Safety First!
Guest Contributor: Dan Givens, Instructor at Inspire Sailing
Every skipper should deliver a Safety Briefing to his or her crew before departing. The level of detail in the briefing will of course depend on the level of experience of the crew. With new crew or novice sailors, it can be a good idea to hold the discussion before people even step aboard! With more experienced crew, the briefing may be abbreviated perhaps; however, it’s a good idea to review key safety topics regardless.
Consider this similar to the safety briefing we all get aboard an airplane, every time we fly no matter how many miles we’ve earned or seat we’ve purchased.
After 5 years of teaching sailing, I’ve come up with an acronym to help students remember the key components of a safety briefing for a day sail on the Bay:
“BLOWING 3 KNOTS”
Boom - Advise your crew of the boom’s height and motion as the boat sails.
Lines - Remind your crew not to step on lines, and not to wrap lines around their hands or feet.
On/Off - Demonstrate how to safely get on and off the boat (usually at the shrouds).
Winches - Show your crew how to use the winches, and to keep their hands, hair, and loose clothing away from winches in use. You might include how to hold and where to stow the winch handle!
Illness - Reassure your crew that it’s perfectly normal to feel seasick, scared, cold, or in some cases wet! Ask them to speak up and let you know if they are in any way uncomfortable.
Man Overboard - Yes, this is the tricky one. The “N” is really an “M” for Man Overboard, but “Man” really means “Person”. Walk through the scenarios and actions if (a) skipper falls overboard and (b) crew falls overboard.
Gear - Check your crew’s gear for PFD (properly worn), shoes, waterproof jacket, hat, sunglasses, sunscreen, and gloves. Layering is the best approach to stay warm and dry on the Bay. Don’t forget those leashes for any coveted hats and sunglasses!
3 - Remind your crew that the boat heels while sailing, and that is perfectly normal. While the boat is perfectly stable, crew walking around the boat may not be stable. People should maintain three points of contact while maneuvering around the boat. “One hand for you, one hand for the boat,” as they say.
Knots - We like to teach our crew a couple of basic knots so that the crew can assist with the operation of the boat. In particular, the Cleat Hitch is useful for docking and departing. The Round Turn and Two Half-Hitches (or the Clove Hitch) is useful for preparing fenders for arrival.
These are the basics for a standard Safety Briefing. There is much more you might want to consider adding:
Location of emergency equipment (first aid kit, fire extinguishers, horn, flares, etc.)
VHF radio operation
Engine start/stop procedures
Marine head operation
Weather / forecast for the day
Sail plan
You might also consider writing all of this in a document and emailing it to your crew a few days before your sail. In that same email, you could also include key details like meeting time and location, provisioning assignments, etc.
Have other ideas? Comment on the blog or share on social media!
Be safe out there!
