Sailing in Cold Water

With the onset of winter here in the Northeast, and the recent Coast guard rescue of sailors en route to Bermuda, plucked from the water wearing survival suits, I've been thinking about cold water lately. Then another presumed fatality occurred this weekend in northern California when a man fell off his sailboat and disappeared into 50-degree water.

My own coldest water experience occurred a few years ago sailing from Downeast Maine to Nova Scotia in early June. The water that far up in the Bay of Fundy is pretty darn cold that early in the season. Leaving our Maine harbor at dusk, timed to clear customs at Grand Manan and then make it into Digby before sunset, we were motor-sailing when our prop caught a lobster pot warp. I donned my wetsuit (unfortunately, a shortie) and dive mask and descended the swim ladder to clear the prop. The shock of cold almost stopped my breath even before immersing my head - and then it was brutal. Even in those controlled circumstances, I was shaking so hard and gasping for breath that I needed the help of another crew for the simple task of clearing the prop. I still shudder when I remember. Now I carry a full-length wetsuit along with dive boots, gloves, and hood in case I ever have to enter cold water again.

I can't even begin to imagine the horror of unexpectedly falling into cold water - especially not wearing a lifejacket, as in the recent California incident. But for the sake of staying safe when sailing, maybe it's good to imagine that every now and then.