business contacts that he Page20, ‘Febmary 4, 1979 - Sunday News Safety. for the. smaller set Child overboard! Don’t let i it happen Bob Williams would like to | intimate to all his friends and fas now joined the company of Wilson & Willams, and | looks forward to renewing all his: associations at his new location. | WILSON & WILLIAMS LID Brokers, Marine & Aviation By KARL BEGRICH Did you ever have a . nightmare of losing a crewmember overboard? It can happen on a weekend sail through, the Gulf Islands or far offshore on a cruise to another continent. I think of it-each time I leave port. Having sighted boats with no one-aboard in the. middle of the ocean, I can’t help putting myself into the. - ‘victim's position. How can . one express a feeling of hopelessness, when your only link to life sails away from you. You just know— it’s all over! Daring the day you might have a chance to be rescued, when the crew (if you have one) throws the ‘man ‘overboard’ pole over the side Tati ge | pate MARTIN MARINE’ . 121 W. 1st Street North Van. Tel 985-0911 LOWRANCE _DEPTH SOUNDER | RAUER - You" ’ and turns the boat in time. usually disappear behind the next swell. But if it happens at night, when the rest of the crew is sleeping down below, you might as well write yourself_off._All you can do is wait—wait for the unavoidable. - In southern waters there is always this slight hope of being found, because the water temperature is 15 - 20 degrees. If you are in good physical condition, you'll stick around -for at least 24 hours—unless the sharks get you beforehand. ONLY ONE HOUR In our waters it’s a dif- ferent story. With 5-degree water temperature you are lucky if you survive one hour. Even a good insulated floatercoat might not save you. But I don’t want to talk about us adults. We are old enough to take care of ourselves and at least know how to swim. What about babies who just learned how to stand on their feet and try to discover the boat from . bow to stern. Hundreds of td fs STRAT Und RECORDING LAG. Petey a CURVED LINE RECORDING (LPG-€104| Come and see our SPECIAL at the BOATSHOW COLISEUM, BOOTH 149 ELECTRONICS MARINE - TELECOMMUNICATION Sounders, Radar, Loran DIF Sales and Service 1329 Pemberton Ave., North Vancouver Tel: 985-3355 kids are’ out there, ac- companied by their watchful parents, of course. It's not easy to keep. these youngsters in line, especially on a rolling,.and pitching boat. I enjoyed many weekend charter trips with families during the year; but I could never totally relax, unless I saw the child in a safety harness. It’s almost impossible t to confine them to the cockpit within an arm’s reach of the helmsman. Parents relax when they see their youngster roam freely “afdund the boat in their own safety harness; and it's surprising, how quick they get used to it without tangling their rubbery legs in the line. It’s up to the parent to expand the kids “discover territory!” MODELLING the Stearns Kindergaard, anhogether delighted with his ‘collar’, but he is safe. The lifeline can be clipped on anywhere. I learned from world travelling couples that they clip the harness to a lifeline which runs the length of the cabin. That way they can run all the way to the fordeck. Kids need room to blow off steam too. But what about the stanchions and lifelines to port and _ star- smiihy’s ee works 222 East Esplanade, North Vancouver, B.C. Telephone 988-5713 * ore See OP OPPOPPPEPEPUGPEOPICOEPOPEFOEPEEEPEPSEFOFCCHEPE? ‘board? It's easy to slip through them. Children cause serious thoughts to many” proposed. voyages. How can one keep them safely on board and how can one ensure a child's. survival, should he fall into the water? From wipch- handle to stereospeaker— { have lost it overboard: ' Why lose a child the same way! (- .~ ‘TRY NETS ’ Ask a fisherman what he does with an old worn net. I bet there is enough spare netting-around to cover your whole boat. Stretch it from the upper lifeline down to the deck and clip it tight. Do this all the way around the boat, also under bowsprit (if you have one). It makes a great sunbathing seat. this Wouldn't it -be a thrill to watch your dishes slide off the cabinhouse and land in the net instead of the drink? But let's stay serious. Sucha netting is very handy in port. A child can be left alone on deck, while the husband slaves over the engine and the wife attends the soup on the stove. seein en A Zhe do-ii- ‘yourself boat repair centre * DRY, HEATED, INSIDE SPACE TO WORK ON YOUR BOAT ° ALL THE POWER AND HANDTOOLS PROVIDED ¢ REASONABLE HOURLY OR DAILY CHARGES * BOAT LUMBER IN STOCK: Air dried yellow cedar, spruce, mahogany, teak. * SHIPWRIGHT IN ATTENDANCE FOR ADVICE AND AID | * MECHANICAL & ENGINE WORK, MECHANIC AVAILABLE ¢ WE WILL DO YOUR REPAIRS FOR YOU IF YOU DESIRE * OPEN FULL TIME 9 am TO 10 pm INCLUDING WEEKENDS the . ‘Let's assume, a. baby falls into the water. Does he float or sink? Normally the’ child will kick. quite naturally, but he does not have the ability to lift his head clear of athe: water. . a There are various buoyant vests on the market. They are the scaled-down versions of the popular adult type vest with a thick floatation _collar around the back of the neck, and. thick floatation _ panels on either. side of the = chest. 200 : I met parents who tested — ‘out various.. vests before attempting.a journey and had the-nerve to throw the ‘baby into the pool—with an _army of lifeguards around. I personally would prefer to use a dummy. -~ _ The so called Stearns Kindergaard with a collar completely .enclosing the neck works great in the water up-to a weight of 30 pounds. But a tiny baby cannot sleep in it and a ‘toddler :can, only stumble, because’ he cannot see his feet. Who wants to force a ‘baby to weara hat and bulky vest all day anyway! “‘six- month-old may not look To sum it all up—it’s worth the effort to bring upa kid on a boat. He grows up in a challenging environment. ‘When parents and crew watch the children at all times the danger of falling overboard is minimized. The same goes for all of us. So—let’s hold on! wy