Quays in North Wales when tiredness got the better of him as he manoeuvred the boat into the narrow berth available.
Forgetting the dinghy tied to his stern, he allowed the smaller vessel to wedge between his starboard and the pontoon, with the port bow leaning against the fender of the neighbouring boat.
“Having untied the line I somehow decided to head back on to the pontoon in order to manoeuvre the dinghy out of the way, but in my haste I attempted to step straight from the transom to the pontoon. It didn’t work," he writes.
“Of course I snagged myself on the line holding the yacht to the pontoon. One foot just about made it to the pontoon but, now overbalancing because I have tripped on the line, I ended up in the water.”
Luckily for Alistair’s friend, his lifejacket sprang into action, and he was only underwater “for perhaps a split second” before the device fully inflated.
Hauling himself out of the water was a different matter, however, as his choice of boots — now flooded with marina water — instead of deck shoes made the move exceedingly difficult.
The INSC website has more on the story HERE.
