Near the start of the 2018 Chicago Yacht Club’s Race to Mackinac race a sailor was washed overboard and drown. This account from his team makes my stomach churn: The boat made three unsuccessful approaches to retrieve him, during which crew noted that his life jacket had not inflated. During the third approach, crewmembers saw […]
How to Fly with an Inflatable PFD
The first time I flew with my inflatable PFD my head was swirling with the rumors of difficulties flying with CO2 cartridges. After a few conversations with TSA agents and coaching some friends through the same I know the drill and I don’t give it a second thought. With these three simple steps you can […]
Automatic PFD: Manual Inflation
What do you do if your inflatable PFD doesn’t inflate when you hit the water? During last week’s safety at sea seminar I discharged my HIT inflator. While putting the PFD back together I kept thinking it would be very challenging to try to figure out how to inflate it while wearing it treading water. […]
Personal Gear Requirements: Ocean and Offshore Racing
Update: Since my first Offshore race I’ve kept this up to date for crew of other offshore racing programs I’ve participated in. Although most of the quotes are from the 2015 Marion to Bermuda race requirements the gear listed has been updated for 2018 ocean/offshore races. Last updated November 30th, 2019. I took charge of […]