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Brief but Effective

A good safety brief could be your life saver

Written by mark at 18:35 on 05 Jul 2010

At 1800 on the 20th of August 2009 Alexander McDonald rose from his bunk, while on an ocean passage from Rarotonga to Niue on the yacht Santana, to find that the skipper and only other crew member David Parkinson was nowhere to be found, obviously having fallen overboard. McDonald was a novice sailor, and with very limited knowledge of how to operate the boat, attempted a search for his crew mate.

He did not know how to call for asistance and after 3 days searching he came across an EPIRB (Emergency Position Indicating Rescue Beacon) with instructions onboard the vessel, set it off and was rescued. The skipper Parkinson was never found.

This unfortunate incident demonstrates that as the skipper of a yacht it is essential to make sure that your crew know the location of and how to use essential safety equipment onboard, as well as a basic understanding of the operation of the vessel, and what to do in a man overboard situation, should the unexpected happen.

In the case of the Santana, McDonald should have at least known the location and operation of the EPIRB, how to use the marine radio to make an emergency call (including communicating the vessels position), and steps he should have undertaken in the event of a man overboard situation. This should have been covered during an initial safety brief before departure from port, especially seeing as he was a novice sailor to begin with.

When giving a safety brief it is important to focus on the important points of safety without making it too longwinded, otherwise people will zone out and not pay attention. If you have a lot to cover try and break it up into different sessions by covering the essentials up front then introducing other topics as appropriate so that everything is covered within the first day or two.

Make sure your briefing is an appropriate length for the type of trip you are taking. A briefing for a day trip will cover fewer points than a week’s cruising along the coast or an offshore passage.

Here are some points to consider when preparing your safety brief:

• Lifejackets: By law in most countries you need to have onboard a life jacket for each crew member, that will fit them, in an easily accessible location that must be worn at times of heightened risk. This should be your minimum starting point. Make sure that each crew member knows how to don their lifejacket quickly and assure them that there is no shame in wearing it at all times if they wish, especially if they are poor swimmers.
• Harnesses: Make sure everyone has had a go at putting on their harness before departing and are aware of what they can clip on to and what they can’t. This will save alot of time when it starts to get bouncy they they have to do it for real.
• EPIRB: These are best attached to the bulkhead near to the companionway for easy access in an emergency. Crew need to know how it works, how to operate it and what will happen next.
• Marine Radio: Show crew the basic steps to transmit a distress message. Its best to put a sticker with the information required next to the radio as it is unlikely they will remember all they need to do under duress.
• Fire extinguishers: Fire can spread very quickly on a yacht. Firstly, if a fire is discovered, crew need to raise the alarm and then fight the fire in the best way possible if safe to do so. Make sure they are aware of how to use, and the limitations of, the fire equipment you have onboard the vessel. If in doubt get everyone out!
• Flares: Typically you should have an assortment of red and orange handheld flares as well as red parachute flares. It is important to make sure the crew are aware of the different types you have onboard and when it is appropriate to use each type. It is too late to read the instructions for the first time when it comes time to use them!
• How to operate the bilge pumps: Water ingress is an obvious risk for boats. Crew should know how to operate both electric and manual bilge pumps.
• LPG bottles and the stove: Along with Petrol for the outboard engine LPG is one of the greatest fire risks on your yacht. Make sure crew follow the strict procedures for isolating the gas at the bottle once they have finished cooking. LPG bottles should always be kept in a cockpit locker with a drain overboard - never down below!
• Location of first aid kit and manual: Crew should know the location of the first aid kit and be familiar with its contents. You should also be aware of any serious medical conditions of the people on board your boat in case they take a turn while onboard.
• Engine starting procedures: Crew should be aware of the basic steps needed to start the vessels engine so that they are able to motor towards assistance if required.
• Man overboard procedure (MOB): At the very minimum you should explain the need to stop the vessel nearby (either by pointing into the wind or going hove-to) keeping an eye on the MOB in the water if at all possible by having one crew member pointing at them, deploying flotation devices, being able to call for assistance and retrieval procedures. If there is time and it is appropriate you can practice recovering a MOB, from the water, using a fender and bucket, early in the trip.
• Abandoning ship: Crew should be aware of how to launch the liferaft and the location of the grab bag if you have one onboard. Often in this situation each crew member has a specific job, so make sure these roles are allocated on the first day - you may even do a drill early on in the trip to make sure everyone is comfortable with their role.
• Location of other equipment (tools, torches etc): Identify any other safety equipment that you feel is appropriate for your vessel.
• How to operate the toilet: Although not strictly a point of safety unblocking the toilet is possibly the worst job in boating. So ensure procedures are followed at all times!

Make sure you cover the location of, how to operate and when to use each item of equipment. Remember to make it appropriate for the trip and keep in mind it could be your life that they save if something unexpected happens to you.

This can be graphically illustrated in the story of British entertainer Chris Evans and his yacht charter in The Solent in 2002. To cut a long story short the skipper was struck by the boom and fell overboard. The crew did not know what to do in a MOB situation let alone how to operate the vessel or call for assistance apart from calling for emergency services on their mobile phones.

Regarding the incident Coastguard spokesman Mark Clark, added: "Unfortunately the only man who knew how to sail and operate the vessel properly was the one knocked overboard. We do not know if any safety briefing took place before they set sail. It is probably fair to say the rescue attempt was hampered by their inability to operate the yacht and it’s radio."

So don’t put yourself in the situation where you as the skipper is the only one who knows. Ready your crew for when the unexpected happens. The unexpected may happen to you.

To read more on the incident on the yacht Santana click here

To read more on the Chris Evans incident click here