safety requirements for your boat
October 30th 2006 18:06
Safety is a big issue on the water. Our boat looks fine, pristine in fact but is it safe? Many marine authorities list what is required to be carried to keep your boat in the minimum of safety operations. This will vary if your boating in in enclosed waters or offshore and to a degree how far offshore. If you race your boat the authority that you race under will have a minimum standard for safety. Here are a few things you can look at your self.
Water tight integrity: Do the hull, cabin top, decks and doors hold out the ocean and in many cases the rain. Too much water in your boat will of course sink you but even a little can effect the stability due to the free surface effect at sea.
Crew safety: How do you keep the crew on board? Lifelines mainly so check they are secure, no damaged wire and check the ends, often tied with string or cord that may be quite old and frayed by now. Remind your crew to keep three points of contact while moving about the boat at all times.
Fire: On a boat this is the scariest thing. Naturally you will have updated fire extinguishers on board but on a fibreglass boat for instance, once the fire has a hold you are in a life saving mode not a fire fighting mode. Thick black noxious fumes that can prevent you from getting your carefuly stored lifejackets. You have sometimes only a matter of one or two minutes before you must abandon ship. Progressivly, timber, steel and ferro boats are more likely to be saved depending on where the fire starts.
Running aground: This should not happen but it does even to the best skipper. The first instinct is to get off the mud bank, reef or whatever you have run on to. If you know it was a soft object like mud or sand you can probably re float yourself and no damage done. If however you are on rocks or a coral reef, your boat may have sustained a hole damage and as you pry your self free you could then sink. Check this out as quickly as you can, before the tide and waves make up your mind for you.
Being run over or run into by another vessel: We will assume that you will never run into someone else. The main reason someone would run into you is that they have not seen you. then perhaps they had a fault in their steering or just did not know the rules of the road. Both parties are equaly at fault. Both skippers should have kept a good look out and avoided collision. It is the rule! If you are steering away from someone to avoid them, make a big move to port or starboard. Something like 40 degrees or more. then the other skipper can see you are aware of them. Stop or slow down if you have to but don't accelerate to go in front, even if you are the stand on vessel.
Remember that vessels generaly pass port to port so to avoid someone you almost allways steer to starboard. The vessel on your port should be giving way to you IF HE SEES YOU.
More saftey later
Water tight integrity: Do the hull, cabin top, decks and doors hold out the ocean and in many cases the rain. Too much water in your boat will of course sink you but even a little can effect the stability due to the free surface effect at sea.
Crew safety: How do you keep the crew on board? Lifelines mainly so check they are secure, no damaged wire and check the ends, often tied with string or cord that may be quite old and frayed by now. Remind your crew to keep three points of contact while moving about the boat at all times.
Fire: On a boat this is the scariest thing. Naturally you will have updated fire extinguishers on board but on a fibreglass boat for instance, once the fire has a hold you are in a life saving mode not a fire fighting mode. Thick black noxious fumes that can prevent you from getting your carefuly stored lifejackets. You have sometimes only a matter of one or two minutes before you must abandon ship. Progressivly, timber, steel and ferro boats are more likely to be saved depending on where the fire starts.
Running aground: This should not happen but it does even to the best skipper. The first instinct is to get off the mud bank, reef or whatever you have run on to. If you know it was a soft object like mud or sand you can probably re float yourself and no damage done. If however you are on rocks or a coral reef, your boat may have sustained a hole damage and as you pry your self free you could then sink. Check this out as quickly as you can, before the tide and waves make up your mind for you.
Being run over or run into by another vessel: We will assume that you will never run into someone else. The main reason someone would run into you is that they have not seen you. then perhaps they had a fault in their steering or just did not know the rules of the road. Both parties are equaly at fault. Both skippers should have kept a good look out and avoided collision. It is the rule! If you are steering away from someone to avoid them, make a big move to port or starboard. Something like 40 degrees or more. then the other skipper can see you are aware of them. Stop or slow down if you have to but don't accelerate to go in front, even if you are the stand on vessel.
Remember that vessels generaly pass port to port so to avoid someone you almost allways steer to starboard. The vessel on your port should be giving way to you IF HE SEES YOU.
More saftey later
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