So a dear friend and fellow boater called this morning to check one last thing – does the Captain and crew plan to have survival suits with them?  Everyone knows you won’t last 5 minutes in the frigid icy cold waters of the North Atlantic if you are so unfortunate as to go overboard.  You can even rent them…..

If a catastrophe were to hit, no doubt we’d wish we had them.  But wouldn’t it get in the way of nice leisurely sunbathing on the deck of the boat that at least one crew is dreaming of?  Kidding of course – she knows better – sailing is hard work and you have to be paying attention at all times.  There won’t be any bikini time in the middle of this ocean !

Good life jackets, tethered whenever on deck, anchoring every day by dusk, careful watch on the weather before deciding whether or not to leave port each morning and coastal sailing should ensure the safety of the Captain and crew and preclude the necessity of better “guaranteeing” survival ?

Thoughts?