Early Risers.

[newbryford]

 

 

 (or "all y'all" as it sometimes said in the US south). No "awl" pictograms please, even if they phonetically fit.

 

I will have a week of that soon.....

 

[lightengine]

I have heard it said  that most fishermen (the trawler and inshore, etc variety) haven't learned to swim, preferring to drown quickly, rather than thrash about in the sea hoping for rescue.  In the North Sea in winter, survival times for pilots, after ejecting, and not getting into a dinghy, are quoted as about 4 minutes!

We were told similar times at Survival at Sea Training and then you hear stories of people being rescued after much longer times. I think health, fitness, sea state, a willingness to survive etc all apply.

Seems strange that they say that about "most" fishermen. After all, when they had swimming at school did they say that they didnt want to learn because in 12 years time they would be fishermen?

[PhilJ W]

Evening all from Estuary-Land. It seems to be hotter here than it was during the day, the humidity is certainly up. Weather forecast for tomorrow is slightly cooler and even cooler on the coast but it looks as though you don't have to go that far inland to loose the coolness.

[lightengine]

Currently 31C officially though it’s 35C on the Terrace which is a south-facing sun trap. Relative Humidity is 42% and the air is rushing past at a stately 2mph from the WSW

Most important of all however is that the Doom Bar is at a perfect 13C, is already going topless and is in danger of being sunk without trace in the next half-hour or so

Oh puhleaze don't mention Doom Bar within earshot of AndyRam he will go apoplectic.

[jamie92208]

In WW2, there were convoy rescue ships -  https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Convoy_rescue_ship . I believe they were at one time sent with Russian convoys, round the North Cape to Archangel or Murmansk. However, after a review of the usefulness of such ships in Arctic waters, where survival time in the water was often of the order of seconds, rather than minutes, rescue ships were removed from these convoys.

I once had to deal with 3 deaths in an ice covered lake and had some very interesting discussions with the coroner when preparing the file. Apparently the Luftwaffe first noticed that they were losing a lot of fit young pilots in the North Sea and discovered that a lot of the deaths were due to IIRC Vagal inhibition where the cold literally shuts the heart down by affecting the vagal nerve. A lot of rather horrible experiments were done in concentration camps but the data produced is still used for estimating survival times at sea.

 

I had also heard that very few sailors and fishermen learned to swim and were actually quite superstitious about it.

 

 

Jamie

[Ozexpatriate]

I had also heard that very few sailors and fishermen learned to swim and were actually quite superstitious about it.

Sailors, fishermen superstitious? Never! Edited August 3, 2018 by Ozexpatriate

[Ozexpatriate]

I once had to deal with 3 deaths in an ice covered lake and had some very interesting discussions with the coroner when preparing the file. Apparently the Luftwaffe first noticed that they were losing a lot of fit young pilots in the North Sea and discovered that a lot of the deaths were due to IIRC Vagal inhibition where the cold literally shuts the heart down by affecting the vagal nerve.

Jumping in very cold water is nasty.

 

Every year here we have drowning accidents on the first really warm spring day. People jump in the rivers, which at that time are very cold snow melt. The cold is a nasty shock. I've had it take my breath away jumping in a cold pool, but fortunately never had it shut my heart down.

 

The whole not swimming thing is a bit foreign to me.

 

An Australian and the son of a RLSC lifesaver (who was also a national service sailor in the RAN), I was dragged off to the local primary school's 25 yard pool on Saturday mornings with my little brother in tow at a tender age.  I hated those swimming lessons and remember the butterflies in my stomach I experienced beforehand to this day.  I was never a natural swimmer but the lessons took sufficiently well.

 

Swimming was pretty ubiquitous in Australian then and is even more so now.

 

Having said that, I did lose a close University friend to a drowning accident. Differently from the suburban boys, he had grown up on a pineapple farm and never learned to swim. Employed by an electricity utility he had a boating accident during flooding after a tropical storm and died a young man in his early twenties.

