Safety

Lifejackets are the single most important piece of safety equipment. They come in different buoyancy ratings: 150N lifejackets are standard for coastal sailing and will turn an unconscious person face-up in the water. A 275N lifejacket is designed for offshore use with heavy clothing.

Safety harnesses attach you to the boat via a lifeline clipped to jackstays (webbing straps or wire running along the deck). The rule is simple: clip on before you need to. In rough weather, at night, or when alone on deck, always wear a harness.

Kill cords (engine cut-off lanyards) must be attached to the helmsman when motoring. If the helmsman falls overboard, the cord pulls out and stops the engine immediately, preventing the propeller from causing injury.

DSC (Digital Selective Calling) is the modern method for raising a distress alert. Press the red distress button on the VHF radio (usually under a cover). This transmits your vessel's MMSI number, position (from GPS), and the nature of distress to all vessels and coastguard stations in range.

A voice MAYDAY is broadcast on VHF Channel 16. The format is: MAYDAY MAYDAY MAYDAY — This is [vessel name ×3] — MAYDAY [vessel name] — My position is [lat/long or bearing and distance from known point] — I have [nature of distress] — I require [assistance needed] — [number of persons on board] — Over.

An EPIRB (Emergency Position Indicating Radio Beacon) transmits a distress signal via satellite when activated. A SART (Search and Rescue Transponder) shows up on other vessels' radar screens to guide rescuers to your position.

HM Coastguard coordinates maritime search and rescue in UK waters. A yacht skipper should know when to call early, how to use DSC and VHF Channel 16, and how to pass clear information: vessel identity, position, nature of problem, number of people aboard, assistance required, and intentions. The Coastguard also broadcasts Maritime Safety Information such as weather warnings and navigational warnings.

For non-distress but developing problems, call before the situation becomes unmanageable. A PAN PAN can be appropriate for urgent safety issues such as engine failure near a lee shore, a medical problem, or being unsure of position in deteriorating visibility. The skipper should also keep shore contacts or CG66-style vessel information current so rescuers have useful details if the alarm is raised.

The Boat Safety Scheme is mainly associated with inland waterways, but its safety principles are relevant to any small craft: fuel systems, gas installations, ventilation, electrical systems, fire extinguishers, escape routes, and carbon monoxide awareness. For coastal sailing it does not replace seaworthiness checks, coding requirements where applicable, or the skipper's responsibility to inspect the vessel before passage.

Yachts should carry a selection of flares. Red parachute flares reach 300m and are visible for 40+ seconds — used to alert rescuers at long range. Red hand-held flares burn for about 60 seconds and are used to pinpoint your position at closer range.

Orange smoke signals are effective during daylight when flares are harder to see. White flares are NOT distress signals — they are used to indicate your position to other vessels to avoid collision.

Fire on a boat is extremely dangerous — there is nowhere to retreat to. Prevention is critical: maintain fuel systems, keep bilges clean of fuel and oil, ensure gas systems have proper shut-offs, and never leave cooking unattended.

The fire triangle requires fuel, heat, and oxygen. Remove any one element and the fire goes out. Fire extinguishers on boats are typically dry powder (multi-purpose), CO2 (for electrical fires), or fire blankets (for galley fires). Know where every extinguisher is stowed and how to use them before you need them.

If a helicopter is involved in your rescue, listen for instructions on VHF Ch 16 or the frequency they specify. Clear the deck of loose items that could be blown around by the downdraft.

The helicopter will lower a winchman or a strop. NEVER attach the helicopter's wire to the boat — if the helicopter needs to pull away suddenly, it could capsize the vessel. Allow the winch wire to touch the water or deck first to discharge static electricity. Follow the winchman's instructions exactly.

Every vessel should carry appropriate safety equipment for the planned passage. This includes: lifejackets for all crew, safety harnesses, flares (in date), fire extinguishers, first aid kit, fog horn, radar reflector, VHF radio, torch, and a means of raising the alarm.

For longer passages or further offshore, a liferaft and a grab bag are essential. The grab bag should contain water, handheld flares, a torch, a knife, seasickness tablets, and a handheld VHF radio. Stow safety equipment where it can be accessed quickly — not buried under stores.

