Sleeping underway risk

[davidpm]

As I was off watch a few days ago and lying down below I got to thinking about what would happen if we hit something.
We were going about 7 knots.
If you are lying down with your head forward and the boat hits a container or the pilot does something bad and you hit a reef or rock, I suspect it would be about the same as being dropped on your head from at least a couple of feet.
Almost certain neck injury probably death.

I slept with my feet forward but I noticed that not all the crew did that.

Am I the only one who thinks of weird stuff like that?

[AdamLein]

Sure there is a risk of injury, but consider: when you are dropped on your head from at least a couple of feet, there's basically no friction. When you're lying in your berth, there's a lot of friction that keeps you from sliding forward as fast as you would be if you had fallen a couple of feet.

I've also noticed in those crash-test-boat videos that the boat didn't generally stop short when it hit something, but would skirt sideways or ride up it. I think the boat will absorb quite a bit of the impact.

I think damage to the hull is probably more of an issue that damage to your neck in the situation you're worried about.

That's not to say there's not a lot of sources of injury in a collision. Falling through a hatch or into the cockpit is pretty scary.

Anyway if you're concerned, you could wear a bike helmet while you sleep. They compress and absorb a lot of the energy of impact

[Tempest]

I don't sleep all that well at sea, so I spend most of my time wishing I could sleep better. I nap much better during the day..than at night.

I'll sleep either in the quarter berth..because if the boat falls off a wave I won't go airborne....in that case my head is facing foward..
Or I'll sleep in the port settee where I have a crib rail set up...head faces aft there.

I've also slept on the cabin floor..in wet foulies..and on the cockpit floor because it was too stuffy below...

I think the ability to stay in the bunk, if you fall off a wave is more of a concern than hitting a container.. so, good strong lee cloths or a tight quarter berth are important.

[dnf777]

Egyptians always transported the sick and dead feet first, so as the evil thoughts left their heads, they would't contaminate the rest of their bodies. I always sail feet forward for this reason, and as far aft as possible.

[WDS123]

If you had energy to think about that kinda stuff after hitting your bunk - then Your boat is not changing foresails often enough

[Hartley18]

Originally Posted by Tempest

I think the ability to stay in the bunk, if you fall off a wave it more of a concern than hitting a container.. so, good strong lee cloths or a tight quarter berth are important.

Definitely.

Bruises, broken bones.. all possible if you can't secure yourself in your bunk well enough when the boat gets airborne off of a big wave. Which way you're facing becomes kind-of irrelevant in rough weather - it's more important that you stay in there at all.

[casey1999]

Safest way to sleep would be in a standing position. Strap yourself in with a harness.

This position would offer the least chance of getting impaled by the periscope of a surfacing submarine.

[Hartley18]

Originally Posted by casey1999

Safest way to sleep would be in a standing position. Strap yourself in with a harness.

This position would offer the least chance of getting impaled by the periscope of a surfacing submarine.

..but you'd drown instead. Wonderful.

Regardless, you can't sleep standing up on any yacht I've ever been on.

[CalebD]

Originally Posted by dnf777

Egyptians always transported the sick and dead feet first, so as the evil thoughts left their heads, they would't contaminate the rest of their bodies. I always sail feet forward for this reason, and as far aft as possible.

Golly gee Professor, you're so smart! I should have gone to graduate school like you instead of playing Doby Gillis and chasing after Maryanne and Ginger!

Feet first it is then.

[capta]

I think this is the most "out there" thread I have seen yet.
Sailing is probably the safest sport there is & if you are worried about which way to sleep in a bunk and DYING, quite possibly you should find something else a little less dangerous, like staying on the couch.