Safety precautions on the water.

[Poly]

Originally Posted by jonp

A plastic international v sheet and the arm signals used internationally should be known by most people.

Mmm... I wouldn’t bank on the arms being seen as anything other than a wave. I’m fairly sure that here even 80% of boat-types would initially think - oh they are waving a big orange flag, never mind the general public.

It’s not a SOLAS symbol is it? (Flag V = “I need assistance” but is a white ground with red X on it; NC is distress - but i think is likely to go unnoticed unless you are next to a military vessel!)

I have an orange sheet on mine which came with some generic safety crap and I think has a black square and circle. (Square goes at top - looks a little like a ! ). I mostly keep it in case I need to improvise shelter, plug a hole etc!

[willk]

Originally Posted by Poly

Mmm... I wouldn’t bank on the arms being seen as anything other than a wave. I’m fairly sure that here even 80% of boat-types would initially think - oh they are waving a big orange flag, never mind the general public.

I bet a very substantial percentage of small craft rescues are initiated by waving, with or without flags. Of the three I've attended, all were wavers. Others may have different experiences?

[Poly]

Originally Posted by willk

I bet a very substantial percentage of small craft rescues are initiated by waving, with or without flags. Of the three I've attended, all were wavers. Others may have different experiences?

Official international signals waving, or just frantic waving enough to attract the attention of a nosey bugger who has the whit to work out they are not moving and might be worth a chat?

[willk]

Originally Posted by Poly

Official international signals waving, or just frantic waving enough to attract the attention of a nosey bugger who has the whit to work out they are not moving and might be worth a chat?

I'm always suspicious when people wave at me. More so if I think they know me....

"Arms, for the Waving of - frantic"
Boat 1: Everyone waving - 6 PAX OB
Kayaks 1 & 2: Arm waving - supplemented by paddle raised.
Boat 2: Frantic arm waving - supplemented by shirt in hand.
Kayak 3: He sank, the splashing gave him away...
Now that I think of it, there was another boat (#3) that was aground on a reef. They just sat there and refused to talk to us. Dad hadn't had therapy for "aground", apparently. RNLI had been summoned so we p1ssed offski.

[John Kennett]

When I was hitching a ride in a Navy S&R Sea King the loadie gave us specific instructions not to wave back to anyone that we saw waving at the helo.

When I asked why not he said “Because if you wave back we can’t say we didn’t see them”!