 

Learning to swim is an important life skill.

Edited August 3, 2018 by Ozexpatriate

[lightengine]

I once had to deal with 3 deaths in an ice covered lake and had some very interesting discussions with the coroner when preparing the file. Apparently the Luftwaffe first noticed that they were losing a lot of fit young pilots in the North Sea and discovered that a lot of the deaths were due to IIRC Vagal inhibition where the cold literally shuts the heart down by affecting the vagal nerve. A lot of rather horrible experiments were done in concentration camps but the data produced is still used for estimating survival times at sea.I had also heard that very few sailors and fishermen learned to swim and were actually quite superstitious about it.Jamie

We were tested for swimming ability at Sea Training Schools and had to pass, so non swimming certainly doesn't apply to the MN. We were also taught life saving and rescue in the water. This involved punching the person you were saving if they struggled/resisted in panic.

The bit that amused me about survival in the water was removing your trousers, tying a knot at the ankle end of both trouser legs, holding the trousers by the waistband you then slammed them into the water capturing air in both legs. This then became a buoyancy aid. I visualised attempting to do this in cold water with a 30 foot swell

[PeterBB]

Jamie,

 

You have reminded me of the case of the very fit man on holiday in Greece who suddenly died.  The family raised merry hell, and it hit the national press, because they didn't believe the cause of death was a 'heart attack' and wanted the body brought back to the UK for a 'proper' post mortem (NB not autopsy - that is a USA term that seems to be incorrectly catching on).  Broadly speaking on a very hot day he dived into a very cold sea which caused the heart to stop.

[Gwiwer]

Oh puhleaze don't mention Doom Bar within earshot of AndyRam he will go apoplectic.

Funny - it doesn’t do that to me. Though after several pints I have been known to suffer fuzziness of shpeech and shlurred vishun

 

Coming from a fishing village I can confirm that it is quite common for boat crew to not be able to swim. Either strongly or indeed at all. Fate, they would tell you, determines who comes home. Trawling is the highest-risk occupation going if one sets the casualty rate figures (not all of which are fatalities but too often involve life-changing injury) against total workforce. Quite sobering when you next pick up fish and chips at your local takeaway. There are superstitions at sea as there are with many high-risk occupations which includes mining. The Cornish traditionally farmed, fished or mined. Being a strong swimmer on board is sometimes considered unlucky and tempting fate to test you.

 

I never learned to swim properly. I can stay afloat and make progress and I could probably swim to save a life. But it’s not something I enjoy. Odd, perhaps, when being in or around the (shallower) water was something I grew up with and do still enjoy a great deal.

[Barry O]

Ey up!

Game started on time. First team all out after 26 overs..then...thunder, lightning, deluged of water so I came home and enjoyed watching the T20 at Headingley tonight.

 

North Sea cold? Pah! Sunday afternoons in summer meant a swim in the Sea at Crimdon. Cold? No, the outdoor pool at Whitley Bay was cold..penguins and polar bears wouldn't swim in it but we did...the joys of youth!

 

Rant on...DPD..what a waste of space. Tried to deliver a parcel earlier this week. We were out so left a card. Went on website left instructions. Did they follow them? No! A different card left today go online to find your nearest drop shop or phone xxxxxxxx. I phoned..a 5 minute queue which I left after10 minutes. Useless non customer focused serve..pah!

Rant over

May you all have a restful night

 

Baz

[Ozexpatriate]

Game started on time. First team all out after 26 overs..then...thunder, lightning, deluged of water so I came home ...

Meaning you couldn't even subject them to the joys of the Duckworth-Lewis method?

[AndyID]

Trawling is the highest-risk occupation going if one sets the casualty rate figures (not all of which are fatalities but too often involve life-changing injury) against total workforce.

 

Our next-door neighbor in Preswick-sur-Mer was the captain of a fishing boat. After we moved away we heard that he had received a serious head injury at sea. I think he had to give up the fishing because of it.

