Beer and sailing. Are you for it or against it?

[romei]

Let's use this poll to find out what I bet will be an interesting result

[sun17cat]

OK, I vote no! I can drink with the best of them when I want to but since I am now 67 it's not as often. I have been an avid motorcyclist, a licensed instrument pilot, and have been sailing for 35 years and can honestly say no drinks allowed until everything is totally put away and secured. I always remember: "it's a boat, if anyhing can go wrong it will"

Jim

[Joseph]

Well, I have already stated my case elsewhere. I learned not to drink in a boat while sailing and cruising with my entire and - then - very young family onboard. As a cruising and sailing instructor in the Great Lakes, the BVI's, the Keys, the Grenadines and other places of the like one quickly realizes that there is nothing like a sudden mid-night squall causing the anchor to drag within a busy anchorage, to realize the advantages of having a dry skipper and crew.

Where I come from, drinking and boating is also illegal unless the boat is not underway and can be considered a "private place", i.e., "it has permanent sleeping accommodation and permanent cooking and sanitary facilities and  is at anchor or secured to a dock or land.". It is also illegal to carry alcohol in a boat unless sealed or stowed away in a sealed container. Needless to say it is also illegal to operate a motor boat while impaired by alcohol and penalties include prohibition for driving a motor vehicle (i.e., not only a boat).

J.

[Smiley]

I'm always driving .. I'd expect to be at the helm of my boat.
It's just not for me. Afterward, and I'm not driving, then sure!

[Smitty]

Ya'll make it sound like if a guy has a beer he is some kind of impaired drunkard out to kill his family and everyone around him.  What are we talking about here ?  Some guy who enjoys one of two beers throughout the course of a day or some  nitwit who gets totally polluted and gets out on the road/water ?  I have a big problem with the latter but one or two beers during a days worth of sailing does not concern me in the least.

[edbuchanan]

Well, my wife and I only drink straight rum on the boat, so I guess that's why I had to vote "I am against sailing and beer".

Ernie (Molly 23/II, 1984)

[Bob23]

   Interesting question. One that I wonder if really needs to be asked but I suppose we must write something here.
   David about summed it up. I'll expand by saying that we all need to live responsibly. If we do stupid things, we should take responsibility, own up and pay up.
   Obviously, having a beer or two is not really harmful, in my opinion. I don't get blizted anymore. In the past, in my much stupider youth, I had an occasion to get blind-stinkin'-drunk, ride my motorcycle home which was having eletrical problems at the time. Yup, you geussed- all the lights went out as I sped home at top speed. (90mph- it was a small bike) Now that's what I call damned stupid and I'm grateful to still be alive. I had similair friends do similiarly stupid things who are not around to read this.
   Which leads me to speed limits. Does that fact that a driver drives at the speed limit mean he is a safe driver? C'mon, folks, we all know the answer to that one. You, yes you in the back row with your hand up- what's your answer? "No sir, safe driving entails much more that that." Very good, son- let's go sailing together and have a beer!
   Of course not. Anyway, I love this site and the thought provoking statements, stories and advice I get to read and hopefully, write.
   I gotta go...I'm trying to list some boats for sale on Craigslist because I need the money- work is slow and I gotta have my Guuiness! I'll list the boats here too!
Bob23

[brackish]

 "Our country's politicians are more hazardous to our health, than the open waters of the world!".

An understated finale to a rational discourse on the subject.

I'm pushing 63, run 1500 hard and fast miles a year primarily so I can continue to do the things I like to do.  One of those things is to drink an occasional beer while sailing and to have a glass of wine with dinner when the anchor is set and the vessel is secure.  So far it is working.  High hopes for the future.

Frank

[HideAway]

Probably should amend the question to drinking alcohol and sailing.

My response would be the same - absolutely AGAINST IT. 

I don't drink and drive a car either. 

In Florida the drinking laws apply to boating and even riding a bicycle.  When you factor in the heat, cold, difficult situations as described above and many others we have all experienced its just not worth the chance.  You need to be sharp and ready for anything when you sail a boat.  We once docked at a restaurant after a long hot day sailing with our club.     I could not figure out how to properly cleat off the dock lines!   It was all from the heat.  Add alcohol into that picture and I'd probably would have ran into something too!

That being said there is nothing at all wrong with having a drink after the boat is anchored for the night. 

[newt]

from a nondrinkers perspective.... I would sail with Bob while he had a beer, as long as he understood that I would take the helm if things required me to. I once raced with a group that all got sloshed. It was left to me and my wife (both nubs) to get us back to port.
Wouldn't do that again.

[Smiley]

My comment was related to my own actions and responsibility. It's not for me while driving or sailing - but again, that's just me.
There were several people with drinking problems in my family tree (so I lean toward the conservative. I saw first hand what it did to them).
I won't presume to say what another should or should not do. When I can, I do enjoy a beer!

[Steve Ullrich]

I'm against excessive drinking in pretty much any location.  Excessive is a relative term I suppose.  I can drink a cold beer while sailing and not have any problem with it.  I wouldn't drink six and go out for a sail.  I can have a beer with a burger for dinner and not have a problem getting home safely.  I wouldn't drink six and get behind the wheel either.

Let's use this poll to find out what I bet will be an interesting result

[Bob23]

   Ah, the collective wisdom of the Compac owner. Has the world seen anything like this yet?
   You guys got it right. Beer is ok. Wine is ok. So is rum. Drunkeness is dangerous, stupid and I'll add- quite childish. (My opinion.)
   And, Newt: I hope we get the chance to sail together some time. I promise not to drink too much so you need to take the helm.
   I'm fortunate in the sense that when I approach having imbibed too much alchohol, I get sleepy.  I never could understand how some people could "stay up all night and drink." Heck, I can barely make it to 2230 hours sober. I'm also happy that, like many of you, I don't have to prove a darn thing to anyone. I don't have to drink that next beer to impress anyone.
   Well, I had my first LandShark beer tonight with pizza. I bought it not because it's Jimmys but I heard it was quite good. And it is...could use a slice of lime but it wasn't bad. Maybe I'll stow some aboard for this weekend.
Bob23...zzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz

[Craig Weis]

No intoxicants on my boat while sailing, but afterwards at the dock OK, if the boat stays put for at least 12 hours,
skip.

[Potcake boy]

Well if safety is the overwhelming concern, you could just stay home and then you could drink all the beer you like and still be relatively safe from drowning - unless you have a pool in the back yard.

I don't view it as beer or no beer, I see it as personal responsibility.  I don't advocate drunkenness while boating and most certainly not when it effects the safety of others, but I don't have any quibble with a beer or two while on the boat.  Actually that's about all I drink even at home.

Sorry to snub you, but I think the question is irrelavant.  We can't make rules for every indiscretion that people commit - so the best we can hope for is that with proper education - especially in water sports - most of us will make the right decision when it comes to risk.  I just feel deeply sad when I hear of someones bad judgement that creates death and disaster for random victims.  A story I heard many years ago of an eager sailor that took family friends out for a day sail on an open boat.  A number of oversights and misjudgements along the course of that tragedy left a handful of adults and children victims of hypothermia.  There was only one young survivor remaining the following morning when the turtled boat's mast came to rest on the bottom near the edge of the lake.

So BEER - OK within reason, EDUCATION - a must

Ron