When it comes to boat safety, it’s quite a broad category. You might immediately think that it’s just life jackets, a GPS positioning device, and Man-Overboard equipment, but that’s only a very small tip of the iceberg. As with most things boating-related, safety is yet another huge category to get your head around. Allow me to help demystify this area and help you hit the ground running.
Once you scratch the surface, you might wonder what you already know versus what you need to know.
To gain a top-level understanding of boat safety, let’s start with a question:
“What do I need to know to ensure that my boat and the people on and around my boat are kept in good health and protected? How can I make sure I minimize accidents and avoid serious casualties?”
To put the world of boat safety into context, we can organize it into three main areas: equipment, policies, and procedures.
Equipment includes items like life jackets, liferaft, EPIRB, Man Overboard (MOB) equipment, flares, and so forth.
Policies, which are more boat/owner specific, might include when to wear or not wear a life jacket, the required use of sunscreen, the rules of a night watch, and shoes required on deck. Procedures may include items like the specific MOB method to use, how to prepare the boat for a storm/hurricane, and what to do in the instance of an engine alarm.
I wrote a safety manual for Britican that lists every piece of equipment we have, when it was last serviced, and how to use it. I also have a section for our policies and the various procedures we follow. I’d love to say that we had our manual from day one. And I’d also love to brag that I did it off my own back, but that’s not the case. When we got our boat legalized to take paying guests, it was a requirement.
Ever since we created our own boat safety manual, I’ve felt strongly that every boat should have one.
Sometimes, Simon and I knew what to do in certain situations. In other cases, I had no clue. For example, I didn’t understand how our life raft worked. I had fears that the sailboat would sink, and since the life raft painter was attached to the boat, it might go down with the sailboat.
Little did I know that it usually takes quite a while for a sailboat to sink. If, by some odd chance, the sailboat does pull down the life raft, the painter will eventually pull a sacrificial piece off the raft and allow the raft to float up. With our Jon Buoy, I didn’t know what it looked like until we saw it tested and deployed (it’s a very thin, tall balloon-like structure with a flag). All I knew was that we had to throw it in the water.
Knowing how the equipment works and what it looks like deployed makes a massive difference in feeling safe!
In addition to not fully understanding all our equipment, we had various ‘policies’, but we didn’t tell anyone about them formally. They were unwritten, and we mostly made them up on the go.
For example, we now tell all our guests to either wear a rash guard covering their skin or apply sunscreen periodically throughout the day – and we monitor them! We also move them to the shady side of the boat throughout the day. It might seem odd, but if we don’t force people to protect themselves, they will get burned. Visitors just don’t realize the environment they’re in when they spend time on a boat. You simply don’t feel the sun burning you.
We also have a no peeing off the side of the boat under the passage policy (for men).
More men are found drowned with their fly down than not!
Simon and I have a no-leaving-the-cockpit at night-policy. If we’re on a night sail, we have to wake each other up if we need to adjust something on the aft or foredeck – even if it’s one foot away from the cockpit. By having this policy, not only do we ensure that someone is on deck when the other might be vulnerable, but I also sleep better because I know damn well that Simon won’t be wandering around the boat (and potentially fall off)!
Some other policies that we have include making sure the boat is clean and tidy before setting sail and the requirement for all crew to wear a lifejacket always at night, during storms, and at the Captain’s request. Of course, our crew is welcome to wear a lifejacket if they want. All children must wear a lifejacket if going outside the cockpit.
As far as boat safety procedures go, we have our laminated VHF broadcasts checklists and templates.
If and when we need to make a MAYDAY, Pan-Pan, or other VHF communication, we simply flip through the laminated documents in our Nav Station desk and follow along. I created these VHF broadcasts when we first set sail. I was confused as to the exact steps and procedures. For six years, we’ve had our laminated sheets, and not once have I used them. To get your copy of the VHF Broadcasts, check out my guide, VHF Checklists & Broadcasts for Sailors, located in my Sailing Books shop.
One month prior to writing this, I had to make a MAYDAY broadcast.
We were sailing along in the middle of the open ocean, and we darn near and ran over two men in the water. At first, I couldn’t understand what was happening. Long story short, the men went out in a rowboat, and the tide went out and pulled them to sea. The boat got swamped and capsized. If we hadn’t almost hit them, I fear they would not be with us today. That said, we had enough people on board to follow our MOB procedure to the exact specifications.
Incidentally, we covered our MOB procedure one day early with our guests.
One person pointed, and another worked at shooting flotation devices off. Simon started the engine and put the boat in a position to recover the men. Then I told the guys, ‘We’re coming for you,’ and did the MAYDAY call. I went to the Nav Station, my heart racing, and pulled out my MAYDAY sheet. Then, I started, ‘All Stations, All Stations, All Stations, This is a MAYDAY, MAYDAY, MAYDAY.’
I read our MMSI, Call Sign, and gave our rough position. I explained the situation and manned the VHF through the whole ordeal.
Over five other boats in the vicinity called to help out.
Weeks later, I received many comments from people in the area. They said they were impressed with how we handled the situation and were pleased we saved lives.
Had we needed backup, there were boats on the way. It was a real-life drill, and our procedures ensured that the best possible outcome was achieved. Had we not discussed the procedure with our guests or had the MAYDAY script at hand, it wouldn’t have gone as smoothly.
Other boat safety procedures include turning the boat on and off and reading the plotter.
It might seem nuts, but if Simon and I both go overboard, if there’s anyone left, they need to know how to save us and themselves. We also have set procedures for preparing for a storm (see my Hurricane Preparedness Guide in my Sailing Books shop) and what to do if the bilge starts going off. We have a map for all our stopcocks. So, if water is coming in, we know what floorboards to start lifting up to rule out the issue.
No one wants to contemplate the worst.
We all think of sailing and see sparkling blue water, tropical white beaches, and smiles on everyone’s faces. It’s hard to force ourselves to look too closely into ‘what if…’ situations, but it’s imperative. What if our engine dies? What if Simon goes over – how will I lift him out of the water? How about our mast coming down?
What’s important is to ask and answer the “what if” questions. Create formal policies and procedures, learn how to use the equipment, and then move on. Don’t dwell on these things. In most cases, nothing will ever happen…but by knowing how your equipment works and how to deal with issues, you’ll feel more confident and safe. Amen!
FREE Boat Safety Template
When avoiding boat safety mistakes, the most important thing you can do is know where all your safety equipment is located, how it works, whether it’s been serviced, and when it next needs to be serviced.
This audit lists all the standard boat safety equipment and lets you check off what you have/don’t have. It also recommends servicing items that require maintenance and listing potential procedures and policies that you might want to take on board your boat. Get access here – Boat Safety Template.
Other Boat Safety Articles/Videos
Any Questions or Comments?
Please leave them below.
What safety do you need on a boat?
Life jackets, emergency flotation devices, fire extinguishers, distress signals, navigation lights, and proper maintenance.
What is the most important safety information found on a boat?
Life jackets and personal flotation devices (PFDs) should be worn at all times while on board a boat.
Do you have a go bag with VHF radio in the go bag. Do you have one in your life raft to communicate with the coast guard of you need an airlift?
Just curious
Hey Alan. We have several VHF radios near the grab bag. We’d put at least one (perhaps all of them?) in the grab bag or the life raft if we left the sailboat. Additionally, we have two huge containers of water that we’d also take with us. Thank you for the comment. Kim