InstantForum.NET v4.1.4BoatQuest.com Boating Community Forumshttp://forum.boatquest.com/forums@boatquest.comSat, 17 May 2008 00:49:40 GMT20http://forum.boatquest.com/Topic11-20-1.aspx<FONT size=3><P>..Murphy's Law is what it is: </P><P>You and your mate are passage making from Hawaii to Seattle. After two long weeks you are still outside the shipping lanes, but near home in Pacific NW water. Contrary to the weather forecast available on the day of departure you have now found yourself hove to, in a full gale that has been building the last 18 hours. Things really are okay at this point, except for the gaping hole on your starboard quarter below the waterline, courtesy of the submerged cargo container the confused sea tossed you into 20 minutes ago. You have successfully managed to deploy your working jib over the side using several lines under the hull, thereby slowing the gusher of water rushing in down to less than 5 gallons per minute. Only problem now is NONE of your 3 electric bilge pumps are working, something to do with the fact that you are in the galley standing waist deep in 48 degree water that accumulated during the last 20 minutes. For some reason the entire electric system has gone kaput... why is anybody's guess but you will have plenty of time to sort that out later. Cold wet and tired, you thank God you at least have the one original equipment 22.5 gph whale pump and the rebuild kit for it. Everything seems to be under control now. </P><P>Two questions. </P><P>Where is your survival suit ? </P><P>a.) the weather was so nice in Hawaii I left it on lay-away </P><P>b.) stowed securely up forward under my bunk </P><P>c.) floating around the companion way ready to don </P><P>d.) I am wearing it </P><P>e.) it is secured to my abandon ship bag </P><P>e.) if I need one of those things it is already too late </P><P>Where is your life raft? </P><P>a.) still in the canister securely on deck </P><P>b.) deployed on a painter off the stern </P><P>c.) the avon is still lashed on deck </P><P>d.) life raft was in the way of my staysail boom and the avon, so I left it behind </P><P>e.) it makes a pretty good sea anchor </P><P>Due to judgment calls, statistical probability, and the vagaries of the hypothetical, there are not necessarily right or wrong answers here, just opinions.</P></FONT>Fri, 23 Sep 2005 05:44:46 GMTSV Spiritwisp