Safety

1. Safety Apprentice Requirement 6

2. Apprentice Requirement 6 • Know the basic safety rules for small boats. • Know the safety rules that apply to the floating equipment used by your ship, and safety standards in the use of power tools, machinery, lifting heavy objects, and other safety devices used by your ship. • Demonstrate the proper use of a personal flotation device such as a life jacket or a life buoy. • Be familiar with and be able to list the standard marine distress signals, and demonstrate the procedure to send a VHF distress call. • Reference: • "Boating Safety" on page 242, • "Standard Marine Distress Signals" on page 185, • "Radiotelephone Procedures" on page 198. Apprentice 6 - Safety

3. Boating Safety • Safety aboard is made up of many things: • rules, • equipment, • judgment, • skill, • preparation, • foresight, and • practice • Sea Scouts must have an ability to swim and a knowledge of lifesaving and lifesaving equipment Apprentice 6 - Safety

4. Safety Equipment Required By Law • Personal Flotation Devices (PFDs) • Visual Distress Signals (VDS) • Fire Extinguishers • Ventilation • Backfire Flame Arrestor (BFA) • Sound Producing Devices • Navigation Lights • Radio Regulations • Pollution Regulations • Marine Sanitation Devices Apprentice 6 - Safety

5. Spare Anchor Heaving Line Fenders First Aid Kit Flashlight Mirror Searchlight Sunburn Lotion Tool Kit Ring Buoy Whistle or Horn Fuel Tanks Chart and Compass Boat Hook Spare Propeller Mooring Line Food and Water Binoculars Spare Batteries Marine Hardware Extra Clothing Spare Parts Paddles Pump or Bailer Additional Safety Equipment Apprentice 6 - Safety

6. Personal Flotation Devices • All recreational boats must carry one wearable PFD (Type I, II, III or Type V) for each person aboard. • Any boat 16 ft and longer (except canoes and kayaks) must also carry one throwable PFD (Type IV PFD). • PFDs must be • Coast Guard approved, • in good and serviceable condition, and • the appropriate size for the intended user. Apprentice 6 - Safety

7. PFD Accessibility • Safety afloat requires a PFD should be worn at all times when underway. • “A PFD can save your life, but only if you wear it!” • You must be able to put them on in a reasonable amount of time in an emergency (vessel sinking, on fire, etc.). • Should not be stowed in plastic bags, in locked or closed compartments or have other gear stowed on top of them. • Throwable devices must be immediately available for use. Apprentice 6 - Safety

8. Type I - Off-Shore Life Jacket • Best for all waters; open ocean, rough seas, or remote water; where rescue may be slow coming • Advantages • Best performing PFD of all types in both rough and calm waters. • Provides best chance of survival for unconscious wearer. • Best device for non-swimmers if they wear it. • Disadvantages • Bulky, may not fit small children or very large adults Apprentice 6 - Safety

9. Type I - SOLAS Lifejacket • Inherently buoyant for commercial ships in international servicesand for other commercial vessels and recreational boats • SOLAS = Safety of Life at Sea Apprentice 6 - Safety

10. Type II - Near-Shore Vest • Good for calm, inland water, where there is good chance of fast rescue. • Advantages • Will turn some unconscious wearers face-up in water • Compromise between Type I PFD performance and wearer comfort • Disadvantages • May be uncomfortable after wearing for extended periods • Will not turn as many people face-up as Type I • In rough water, a wearer's face may often be covered by waves • Not for extended survival in rough water Apprentice 6 - Safety

11. Type III - Flotation Aid • Good for calm, inland water, where there is a good chance of fast rescue. • Advantages • Generally the most comfortable for wear. • Freedom of movement for many active water sports. • Many styles. • Disadvantages • Wearer may have to tilt head back to avoid going face-down. • Not for extended survival in rough water. Apprentice 6 - Safety

12. Type IV - Throwable Device • For calm, inland water with heavy boat traffic, where help is always nearby. • Advantages • Can be thrown to someone. Good back-up to wearable PFDs. • Some can be used as a seat cushion. • Disadvantages • Not for unconscious persons. • Not for nonswimmers or children. • Not for many hours in rough water. Apprentice 6 - Safety

13. Type V - Hybrid Device • Required to be worn to be counted as a regulation PFD. • Advantages • Least bulky of all Types. • High flotation when inflated. • Good for continuous wear. • Disadvantages • May not adequately float some wearers unless partially inflated. • Requires active use and care of inflation chamber. Apprentice 6 - Safety

14. Standard Marine Distress Signals • Visual Distress Signals • Distress Cloth • Flares • Shapes • Code Flags (November over Charlie) • Arm Signal • Flashlight • Flame on Vessel • Dye Marker • Sound Signal • Radiotelephone Apprentice 6 - Safety

15. Visual Distress Signals (VDS) • All boats used on coastal waters must be equipped with USCG approved visual distress signals. • Regulations prohibit display under any circumstances except during emergencies. • No single device is ideal under all conditions or for all purposes. • Boats not required to carry day signals but must carry night signals when operating from sunset to sunrise: • Recreational boats less than 16 feet in length • Boats participating in organized events such as races, regattas, or marine parades. • Open sailboats less than 26 feet in length not equipped with propulsion machinery. • Manually propelled boats. Apprentice 6 - Safety

16. Examples of Visual Distress Signals • Pyrotechnic Devices • Red Flare – Day & Night • Parachute Flare – Day & Night • Red Meteor – Day & Night • Floating Orange Smoke Signal – Day Only • Non-Pyrotechnic Devices • Orange Flag – Day Only • Electric Distress Signals – Night Only Apprentice 6 - Safety

