A few years ago, prior to when pleasure boat builders designed for the streamlined look, you could walk completely around your boat, on a flat stable walkway. These boats were designed for safety, not the illusion of speed while stationary.
Now, everywhere you look, boats have curved surfaces. Surfaces that when wet, or waxed, are traps. No longer are boat designers concentrating on the ability to move about your water craft with ease and safely. One only has to look at the picture of the Fox boat briefly, to see the curved side decks. These are not walk-ways, but when putting out fenders, one has to try to navigate them anyway.
Everything about the newer class of cruisers is cabin comfort, and roomy below decks spaces. The open rear cockpit of a fifty footer is about the same size as a 24 footer. The difference? Lots of cabin space, and a deck consisting of curves. Curves that kill.
The next time you walk past a modern cabin cruiser, check it out. Would you want to try walking around the outside perimeter of the deck in slippery, wet, or waxed conditions?
DFO Day in CdA
6 years ago
2 comments:
Herb,
Good observation.
Reading the news comments about Gary Fox's drowning, I noticed most commenters said he was a good seaman.
He wasn't wearing a PFD, and the water temp was around 40 degrees. People need to talk with the Coast Guard experts on drowning and hypothermia. They need to wear a PFD, every time, all the time, even on the dock.
My thoughts exactly Bill, I noticed that from the get go.. A man with a life preserver on does not sink down in the water while a rope is being thrown....
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