NavList:
A Community Devoted to the Preservation and Practice of Celestial Navigation and Other Methods of Traditional Wayfinding
Re: On teaching seamanship
From: Bill B
Date: 2004 Oct 14, 16:30 -0500
From: Bill B
Date: 2004 Oct 14, 16:30 -0500
> I find the serious sailers(blowboat operators of all sizes)to be much more > competant in seamanship then are motor(stinkpot)vessel operators.At least > out here on the west coast of the states. From government figures, 2001 or 2002?, there were almost 700 U.S. boating fatalities that year, and they were on the rise. Only 4% were sailing related (auxiliary and non auxiliary). Referencing the 700 figure, in 70% of all drownings the victim was not wearing A PFD. Of course that begs the question, what is the ratio of sailboat use to powerboat use? If anyone has that figure (or ownership--My SWAG would be 20-25% sailboats) would love to have it so I can put the 4% figure in perspective for my classes. Bill
