Yachting Safety Briefing
Down below
Lifejackets and harnesses – fitting, when to wear, clipping on
Gas – risks, precautions, gas bottles and taps
Fire prevention – extinguishers, fire blanket, where and how to use
Moving around – companionway, handholds, galley safety
Heads – how to use
Seacocks – location of
Hatches – opening and closing, risks
VHF – how to use
Engine – basic operation
Batteries – location
On deck
Hazards – boom, tripping, slipping, hatches
Clipping on – jackstays
Heaving line
Engine controls
Instruments
Lockers – contents
Winches and clutches – safe operation
Anchor – safe operation
Emergency at sea
First aid – kit location
MOB – equipment – throwing line, horseshoe buoy, Dan buoy
Flares – where, when and how to use
VHF – emergency procedure
EPIRB – how to activate
Liferaft – where, when and how to launch
Grab bag – where, contents
Steering failure – emergency tiller, where and how
Flooding – seacock failure, plugs. Bilge pumps. Bailing.
Crew welfare
Seasickness – what to do, how to avoid
Food and drink – use of galley
Kit – stowage
“One hand for you – the other for the boat!”
This post is an extract from the Safe Skipper App for iPhone & Android.
A five day sailing cruise of the Solent, UK
Boat Improvements
Boating emergency – how to broadcast a MAYDAY emergency call
Essential Knots: Sheet bend
Distress flares – which flare, how & when to use?
The Round The Island Race 2023
This year’s Round the Island Race turned out to be a really thrilling and competitive event. 1100 boats entered the race, which took place on Saturday 1st July. The race started from the world famous Royal Yacht Squadron line in Cowes UK, with the largest and fastest boats starting first, leaving the rest of us to wait our turn.
2023 Rolex Fastnet Race
Safe Skipper’s Simon Jollands took part in the 2023 Rolex Fastnet Race – a classic offshore sailing event. This is the first of several articles on the race and focuses on the start.
Sail care and maintenance – Part 1
When thinking about the care, maintenance and repair of sails it helps to have some understanding of the properties of the ever growing range of modern sailcloth and the fibres they are made from, as opposed to the traditional canvas sails of the past.
Jester Challenge 2022 – Sailing single handed from Plymouth UK to the Azores: Part 8 – Arriving at the Azores
Jester Challenge – A modern experiment in old-fashioned self-reliance, self sufficiency, and personal responsibility. This is the eighth of a 10-part post where solo sailor, Bernie Branfield, shares his first-hand account of his single-handed, 2022 Jester Challenge, from Plymouth, UK to the Azores, in his 26′ Invicta Mk2, Louisa.
How to predict wind direction and strength by reading a weather chart
Antifouling for leisure boats – Part 3
Antifouling is one of the least pleasant boat maintenance jobs to do, but it has to be done. The very worst job of all is removing the old antifouling as this can get seriously messy and is very hard work.
Boatyard Health and Safety
Capsize – understanding the risks
An explanation of the IALA maritime buoyage systems – IALA A and IALA B
Dripless shaft seals
Dripless shaft seals are designed to completely stop water from entering a boat’s hull via the stern tube. There are two main types of dripless seals known as face seals and lip seals which many boat manufacturers now fit to production boats.
First aid at sea basics
At least one person on board should be trained in first aid and know how to administer the contents of the first aid kit, ensuring there are adequate supplies for the planned duration of the trip.
Preparing for sailboat cruising
Preparing for a sailing trip entails a lot of planning. In this blog, we take a look at some of the many safety aspects that a skipper needs to consider before heading off on a cruise.
Boating Rules of the Road – International ColRegs
Boat electrics inspection checklist
With the boat ashore, here are some recommendations for carrying out a boat owner electrics inspection. Safety is always paramount so remember to do the checks with the batteries off. Wearing a head torch helps, make notes as you go and only tackle a repair if you are 100% sure you know what you are doing:
Marine toilets – care and maintenance
There are a number of different types of marine toilet, or heads. They fall into one of three categories – manual, electric and vacuum, the most common being the manual, hand pumped type. These have double acting piston-pumps which both discharge the waste and flush the toilet with sea water.
Rig check – how to prevent failure at sea
Fire safety advice at sea from the Marine & Coastguard Agency
How to ensure your boat is in proper working condition
In this article Eva Tucker from Volvo Penta presents a handy check list of all the things that you need to check regularly in order to make sure that your boat is in a seaworthy condition. Including maintenance, safety gear and electrical checks.
Boat maintenance – what does it involve?
The maintenance of a boat involves things like cleaning, varnishing, painting, polishing, antifouling, servicing the engine, servicing the seacocks, and maintaining the gas and plumbing systems. It all amounts to a fairly considerable amount of work that can’t be ignored if you are to keep your boat in a safe and good condition.