Past Lessons...
Safety afloat is a broad topic and should be a continuous ongoing learning process for beginners and for experienced sailors. Because of the small space I have available on my Website we will only learn some of the basic safety essentials to get you started. Bear in mind the more you know and learn about safety afloat the longer you will survive in any hazardous situation.
Here are a few important safety precautions before setting foot on your boat.
The following is a list of safety items you will need to take with you. Some are required by law and others are things you might need.
From the information above make a safety checklist and use the checklist until it becomes a routine. As a skipper you are in charge of your boat. Once you sail away you are responsible for your own safety and the safety of everyone sailing with you. Be smart, serious and have fun.
The best way to learn about small craft safety is to take a safety course. The US Coast Guard Auxiliary, US Power Squadron, State Boating Commission and many Yacht clubs offer a courses in Boating Safety, Rules of the Road and Basic Navigation. It1s a fun course to take.. Bring some of your friends along, you1ll have a great time. Some insurance companies will reduce your rates if you show them a safety boating certificate. Check out my Marine-Related Links. you'll find US Power Squadron under Marine Information and News.
Before leaving the dock everyone on board should know what to do in an man overboard emergency. When a crew member accidentally falls overboard or has been knocked into the water, each person onboard should automatically perform their prearrange duty. Being prepared will eliminate any panic and unnecessary grief.
A man overboard happens without warning and can be frightening. This is why everyone who goes to sea should practice a man overboard maneuvers.
If a person is not wearing a life jacket, immediately toss one or your throwable cushion, both for floatation and to mark the spot where the crew member fell in.
Always have someone onboard keep an eye on the person in the water, regardless of what the sea condition is. If your the only one onboard at the time try and keep an eye on the crew member throughout any boat maneuvers.
At night a light , if available, should be trained on the victim in the water, and held there to guide the helmsman, unless a water light was thrown over at the time of the accident.
Then , carefully keeping an eye on the person in the water, quickly jibe around. If you are close to the wind, it may be faster to come about rather than jibing.
Circle to leeward of the person in the water so that when you get there you can head the bow into the wind, and luff the sails so you can slow to a stop. You want to stop right next to the person in the water to make the rescue.
In smaller boats, be careful not to swamp the boat by have all the weight to one side as you pull the person onboard. Practice the rescue maneuver with a cousin. Practice until you can rescue the cushion both by jibing and coming about, and from various points of sail.
Equip all personal floatation devices (PFD) with a whistle or encourage each crew member to carry a whistle.
At night carry or attach a light to all PFD's.
Have all crew members know what to do in the case of a man overboard.
Carry as standard piece of equipment several throwable cushions, in a spot on the boat known to all crew members.
Think out the problems of getting a possible unconscious person to the deck and the equipment needed for such a job.
Practice man overboard rescues.
If a person falls off the bow and an engine is running take it out of gear and swing the stern clear to keep from hitting the person.
A lookout should be posted immediately to keep an eye on the person or where he was last seen.
Through whatever piece of gear provided for use in this kind of emergency, life ring, cushions, life jackets, float flag or any buoyant object. Anything is better than nothing. What ever is thrown should hit the water close the victim.
in extreme weather conditions a handy hint is to have a crew member tear pages from a magazine, newspaper or role of paper towels to provide a trail back to the person overboard. This maneuver works great in poor visibility. In a pinch the helmsman can do this too.
Remember you can never be overly prepared for an emergency. Who knows you may save a life someday.
Rule of the road, a general term for regulations that govern the conduct of vessels in relation to each other, so as to prevent collisions. The International Regulations for Collisions at sea are enforced on the high seas and in many countries, but some other countries such as the USA, have additional regulations which are in force in inland waters, harbors etc. The basic right of way rules are virtually universal and, may be summarized as follows:
Sailoats to Powerboats, boats under power must generally give way to boats under sail. There are three important exceptions where motorboats have the right of way.
The Rules of the Road have their own language. The boat with the right of way is known as the privileged or stand on vessel because it must stand on course. The boat that must change course in the burdened or give-way vessel.
Many sail and power boater's do not know the Rules of the Road, so always keep an eye on boats all around you. When coming about, be careful that your change of course does not put you across someone else's bow.
It is very important to check weather conditions before going sailing. There are many ways in which you can obtain weather conditions. Watch the local news on TV the night before. Some cable television systems carry 24 hour service. Check your morning newspaper. Most phone companies have local weather reports which include surf and coastal conditions. The best way to get the most up to date weather is on a weather radio, sometimes known as the weather cube. A company called Realistic makes several brands of weather radios and they are quite inexpensive. One brand of radio besides giving local weather forecast will broadcast Greenwich Mean Time, this radio is a must if you 're into celestial navigation. Other places to get the weather might be sporting good stores or even the internet.
