Risk Assessment Pre-Cruise

[Renegade_Master]

Most points made already by others, check updates on your charts especially for instance where we are going tomorrow, across the Estuary up east, lots of sand banks which can shift, and alter depths. New buoys could appear which may not be on your charts if not updated. And make sure everyone on board knows basically how to use VHF, in case your struck dumb by something unforseen, (highly improbable I know).

Oh and as an aside Grumpy sorry Happy, incase you dont like my anagram suggestion for yer name how about "Memory Maker" cos it looks like your boat trips are gonna provide some for all involved eh.

<hr width=100% size=1><A target="_blank" HREF=http://www.suncoastmarine.co.uk>Sun Coast Sea School & Charter</A>

 

[Happy1]

I have an 8" Scubapro stainless steel diveres knife, I have brackets to fix the sheath to the bulk head, I have been sharpening it each evening when I am bored /forums/images/icons/laugh.gif. I also have a couple of backups,

<hr width=100% size=1><font color=purple> "You only see what you recognise, and you only recognise what you know" <font color=purple>

 

[Confused]

Happy1

the new " Frank Spencer " of boating

Hmmm Betty I think I forgot to put the bung in, wooooopseee

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[tcm]

check boat:
no plastic bags etc around stern
anchor secured at bow with shackle or rope to avoid massive prob if it all lets go at speed, and check route out forward
portholes secured below
things stowed below, esp drawers/cupboards shut
(if appropriate!) is dishwasher empty else everythig will get smashed up
240V ready to be disconnected, and start disconnecting
navigation
passage plan - write it down a bit even for short trip, where when
gps waypoints
radar on
charts, as appropriate, with xref to waypoints
vhf (and mobile if in med) but don't radio check every time, pressing ptt will suffice for most trips
crew
briefed re lifejackets, liferafts, fire gear, first aid gear
otherwise suitably briefed (ie not 45 min briefing for a trip into the bay)
method of departure (who lets go of what and when)
location of each in the boat upon departure
engine
maintenance a separate issue really
checked oil recently and "know" what is likely useage
weather
appropriate forecast for distance/time
several forecasts over previous days for long trip
fuel
check levels, know refuelling
food +drink
people get vpissed off if no food and drink, even just biccies for a short trip
target destination
pilot for marina studied/ready
berth booked or likely, and alternatives planned

ready for off
240v offline and disconnected
shorten up ready to leave quay, explaining/agreeing with crew who'll do what
Check for other stuff on the quayside

Engine on
Does it "feel right"?
Do meters all read correctly? If not, switch off and check.
Walk to stern to check exhausts are chucking water out
Await/check alarms
Final briefing with crew (can be just a thumbs up if they are boatie) so they/you let go of right lines at right time, and know which fender points are likely critical.

Throughout trip
keep log as appropriate.
on a "proper" hourlong+ passage, note down actual compass heading and distance+eta in case of total nav failure. When poss, familarise with land profile 10+miles ahead when on correct course.
check instruments, incl (at sea) radar - that what you see around tallies with radar picture. Yes, radar always on if you have it, imho.
When planing, need to watch sea surface 50-200 yards ahead, be ready to dump autopilot and take manual control, altho it's often a seagull.
When planing inshore, always take earlier action than others-so you are never "closed down" by several boats converging - wherever possible taking decisive (obvious to others) seaward turns early. Reasonable and safe practice min 100m from all other craft where possible, or perhaps 200m from very small craft, aiming to pass such that their stern takes your wash. In very flat water, no harm in not accelerating until well clear of other less speedy (eg sailing) craft: if they can read you boat name and/or you can count how many fingers they are holding up - you're too close unless at displacement speeds imho.


Don't shoot me down in flames if i've missed summink, cut/paste this to include other things, perhaps we can get a perfect checklist.







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[alpha]

Fascinating discussion, especially from my perspective as an airline safety professional and skipper.

First, forgive my pedantry, but all the chat above is not about 'risk assessment' per se, but rather, good practice. Risk assessment, of the proper, holistic, classic, kind, is about identifying things that could go wrong (hazards), how likely they are to happen (risk), what the conseqeunces are, and what mitigation may be effective. It's by this process that we arrive at a decision that it's OK to do something one way, or that we should try to do it another, or that we shouldn't do it at all and should all go for a quiet drink until we have a better idea, etc.

On checklists, you need to be really careful about treading this path to carefree boating. Checklists are not panacea. If you place faith in checklists, they must be excruciatingly carefully designed and tested, and used by trained individuals. Even the big aircraft manufacturers are a long way off target on this one (IMHO)! There are different sorts too, such as 'do and read' and 'read and do', each applicable in different circumstances.

If anyone's interested, I'd be happy to offer some more thoughts on checklists in boating, but I don't want to waste your time if you're all busy!

<hr width=100% size=1><P ID="edit"><FONT SIZE=-1>Edited by alpha on 27/02/2003 22:04 (server time).</FONT></P>

 

[duncan]

I have found the small (14inch 'ish) SS cutterds where you have 2 rings at either end and a length of meshed/barbed wire much the easiest thing to clear rope etc - because you can normally feed them behind the tangle - downside is they need 2 hands but youcan add a length of line to one end and pass to helper on BPlatform.
Survival saw or something like that I think they are called.

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[Trevor_swfyc]

Happy 1,
Can I share this tale with you, it is loosly linked with risk assessment.
I was sitting near the fence which separates the club and public ramps. It was a hot summers day, force 2-3 blue skies perfect, I know I should have been on my boat.
Anyway a young lad of about eight arrives with his dad on the public ramp, they are proudly pulling a small dinghy. It is obviously brand new and as they pass me it is clear it is a home build project. The boat is immaculate and dad sets about rigging it. The mast is errected the shrouds secured, the kicker and the mainsheet to the boom all the time dad is explaining what each bit is and does. The son is all the time looking on very proud but starts to get a bit eager and asks can I get in yet dad, no not yet replies dad. Dad continues to rig the boat the mainsail and foresail are hanked on and the sail raised. The rudder is put on its pintles, the tiller is put in place in the rudder stock, the retaining pin inserted, dad continues to explain it all to his son whose face shows how happy and proud he is beaming from ear to ear. Having now spent 45 min watching the son again asks can I get in yet dad, no not yet replies dad, first we must put on our life-jackets. Dad says right now we can launch the boat and I will turn it round. Having done this the son asks can I get in now dad. At last dad gives the ok yes jump in son, the son leaps over the transom crack the tiller snaps and falls into the bottom of the dinghy. The son no longer smiling looks up at his dad and says does this mean we can't go now.
I had to walk away, but I thought welcome to boating you can make all the plans, control (you think) all the risks and still the unexpected happens.

Lets hope you have more luck!
Trevor

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