Inexperienced crew briefings

[Ships_Cat]

<<<I disagree with Ships Cat about putting the wind up people.>>>

So you do put the wind up people? /forums/images/icons/smile.gif.

John

<hr width=100% size=1>I am the cat but I am only 6.

 

[dralex]

Mmmm

/forums/images/icons/laugh.gif

Not intentionally!

<hr width=100% size=1>Just enjoy it.

 

[Ships_Cat]

Some golden rules I reckon; never too much to confuse or overload, never anything to raise anxiety, and never anything likely to be useless. My list is about like Joe_Cole's and Claymore's let them just get used to it as one goes along (at least I think that is what he meant /forums/images/icons/smile.gif). I suspect like on the planes, that is plenty long enough.

As an example of something that several have mentioned but probably mostly useless on a sailboat unless the person has at least some experience - teach the newcomer how to start the engine.

Well having a nice sail along, 8 knots, full sail up, and Mr Newcomer trying desparately to remember how to start the engine (and opening that valve thingy under the floor), operate the VHF, and do I point the big long flary things that shoot up in the air into the wind or downwind or do I use the smoky ones and where were they stored now (remember where the beer is), pumping the toilet and something about not opening valves or was it not shutting them, and what were all those other things. Hell, I can't remember what the hosties say on the planes let alone all that lot.

Anyway - "Hey Skipper, this steering bit sure is fun."

"Errr, Skipper is that you swimming back there?" (or having a heart attack, whatever).

"OK, easy, can remember him saying start the engine"

"Errr, can't let go the wheel" "Errr, have to let go of the wheel to start engine"

Crash, bang, flap, flap, flap, etc.

"Oh my goodness, how do I stop that. No must start the engine."

Then 30 sec's later Wrrr, wrrrr, wwrrrrrrm, brrrrmmmmmmmm.

"OK, just have to steer back again. That will be easy, was doing that when Skipper went over the side."

Crash, bang, whallop.

"Oh my goodness lucky I ducked that boomy thing when it crashed over."

"Eeeek, it won't go in the direction I point it."

Crash, bang, whallop again from boomy thing.

"Help, should I get the sails down - errr, didn't cover that bit. Maybe if I just undo all the strings err sheetyards or was it hellsheets. Errr, no the sheets are the sails, err, I think."

"Errr, hell, which way is back now. He said something about the man overboard button, wonder if it is too late to push that, now where was that - oh hell."

"Errr. this is not as straightforward as I thought. Better call for help on the radio thingy next. Think that was the black one with the knobs on the wall beside the big thing looks like a TV."

"Let's see know, power on, then, errrr, something about channels like on a TV set, err what channel was it now he said?"

etc, etc.

So, why do people teach newcomers to start the engine?

John



<hr width=100% size=1>I am the cat but I am only 6.

 

[TheBoatman]

<<<<<<and show them the flairs,>>>>>>>

Jules
Your a true 70's sailor at heart. Although, why you would want to scare them with a pair of out of date trousers is beyond me<s>.

What do you tell them, if you call the lifeboat out and then change your mind, put the flairs on as that is guaranteed to make the crew return without rescuing you?

Peter.


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[fireball]

Cos in a lot of senarios they can just give the engine more welly to overcome the affect of the sails!! An engine is one thing most ppl can appreciate, where as the sails take a little longer...

I included the Gas system in my breif .. but that was to an experienced yachtsman!

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[peterb]

It has been said that out of a long lecture you are likely to remember no more than three points. So to a complete novice, what are the three most dangerous things on a boat?

I would put number one as falling off. Point out the danger (as if they weren't conscious of it already!), show them lifejackets and harnesses, explain wearing policy (all the time when out of the cabin unless the skipper says unnecessary).

Number two is the boom. On our boat not a problem when in the cockpit, but on virtually any boat the boom can be lethal when on deck.

Number three is fire (including gas). Make cup of tea, explain the problem, shut off gas at cylinder. Show fire extinguishers and method of operation.

Not a safety problem, but explain heads operation.

Before leaving berth, explain and practice procedure for coming back. Since we have to pass through lock from marina, explain procedure for getting lines onto cleats and for holding boat steady.

That's about it. No MOB procedure, no Mayday calls; just make sure that I don't put myself into a position where I might get into danger. But I will fairly quickly show them a simple MOB procedure once we are out.

After the initial briefing, the rest just grows as required.

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[Peppermint]

Re: Inexperienced crew briefings very often

a waste of time.

The tyro crewmember hardly absorbs any of what your saying.

I've seen skippers explain the bog, the gas, the seacocks, winch safety, MOB, fire, liferafts, VHF etc etc. They end up with half the crew being stunned mullets and the otherhalf completely mixed up.

My approach is as follows.

I send out a leaflet to all prospective crew. It's quite chatty and covers general areas of concern trips and slips, gas and lifejackets, sunburn and seasickness. It specifically lays out a MOB procedure and a Fire procedure.

The idea is that they will read this prior to setting foot on board.

The next stage, as we get onboard, is to point a few things out and to issue lifejackets, demonstrate loo, gas seacocks, enginestart, vhf.

From then on almost everything we do is subject to a bit of a discussion, just before we do it. That develops a nice, explain, demonstrate, do cycle. If you've a mixed ability group you can buddy up the skill levels.

I always ask about skills available, it's nice to have an enthusiastic cook or an experience para medic, I've had both suffer my ministrations in the past because no one thought to ask.

We do little games with somecrews. I'll send a few of them below and generally slacken loosen and untrim everything I can, point the boat elsewhere, and then they can try to fix it. You can turn the safety equipment brief into a treasure hunt if you've got a crew thats up for it. You can see what they've learnt then.



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[clouty]

Did you not notice, flares have been (past tense) fashionable for the last few years? Trinnie and Susannah make their victims wear them still!
What goes round, comes round


<hr width=100% size=1>clouty

 

[gregmlucas]

Thought I might add something form the perspective of "inexperienced crew" (I did a two-day cruise with SunSail and have crewed once since) I appreaciate that this may or may not qualify me to contribute to this discussion!

I thought that the skipper on my first crewing day covered the most important points and didn't overload me with info.

He made sure I knew how the life jacket worked and covered MOB (i.e. starting engine etc., calling for help and reading the GPS for position). His reasoning was that this information would be sufficient if he was incapacitated in any way and for any other emergencies he would tell me what needed to be done as it needed to be done. Gave me a feeling of confidence without overloading me with things to remember - especially since this was only a day sail from the Hamble to Cowes and back in F2-3. The other good point about the briefing was his explanation that there should never be a need to rush anything on a yacht and if I got something wrong it was his fault for not explaining it properly. Result: zero anxiety and a great day out. I think the point has already been made that inexperienced crew can be apprehensive anyway, adding to that anxiety could even be argued to detract from safety rather than enhance it.

Jus my two penneth,

. . Greg

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[ChrisE]

Looks like a good list to me, I especially liked the bit about not rushing about.

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[dralex]

Welcome to the forum Greg- all contributions valid. The impression I get is good skippers are quiet and do the talking before the event. Sound slike you had a good one.

regards

Alex

<hr width=100% size=1>Just enjoy it.