Sailing safety for beginners: lifejackets, the boom, weather, tides and man overboard

TUREFF• •0

Sailing is a safe pastime for people who prepare, and most incidents trace back to a short list of causes: no lifejacket, a swinging boom, weather nobody checked, tides nobody planned for, and someone in the water with a crew that had never practised getting them back. Each has a simple answer.

Lifejackets and buoyancy aids

Buoyancy aids help a conscious swimmer stay afloat and are standard in dinghies, because they let you move and swim when righting a capsized boat.
Lifejackets are designed to turn an unconscious person face up and keep their airway clear. Many are inflatable, triggered automatically or by a pull cord, and are standard on yachts.
Wear one whenever you are on deck or in a dinghy, not stowed below. One that is not worn cannot help you.
Fit matters: do it up, adjust the straps so it does not ride up over your head, and use crotch straps if it has them.
Inflatable lifejackets need checking: gas cylinder screwed in, firing mechanism in date, no damage.

Respect the boom

The boom is the horizontal spar at the bottom of the mainsail, and it swings across the boat whenever you tack or gybe. In a gybe, especially an accidental one, it can move fast enough to injure or knock someone overboard.

Keep your head low whenever the boat is turning.
Always call the turn before you make it.
When sailing downwind, steer slightly away from a dead run to reduce the chance of an accidental gybe. On yachts, a preventer line can hold the boom in place.

Weather

Check the forecast before every trip, including wind strength and direction, gusts and how it changes through the day. Look again just before you leave.
Wind against tide can make the sea much rougher than the wind alone suggests.
Know your limits and the boat's. Reef (make the sail smaller) early; it is easier before the wind builds than after.
Watch the sky and the water. A dark line of ripples moving towards you is a gust on its way.
Remember that offshore winds feel calm near the beach and much stronger further out, and can blow a dinghy away from land.

Tides and currents

In tidal waters, the tide changes the depth under you and the current pushing the boat. Check tide times and heights for the day, plan to work with the stream rather than against it, and check the chart for shallows and hazards. An outgoing tide in light wind can carry a small boat further than it can sail back.

Before you leave

Tell someone ashore where you are going and when you will be back.
Carry a means of calling for help: a VHF radio is standard on yachts, and a phone in a waterproof case is better than nothing.
Know where the safety gear is: lifebuoy, throwing line, flares, first aid kit and fire extinguisher.
Brief any new crew on the boom, the lifejackets and what to do if someone falls in.

Man overboard

If someone goes into the water, the first seconds decide how easy the recovery is. Training bodies teach a similar first response:

Shout "man overboard" to alert everyone on board.
Point and keep pointing: one person's only job is to keep the casualty in sight. It is very easy to lose a head among waves.
Throw buoyancy: a lifebuoy, danbuoy or throwing line, as close as possible.
Mark the position: press the MOB button on the GPS or chartplotter if there is one.
Call for help when it is safe to do so, without leaving the boat drifting with nobody watching the person in the water.

Then turn the boat and return to the casualty. There is more than one way to do this under sail or engine, and the right one depends on the boat and conditions, which is exactly why courses practise it. If you use the engine near someone in the water, watch the propeller. Getting a person back on board is often harder than reaching them, especially on a yacht with high sides. Talk through how you would do it on your boat before you need to. What safety habits did your instructor drill into you? Share your questions and experiences in the comments below.