What the boat owners say
Nick Deacon and Michelle Cruwys are sailing ARC 21 with their grownup children on Maalu 4, a Nyad 511
Michelle: We’ve got pyrotechnic flares and LED ones because the ARC specifies we have both. Personally I think LED flares are way better; they’re super-bright. They’re only handheld, though, not rocket flares, but you still get that brilliant light. I must say, the idea of holding a [pyrotechnic] handheld red flare doesn’t appeal to me, especially not in the liferaft.
I’m a retired consultant paediatrician and I’m very keen on safety. I’ve got a very well stocked medical kit.
We’re in our 60s and I want to be able to manage everything I can at sea. Burns are my biggest worry.
Nick: We did a lot of preparation for the trip. We have a new liferaft, jonbuoy, lifeline, handy billy for lifting people out, rope ladder for the side, as well as the usual set of flares, two EPIRBs, some electronic flares, and lifejackets which have the mini AIS units attached. They’re a great idea, because if someone falls overboard the chartplotter will take you back to them.
We did the RYA Safety at Sea one-day course with a liferaft in a swimming pool. That was really good. We learned techniques for getting in and out, and for staying warm.
We made sure our children went and did that course as well. If it’s pitch dark, at least the course will give you some familiarity with a liferaft. Find helpful advice about safety kit at: ■ worldcruising.com/arc/safety.aspx ■ vimeo.com/449603940/d0891fd1bb ■ vimeo.com/449582479/556566e7e2