When someone falls overboard, the immediate actions are critical. Shout 'MAN OVERBOARD' to alert the crew, throw a lifebuoy and dan buoy towards the casualty to mark their position, and designate one crew member as the pointer — their sole job is to keep a finger pointed at the person in the water at all times. Press the MOB button on the GPS to record the position.

Under power, the crash stop (turning hard towards the side the person fell from, stopping, and reversing back) is the quickest method. The Williamson turn is used when the casualty has been lost from sight: turn hard to one side, then when 60° off original course reverse the helm until on the reciprocal heading — this brings you back along your original track. Under sail, the reach–reach–reach method (also called the figure-of-eight) involves bearing away onto a broad reach, gybing, then coming back on a close reach to approach the casualty from downwind.

Getting the casualty back aboard is often the hardest part. Use a bathing ladder if the casualty is conscious and able to climb. For a weak or unconscious casualty, rig a halyard to a rescue sling or loop it under their arms and use a winch to hoist them. A purpose-built rescue sling (such as a Jonbuoy or Markus net) makes recovery far easier and should be practised before it is needed.

Hypothermia is a major threat. A person in cold water loses heat 25 times faster than in air. After rescue, keep the casualty horizontal — lifting them vertically can cause cold blood from the extremities to rush to the heart, triggering cardiac arrest (circumrescue collapse). Remove wet clothing, insulate with blankets, and give warm drinks only if conscious. Do not rub their skin or apply direct heat.

A yacht's stability depends on the relationship between two forces: the centre of gravity (G) — the point through which the total weight acts downward — and the centre of buoyancy (B) — the centre of the underwater volume through which buoyancy acts upward. When the boat heels, B moves to leeward as the underwater hull shape changes, creating a righting moment that tries to return the boat upright. The distance between the vertical lines through G and B is the righting lever (GZ).

Several factors reduce stability and must be carefully managed. Carrying heavy gear aloft (for example a dinghy on the coachroof or heavy items in a deck locker) raises the centre of gravity, reducing the righting moment. Free surface effect occurs when liquids — such as water in the bilge or partially filled tanks — slosh to the low side as the boat heels, effectively raising G and reducing stability. Flooding through an open hatch or hull breach has the same effect and is compounded by the added weight.

Keeping the boat seaworthy means reducing topweight wherever possible: stow heavy items low in the bilge, avoid carrying unnecessary weight on deck, and secure all loose gear. Ensure hatches, washboards, and ventilators can be sealed in heavy weather. A well-maintained hull with properly functioning bilge pumps, seacocks, and skin fittings is fundamental to seaworthiness. Before any passage, check that all through-hull fittings have accessible seacocks and that softwood bungs are tied to each seacock in case a hose fails.

Preparation is the key to surviving heavy weather. Reef early — it is much easier to shake out a reef if the wind does not increase than to reef when it is already blowing hard and the crew are tired. Check all safety gear is accessible: lifejackets on, harnesses clipped in, and jackstays rigged. Stow all loose items below and on deck, close and secure hatches and washboards, rig lee cloths on bunks, and brief the crew on the plan.

When conditions worsen beyond the ability to make progress comfortably, several tactics are available. Heaving-to is the classic method of riding out a gale: back the jib (sheet it to windward), lash the helm to leeward, and keep a deeply reefed mainsail or trysail set. The boat settles at roughly 50–60° to the wind and drifts slowly to leeward, creating a slick of disturbed water to windward that helps break wave crests.

Lying ahull — lowering all sail and letting the boat drift beam-on — is sometimes used in moderate gales but carries the risk of being rolled by a breaking wave. Running off before the wind with warps trailed astern slows the boat and prevents broaching or pitch-poling in steep following seas. A drogue (a cone-shaped device trailed from the stern) provides drag and keeps the stern into the waves. A sea anchor (a parachute-shaped device deployed from the bow) holds the bow head-to-wind, similar to heaving-to but without sail.

Crew management matters as much as boat handling in heavy weather. Keep watches short, ensure off-watch crew rest and eat, and prevent seasickness spreading through the crew. Monitor everyone for signs of fatigue, fear, and hypothermia. Know the limits of both your boat and your crew, and do not be too proud to seek shelter early or call for assistance if the situation is deteriorating.