Safety Boat Briefing

1. Safety Boat Briefing

2. Welcome

3. Reason for Briefing • Encourage Best Practice • Focus On What Safety Boat Duties Include • Encourage Clubs to run more Safety Boat Courses.

4. Agenda Rescue Boat and Kit • What makes a good rescue crew • Duties and responsibilities • Briefing and Communications

5. Rescue Boat and Kit

6. Rescue Boat and Kit • Consider operating area and duties when choosing rescue craft. • FREEBOARD • Consider recovering a casualty. • SPACE • Working room and space for equipment. • CRAFT SIZE • Local conditions, size of sailing area. • MANOEVRABILITY • Craft must be able to be handled in a limited area

7. Rescue Boat Example Types • RIB (Rigid Inflatable Boat) • Fast, Stable and relatively comfortable • Good handling and sea going ability • Dory • Inexpensive • Light and easy to handle • SIB (Soft Inflatable Boat) • Very shallow draft • Soft, easy on boats when coming alongside • Displacement Boats • Normally lower running costs • Great Towing Power

8. Minimum Safety Boat Kit • Paddles • Bucket / Bailer • Serrated Knife • Tow Lines + towing bridle • Radio • Flares • Boat Hook • Anchor with chain and warp • First Aid Kit • Kill Cord (+ spare) • Survival Bag • Sufficient Fuel

9. Personal Kit • Wet / Dry Suit • Buoyancy Aid • Hat and Gloves • Knife • Whistle • Food and Drink • Spare Clothing

10. What Makes a Good Rescue Crew

11. Good Crew Recipe • Knowledge • Experience • Equipment • Resourcefulness • No two rescues are the same, you often need to think on your feet. • Sailing Area / Course • Good driving skills • Prepared to go into the water + + + • Knowledge of boats in fleet • Awareness of sailors course • Know what to do with equipment! • First Aid Trained

12. How do people gain knowledge and experience? Difficulty – in club situations people often only get duties once or twice a year making it difficult to practice in different conditions and maintain skill levels.

13. Club Safety and Refresher Courses • Time Efficient – does not require 2 days • Uses Kit Associated to Club • Increased focus on clubs requirements

14. Duties and responsibilities

15. Duties and responsibilities • Fleet Control • Rescue • Training • Mark Laying • All duties and responsibilities require good boat handling ability, combined with knowledge and experience.

16. Good Practice

17. Dealing With A Rescue • Access • Safety of own craft and crew • Safety of people in difficulty • Safety of craft in difficulty • Plan • Method of rescue • Whether additional help is required • Escape Plan • React • Communication with crew AND casualty AND external people • Deliver plan

18. Briefing and communication

19. Briefing Rescue Boat Crews • VHF Working Channel • Marks to lay • Circumstances like medical info • Special Instructions for Day • Patrol Areas / Stations / Sailing Area • Emergency Procedures • Numbers / Types of Craft expected • Numbers of Races • Abandonment Procedures

20. Working with new crew

21. Communications RADIO • Radio Programmed to working channel • Know Call Signs for other Rescue and Shore • Radio Check Prior to going afloat • Only use High Power IF necessary • Maintain regular contact to ensure link

22. Communications Sound and Visual Try not to shout, get into a position you can talk to others, it is more effective! Clear consistent signals example • 2 Whistles and hands on shoulders • Individual boat come alongside • All head for shore • All boats circle rescue boat • 1 Whistle and Point • 3 Whistles and arms shoulders in triangle

23. More Sources Of Information