Electric winches have outrun our training. Nikki Henderson explores the ‘Mollie’ tragedy and how we must bridge the safety gap at seaIt\u2019s rare that emails landed in my inbox with a subject like \u2018MAIB reports on fatal sailing accident\u2019. But a recent Monday was one of them.
\nIn August this year a 74-year-old Kiwi skipper died after getting \u2018entangled in a powered winch\u2019 on his 57ft steel monohull Mollie. He was a few miles offshore from the Needles, en-route to Poole, having sailed to Europe from New Zealand.
\nThe MAIB report detailed what happened: a 24V electric winch with an intermittently defective control switch started turning unexpectedly as the skipper was removing a rope. His right hand got caught and he was pulled violently against the winch drum. With no emergency switch close by to cut the power to the winches, the crew could not free him in time, and he died. It\u2019s a harrowing read. But, read through it we must, without judgement or ego. Because we learn by reflecting on tragedy.
\nElectric winches are divisive. On one side, they make sailing dramatically more accessible, especially for those who aren\u2019t so physically able. But they also carry serious risks. Electric winches can create an unhealthy disconnect between sailors and their boats and nature.
\nThey mask the loads involved, they tempt people into relying on power rather than technique, and they make mistakes happen faster, with more force and with greater consequence. In Mollie\u2019s case, these consequences were fatal.
\nSo, how do we weigh the danger against the upside? Some might say keep it manual. But that\u2019s unrealistic. Once you\u2019ve used a power tool, it\u2019s hard to even fathom going back to the arduous, by-hand method. You\u2019re going to be hard pushed to persuade a tree surgeon to swap their chainsaw for a handsaw.
\nArticle continues below\u2026<\/p>\n
\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\u2018Why seamanship is more than just the mastery of sailing\u2019 \u2013 Nikki Henderson<\/p>\n
\t\t\t\t\t\t\tWhat is seamanship? The Oxford dictionary defines seamanship as \u2018the skill, technique or practice of handling a ship at sea\u2019.\u2026<\/p>\n
\t\t\t\t\t\t\tWhy time on the water trumps all safety gadgets and certificates \u2013 Nikki Henderson<\/p>\n
\t\t\t\t\t\t\tBoat owners, future boat owners, dreamer boat owners \u2013 the most common question they ask me is: \u2018What\u2019s going to\u2026<\/p>\n
That comparison is useful, though. Everyone instinctively knows a chainsaw is dangerous. But electric and manual winches look almost identical. They operate in similar ways. Most have no automatic kill switch, no emergency stop beyond a fuse (which definitely won\u2019t blow before someone is dragged into the drum). It\u2019s too easy to underestimate the risk.
\nIn September I was teaching a 19-year-old who\u2019d only ever sailed with manual winches how to operate a boat equipped with electrics. She had bad habits to unlearn, and to her frustration I asked her to repeat manoeuvres until she did them safely. By the end of the day she was ready to throw the entire winch at me. She\u2019d been using winches for years \u2013 why wasn\u2019t that enough?
\nTwo things struck me. First, how little distinction she made between a manual winch and an electric one. To her they were essentially the same piece of kit. And muscle memory is only useful if it\u2019s correct. We\u2019d save a lot of grief if our training systems taught safe winch and rope handling to a consistent standard from the very first course \u2013 with consideration for the fact that every sailor will almost certainly apply those handling skills to an electric winch one day in the future.
\nSo, what can we learn?
\nFirst, electric winches need more obvious identification. Perhaps glow tape or red tags or warning labels would be a good start to signal danger. Manufacturers could adopt more stringent safety standards \u2013 what about emergency stop switches located right beside every winch, so an operator can kill power with a knee, hip or spare hand. Second, buttons and switches need regular servicing (and clear manufacturers\u2019 recommendations).
\nThird, winch-handling education needs stronger emphasis. Even the absolute basics \u2013 like avoiding loose clothing, tying back long hair, or understanding that the winch itself is dangerous, not just the line attached to it \u2013are often missed fundamentals.
\nPerhaps the most sobering detail in the report is the skipper was caught not while operating the winch, but while removing a non-working line from it. That could be any of us \u2013 training or no training.
\nHopefully, this awful event will encourage reflections on the broader safety culture around electric winches. Because, as of today, it hasn\u2019t kept pace with how widely they\u2019re now used. Electric winch technology has outrun the training, regulation and awareness that should accompany it.
\nI\u2019m not saying we shouldn\u2019t use them \u2013 far from it. I see first-hand how electric winches open doors for new boat owners, and that\u2019s a good thing. But, let\u2019s step up and make the changes we need.<\/p>\n
If you enjoyed this\u2026.<\/p>\n
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The post Do we need to rethink our relationship with electric winches \u2013 Nikki Henderson appeared first on Yachting World.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
Electric winches have outrun our training. Nikki Henderson explores the ‘Mollie’ tragedy and how we must bridge the safety gap at seaIt\u2019s rare that emails landed in my inbox with a subject like \u2018MAIB reports on fatal sailing accident\u2019. But … <\/p>\n