Hi Guys and Gals,

You got me curious ... so I checked my Kokatat life jacket and it does have relective patches on it, front & back .... and I do wear it on the outside, over everything else ....

For after dark sailing that is why I have the "Personal Safety Strobe ... I picked the "Forespar" because it is good for 12hrs, most of the other ones are only rated for 6-8hrs. And I have the MiniMagLite as a back-up for signaling ...

If could find a flourescent orange life jacket (w/ pockets & reflective patches) suitable for catamaran/dingy racing I would purchase one (actually two, one would be for my niece who races w/ me on my beach cat and also races Lasers in a JR Sailors Program). I think "orange" would tend to be warmer then "lime-green" .... but I'm not positive on that fact. (I had a yellow spray top, and I was always cold even in the middle of the summer!!!)

Where I sail currently on the Cheapeake Bay we have 100% cell phone coverage (by Verizon) ... now I do carry on the boat in the tramp pack, (2)handheld VHF along w/ (2)GPS's when competing in "Distance" races .....(I try to purchase replacement equipment BEFORE the first one dies or borrow from a friend a back-up for the race)

I would estimate 1-1 1/2lbs of additional "gear", but I've used at different points in time during a race all of it including the clevis pins w/ rings when we "pulled" the leeward clevis pin out of our sidestay while tacking ... luckily we discovered/noticed it before we tacked back .... of (6) spares the first two were dropped overboard, but we managed to get the third one installed just before we HAD to tack away before crashing onto a "Rip-Rap" clad shoreline ....

So, you may think me crazy .... but the life you save maybe yours .... or the life of a fellow competitor ..... and you all know someone and have personally benefited from these precautions ....

Mr White, do you remember competing in "The Down the Bay Race" many years ago??? With Ron(?) and you de-masting on a NACRA on the third day, out in the middle of the lowwer Chesapeake Bay???? Glenn Ross and I luckily spotted you two, altered course, and tossed you our "spare" VHF attached to a "throwable cushion", which allowed you to contact the CG, who sent the Marines (Whooo-Ra)Safety/Rescue Patrol out to render you assistance. I seem to remember you discribing them as "enthusiastic" and Mary also tells a humorous store of trying to "get on base" w/ a trailer to pick you up.

Now over the years I won several trophies in those distance races ... but upon reflection the "thing" I'm most proud of is the fact that Glenn & I were able to "render assistance" to a fellow competitor and maybe save their lives .... the 20-30mins we lost while "standing by" until we KNEW that assistance was on its way may have cost us a trophy .... but that's not what was important .... I don't even have to think about whether I would do the samething again .....

So thinking about "Safety" is important .... start w/ something small ... like the color of your Life Jacket .... it maybe your life you save .... or a friend's .....

Sail Flat, Sail Fast, Sail SAFE
HarryMurphey
H18MAG/P19MX