17. Pyrotechnic Devices • Must be Coast Guard approved, • Must be in serviceable condition • Must be readily accessible. • Must be marked with an expiration date. • Expired signals may be carried as extra equipment • BUT, they can not be used for the signal requirement, since they may be unreliable. • Minimum of three signals are required. • That is, three for day use and three for night. • Some signals meet both day and night use requirements. • Should be stored in a cool, dry location. • A watertight container painted red or orange and prominently marked "DISTRESS SIGNALS" or "FLARES" is recommended. Apprentice 6 - Safety

18. Orange distress flag • Day signal only. • At least 3 x 3 feet with a black square and ball on an orange background. • Most distinctive when attached and waved on a paddle, boathook, or flown from a mast. • May also be a part of devices designed to attract attention in an emergency, such as balloons, kites, or floating streamers. Apprentice 6 - Safety

19. Electric distress light • Night use only • Automatically flashes the international SOS distress signal: (. . . — — — . . .) • Must be marked with an indication that it meets Coast Guard requirements in 46 CFR 161.013 • Does NOT count toward meeting the visual distress signal requirement Apprentice 6 - Safety

20. Sound Producing Devices • Vessels 12 meters (39.4 feet) or more in length are required to carry on board a whistle or horn, and a bell. • Meeting, crossing and overtaking situations are examples of when sound signals are required. • Recreational vessels are also required to sound signals during periods of reduced visibility. • Any vessel less than 39.4 feet/12 meters in length may carry a whistle or horn, or some other means to make an efficient sound signal to signal your intentions and to signal your position in periods of reduced visibility. Apprentice 6 - Safety

21. VHF Radio • There are 104 VHF channels designated for marine service. • Of this number, 54 are designated exclusively for use in the waters of the United States. • Brevity is important • If your conversation on Channel 16 is longer than 30 seconds the Coast Guard will break in to tell you to switch to another channel. • Not to be used for gossip and idle conversation. • Anything said over the radio will be heard by hundreds of other people. • Only a limited number of channels so conversation should be kept to passing only required information. • Conversation is not permitted to extend past three minutes.  • The use of profanity and obscene language is illegal. Apprentice 6 - Safety

22. Reserved VHF Marine Radio Channels Apprentice 6 - Safety

23. Radio Regulations • Most recreational vessels under 65.6ft/20m in length do not have to carry a marine radio. • Vessels which voluntarily carry a radio, must maintain a watch on channel 16 (156.800 MHz) or alternatively maintain a watch on VHF channel 9 (156.450 MHz. • Any vessel that carries a marine radio must follow the rules of the Federal Communications Commission (FCC). • Radio Licenses • Operators of recreational vessels that carry a radio are NOT required to have an individual license to operate VHF marine radios (with or without digital selective calling capability), EPIRBs, or any type of radar. • Operators must however follow the procedures and courtesies that are required of licensed operators specified in FCC Rules. • You may use the name or registration number of your vessel to identify your ship station. Apprentice 6 - Safety

24. Roger Means only that "I understand your transmission." It does not mean that I agree or disagree with what you said. Wilco Means "I understand your transmission and I will comply with your request." (WIL = will, CO = comply) In spite of what you may have heard in old war movies, there is no such thing as "Roger Wilco"! It is either one or the other, but not both. Affirmative Means "Yes". Do not use words like "Yup" or“Alrighty". Negative Means "No". Do not say "Negatory"; there is no such word. Over Means "I have completed my statement and am awaiting your reply." Just say "Over", not "Do you copy?" or "Come on back!". Out Means that "I have completed my communication and I am returning to the hailing channel." There is no such thing as "Over and Out". It’s either one (Over) or the other (Out). VHF Radio Usage Apprentice 6 - Safety

25. Non-Emergency Call Procedures • First listen to your radio to make sure that no one else is using it. • Next, you say, “Venture, Venture, Venture (repeat the name of the boat you are trying to reach) this is Gremlin (use the name of your boat) over". • The entire transmission, including a second call if necessary, should not take more than thirty (30)seconds. If Venture does not answer, you must wait two (2) minutes before trying to call him again. • If Venture hears your hail (call), it should then go like this: • Venture says, "This is Venture, switch and answer on 72". • (See the correct numbers of all legal working channels.) • Your reply should be, "Roger Venture, 72". • "Roger" means "I understand", and "72" means "I am switching to channel 72 to talk to you." • After you have finished your transmission/conversation, say "Out". • Finally, to conclude the transmission you say, "This is Gremlin (your boat) back to channel 16." Apprentice 6 - Safety

26. VHF Emergency Calls • Mayday - Distress Signal • Is a request for immediate assistance. • LISTEN! DO NOT TRANSMIT! • Determine if you're in a position to help. If not, maintain radio silence. "Mayday" identifies an imminent, life-threatening emergency. • Pan-Pan - Urgency Signal (pronounced pahn-pahn) • Is used when the safety of a boat or person is in jeopardy. • Man-overboard messages are sent with the Pan-Pan signal • Running out of gas is not a Pan-Pan situation, unless you are in danger of being swept ashore in high seas. • Securite - Safety Signal (pronounced say-cure-e-tay) • Is used to pass navigation information or weather warnings.  • False Distress Alerts • It is unlawful to intentionally transmit a false distress alert, or to unintentionally transmit a false distress alert without taking steps to cancel that alert. Apprentice 6 - Safety

27. Emergency Call Procedures • Make sure radio is on • Select channel 16 • Press/hold the transmit button and clearly say: • MAYDAY MAYDAY MAYDAY • Give: • Name of boat (3 times), call letters or description • Position and/or description of location • Nature of emergency and kind of assistance required • Number of people on board and condition of injured • Release transmit button • Wait for 10 seconds – If no response, repeat. Apprentice 6 - Safety