Good sailors are always careful about weather. No matter what the local forecast says or how confident you are, it is always a good idea to look up to the sky for yourself.
The old timers even made up rhymes.
A red sunset usually means clear, dry air. A red dawn can mean rain.
Another fun way to check the weather is to learn how to read a barometer, when it falls rapidly, wet weather or a storm is coming. A rising barometer indicates fair weather or clearing weather.
Be alert for small craft advisories. These warnings mean that there could be winds up to 20 knots, plus 3 foot seas. such conditions are hazardous for boats under 24 feet.
Stay at home when you hear special marine warnings, such as winds up to 34 knots are expected. Gale warnings, with prolonged winds up to 45 knots. Storm warnings, winds up to 65 knots or Hurricane warnings, with winds of 65 plus knots.
When you hear these warnings, it is best to tie down your boat by doubling up any tiedowns or mooring lines and stowing any loose gear.
Big storm fronts are usually forecast 12 to 48 hours ahead. Small isolated thunderstorms are much less predictable. These storms are very difficult for your local weather forecast to predict.
Thunderstorms can show up quickly,
with high winds and lots of lightning. Typically they show up on hot, humid
and hazy days. Everything feels still on the water, but you will see a
tower, puffy clouds, gray in color. The clouds grow darker as the storm
approaches. The higher the top of the upper cloud mass, known as the anvil,
the more ferocious the storm when it reaches you. These are cumulonimbus
clouds, better known as thunderheads. They are formed by warm, moist air
rising to meet cooler air above.
If you are on the water, at the first sign of these gathering storm clouds, put on your life jacket and head in. It will be much more difficult to reach shore if you wait. When the storm does hit, it will bring cold, fierce winds from a new direction.
Reefing To reduce the area of sail, especially the mainsail, when the wind freshens and the boat is overcanassed.
When storm winds blow, you have to decide early on what to do with your sails. It is best to be overly cautious. We recommend taking down one sail. If the wind is behind you, take down your mainsail and leave your jib up. That will give you enough sail to keep moving into port at a safe but not reckless speed. If the wind is close to the bow, take down the jib. You can still move upwind using the mainsail. Do not cleat the mainsheet. Keep it in your hand so that you can luff and spill air quickly if wind threatens to knock you over.
Many small boats can be roller-reefed. Pull your boom off the fitting until it turns. Then, while lowering the halyard, turn the boom so the sail wraps around it. Start by reducing your sail area by a third.
To hold your position
in a storm, you can heave to. Let your mainsail all the way out
so it luffs, pull your jib in on the windward side across the mast, and
tie the tiller loosely so it's immobilized on the leeward side. The boat
will move very slowly, if at all. You shouldn't need to steer, but don't
leave your helm, just in case. Heaving to is a method use to maintain drifting
position with your sails and rudder counterbalancing each other. Try heaving
to on your sailboat in good weather as hull action varies due to weight
and keel shape.
If you reach a protected bay, or some other safe haven, you can anchor during a storm. Follow these steps:
Tie the free end of your anchor rode (the line attached to your anchor) to the mast. Make sure the rest of the line is neatly coiled and not tangled so it can run smoothly when you let the anchor go.
Turn the boat into the wind and luff the sails. 
Drop the anchor gently off the bow and let the anchor rode follow smoothly after it, until you feel no more anchor weight. Then pay out line as your boat drifts backward with the wind, until you have out about 10 feet of anchor rode for every foot of water depth. You will probably use all the anchor rode you have.
Tug hard on the anchor several times to make certain it has caught on the bottom, and cleat the line on your bow cleat.
Lower the sails and tie them down with their sheets so they do not billow in the wind.
Stay low in the boat and wait out the storm. Watch for other vessels that may be able to offer help.
Take note of a landmark to help you judge if you are dragging your anchor and drifting.
The type of anchor you use depends on whether the bottom is rock, sand, mud, or seaweed. A good multipurpose anchor is a Danforth.
The wind may become so strong that your boat starts to heel over beyond your control, even with reduced sail area or when hove to. If this happens, and you can't reach shelter, you must ride out the storm under bare poles.
This is the least desirable option. Your aim must be to keep the boat moving as slowly as possible while the storm blows by, which usually takes 20 minutes to an hour.
Head into the wind, make certain your centerboard is all the way down, and take down both sails. Secure the mainsail by wrapping it up in itself, and use the mainsheet to lash it to the boom. Stuff the jib in the bow and wrap the jibsheets around it to keep it from catching air.
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