[BSW01]

Good evening everyone

 

I bought myself a new phone today and I'm using it at the moment. Other than that, not a lot has happened today. Most of the afternoon was spent playing with my new phone, adjusting settings, charging it up etc. After tea I watered the garden and then opened a bottle of red.

 

Goodnight all

[bbishop]

The bit that amused me about survival in the water was removing your trousers, tying a knot at the ankle end of both trouser legs, holding the trousers by the waistband you then slammed them into the water capturing air in both legs. This then became a buoyancy aid. I visualised attempting to do this in cold water with a 30 foot swell

As required on the Duke of Edinburgh award scheme. As was diving for a brick from the bottom of the pool. Two reasons why I didn't do DofE. We had swimming standards at school, including 3 lengths front crawl: Bishop did 3 lengths doggy paddle and was awarded the standard because of my "perseverance".

 

Bill

[PhilJ W]

Goodnight all.

[Horsetan]

Ivan PM me with your wants.

Bob

The trouble is, I don't know what I might want...!

[Tony_S]

We didn’t get to the seaside or ride on a train today. This morning I looked at my phone to see if the Land Rover app required a good phone signal. It appeared that the car had made contact and was reporting a flat tyre. Investigation of the vehicle proved this to be true. I pumped up the tyre and tried to find a tyre emporium that could investigate. The nearest one to our friends house was not interested, but one in Wymondham did, and we went over and had a puncture repaired.

We returned to our friends house and had a picnic in their garden.

Tony

[Horsetan]

[Two_sugars]

Well. . .O K . . . but could you make him drink? 

 

Baz . . .you forgot to mention washing the coal dust off. . . but Crimbo wasn't as bad as the colliery beaches for that.

 

 

Goodnight everybody  . . .Sleep well.

 

 

John

[BlackRat]

 

Judging by the amount of chuffs.....this poor rascal is only working on 1 cylinder.

 

And it's got a black 5 whistle!,,,

[roundhouse]

I will have a week of that soon.....

 

More layout research??

[PhilJ W]

Morning all from Estuary-Land. A quick hello and off to the Southwold show shortly. C & C's where neccessary, be back later.

[jamie92208]

Morning all from a very warm Charente, mid 20's overnight and forecast 36+ this afternoon. It was similar yesterday but I got the frame for a fly screen made and even did some wiring on the layout.

 

We are supposed to be going for a bike ride this morning but Beth hasn't surfaced yet. After that she has actually promised, in front of witnesses to help me with some wiring work on the layout. I need to get her to watch some points at one end whilst I ID some wires in the panel. Apart from that we will spend most of the day trying to keep cool.

 

 

Regards to all.

 

 

 

Jamie

[grandadbob]

Good morning all,

More sunshine and blue sky but it won't be as hot as yesterday with a maximum 30^oC forecast. That's all right then.

I didn't learn to swim until I was about 9 which is surprising as I come from a family of strong swimmers. I learnt in the Great Ouse  (which did, ooze that is) and was deemed competent when I could swim across it. (and back) As kids we spent many happy hours there after school and at weekends. I became good enough to swim for my school and got a district trial which went badly when I slipped on the edge of the pool and damaged my knee (First of many such GDB mishaps!)

A couple of years ago I saw a great film called The Deep about an Icelandic fisherman who had survived after many hours in the water when his fishing boat capsized.

 

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gu%C3%B0laugur_Fri%C3%B0%C3%BE%C3%B3rsson

 

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Deep_(2012_film

 

Today a quick trip to Sainsbury's is required for emergency supplies (beer is running low) This afternoon we're off to friends for a BBQ. As they only live about 50 or 60 yards away in the next road I don't think I'll need to book a cab. Not to get there anyway, coming home tonight after the sort of hospitality we usually get may be a different matter! 

 

Have a good one,

Bob.

Edited August 4, 2018 by grandadbob