Safety Equipment

[Owly055]

Getting beaten up in rough seas seems common enough that this fellow's precaution of wearing a helmet is worth thinking about.  Cracked heads, broken ribs, etc are not at all uncommon.  Good idea!!

[SeaHusky]

There is some discussion about it in this thread on Cruiser forums.
Some reject the idea but I agree with you. As a solo sailor I can not afford a concussion.
http://www.cruisersforum.com/forums/f90/storm-preparation-at-sea-203737.html

[Owly055]

There is some discussion about it in this thread on Cruiser forums.
Some reject the idea but I agree with you. As a solo sailor I can not afford a concussion.
http://www.cruisersforum.com/forums/f90/storm-preparation-at-sea-203737.html

     I would tend to take this one step further.    In storm conditions, an impact protection flotation vest / life jacket such as used by some kite boarders, with built in rib protection.  A broken rib when thrown across the cabin is not an uncommon injury, and can be extremely painful and disabling.  There is little one can do to protect hands and fingers, the most vulnerable areas, other than wearing gloves when realistic, but handling ropes and such with gloves is difficult at best.  Your feet and toes are easy to protect.   As soon as you sustain ANY kind of injury, your ability to perform necessary functions declines considerably.  Something as mundane as a broken toe can result in doubling the time and effort and discomfort of doing very basic things. 

                                                   H.W.