Safety briefing for daysail

[John_Clarke]

I want to take some non sailing friends for a daysail in our 33' cruiser. What do you think I should include in the briefing?

I am primarily thinking of safety items but what else to include for their comfort and enjoyment?

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[Jools_of_Top_Cat]

I would start by a quick explaination of the heads, warm them in gently, non boaty people really struggle with the idea opening sea cocks and flicking levers and pumping with the lever flicked the right way..... Once they have stopped laughing you get onto the serious stuff......

Explain the forecast and what they might expect from the day, where you are going and some ideas of times, this will leave them with some feeling of control if they are nervous about you just sailing off with presumably not a care in the world.

They will need to know where the lifejackets and safety lines are kept and a very quick demo, too long and they will be lost watching the other boats leaving.

The skippers word is law but he does not mind people asking questions!

Show the flares, get one out and do a quick explaination of how to set it off, see if you can remember yourself without reading the side.

When you start the engine make sure at least one of them is watching you, or get one of them to do it, same with sails, be the skipper, choose the right ones for the job and get them to hoist and set the sails, if you dissapear at least one of them should remember the basics. Get them helming as soon as possible, if nothing else it will stop boredom.

If any are looking queezy get them on the helm immediately keep their minds off their stomaches.

Get one of them to go below with you and explain how to make a maday call, show them your card that you should have by the set, how to get a position off the GPS etc. Nothing too strenuous.

If one is interested in the navigation, using chart not plotter, it wont hurt for a day, when you are taking fixes etc. talk them through it, by the end of day make them do a few.

I guess what I am saying is I don't really take passengers, if someone new comes aboard they are crew and I will give them all my time talking through why I am doing it this way or that, I refuse to be that guy Chris Evans went sailing with !

Oh, nearly forgot, if they want to wear a lifejacket it should be encouraged, but when you tell them to there will be no arguments. Also show locations of fire extinguishers, gas locker to shut off gas, fuel shut offs, and bilge pumps. A short explaination that should fire break out they should do everything in the arsenal to put it out, even risking personal injury! Oh, the first aid kit is here....goes on forever, why not just sit around the moorings and get pissed lol..

Can you not find someone with experience to go along as 1st mate, this is too difficult....

<hr width=100% size=1>J

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<P ID="edit"><FONT SIZE=-1>Edited by Jools_of_Top_Cat on 23/04/2004 23:02 (server time).</FONT></P>

 

[squidge]

Hi , I to am taking some non sailors for a jolly in the morning so i now have some good tips.Thanks

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[FullCircle]

In addition to the physical briefing, It doesn't take long to have a printed page or two in plastic hanging round the nav area or above the vhf. Gives the first clue to all the above (very sensible) suggestions. Not in depth, or you might as well give the the Yachtmaster CD ! That way, they only have to remember to go to the emergency instructions if they are paralysed by the fear of a situation where you are incapacitated or gone over the side.....

( I am still doing mine)
Jim

<hr width=100% size=1>Second Chance - First Love. Ah well, Windex it is then. Hopefully it will all work when launched....

 

[John_Clarke]

Julian

Thank you very much for your very interesting and detailed reply. Full of good ideas which have got me thinking about how to make the day good fun for all. I like the idea of getting everyone involved rather than being passengers.

I am trying to arrange to take an experience first mate who could take over if I were to become incapacitated but neither of these experienced sailors can be certain they would be available so I will need to cover the basics for them calling for help and handling the boat. I also intend to wear a harness so I cannot fall over board!

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[Guest]

Full briefing ..... agreed

Only thiught - though ....... I know plenty of people who want to go for a daysail and would end up wearing Pampers with all that info.
There are many that would be 'put-off' by so much 'Dire Straits' stuff ...... particularly the female side who are good at passing up the beers !

As to getting all involved in the routine and working of the boat ...... I have always found that the more involved they get - the more they enjoy it ....... I normally sit back and let them get on with it ..... giving input / correction when necessary. I want them to remember and also become one with the experience ..... a few after coming with me have ended up getting their own boats - so I feel that has been particularly successful !!

My comment - Keep it Simple, short and precise ... labouring on too much to them at start and they'll think they joined for a Safety School Course ......


<hr width=100% size=1>Nigel ... and of course Yahoo groups :
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/gps-navigator/

 

[Shakey]

I used to have to give safety briefings on boats every week in a previous job.

I agree with the advice given in this thread, the only thing I'd add is how to use the anchor windlass safely (if fitted), things you can grab on to when moving about the boat and try not to fall down hatches.

It is a bit a balancing act though, giving a doom and gloom briefing without scaring people off the water in the process. A bit of humour helps.

<hr width=100% size=1>At the end of the day - Sunset.

 

[tcm]

don't disagree with anything here.

I would add that there's often a bit of bravado from newbies, and/or a feeling from less physically able people that they should be "doing more to help" and hence totter about the deck when they shouldn't. At the other extreme some newbies overextend themselves or even show off their physical prowess whether scampering around the foredeck, ripping at the winches, leaping for the quayside and all with an airy "it's alright - i'm fine!!"

So I wd point out that people endangering themselves is obviously bad for them - but ESPECIALLY bad for everyone else too. A broken person is the same as a broken boat - the fun/holiday ends at exactly that moment and people harder to fix.

So, in the same way as they shd (and of course will) look after the boat - they should take special care to look after themselves and be very risk-averse. One hand for themselves, no running/leaping, no doing things which really you know is risky, no worrying that you should be pitching in more if it's dodgy. Sometimes, the best thing that newbies can do is take pictures, or make tea, and it can easily be a happier time all round. It's important to try and bring the boat back in non-busted condition, but far more important to achieve the same for all crew. Overextending the boat will bust it, and the same goes for the crew. So running/leaping and so on is relegated to the same as thrashing the engine - definitely NOT required.





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[racingron]

Don't forget to talk about the boom....

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