SAFETY CHECKLIST

Make sure you’ve got your safety kit up to scratch

Preparation for the 2020 season should have started when the boat came out of the water,’ says Alistair Hackett. ‘If you haven’t done that this year, then use this list for the autumn so you can get ahead for next year.

‘Many people start with lifejackets and liferafts, and rightly so, but there is more to safety equipment than just these. Checking your safety equipment on board isn’t just about checking that what is there works. You also need to think carefully about whether you’ve got the right things on the boat and whether it is fit for purpose for the kind of sailing you do. Then, if it is in date, does the crew know where it is, what it is for and how to use it? Preparing your crew should be as much part of your ‘safety checks’ as servicing the equipment.

‘If you are using a service centre for any of your equipment, most manufacturers will list authorised service stations around the country for both inflatable and electronic safety devices. Find the one nearest to you; some of these are owned by the manufacturer, and some just licenced. Lots of service stations in the UK are not licenced to do so, however. If they are not, there is no guarantee they are doing the right tests to the proper standards, and you are risking your own safety. If in doubt, ask to see a manufacturer’s certificate.

‘None of this equipment will do you any good if you don’t know how to use it properly, and actually do so when the time comes. If you are the one to be incapacitated, it’s vital that the others on board know where equipment is, what it does and how to use it.

‘Once all of the safety equipment is back on the boat, get your crew together and go through how each bit of equipment works. If you have PLB or AIS beacon, show the crew how to use it. For an MOB SART, show the crew how to identify where the casualty is using your AIS screen.

‘Show them where the flares are and how to use them. Similarly for fire extinguishers, it’s important to know that a 2kg fire extinguisher only lasts for 8-12 seconds. Make sure everything is securely stowed for rough weather, but is still easily accessible.

‘Consider how you could improve what you did last year – the equipment you carried or how you stowed it. Change what is in the grab bag as needed. Does the medical kit have what you need? Checklist requirements can induce a box-ticking mentality, which means you might be missing something useful, so be prepared to refine and adapt your list for your yacht.’

There’s lots to check down below - medical kit, flares, EPIRB, gas alarm, fire extinguishers What condition are your jackstays in, and have you checked your tethers? Have you serviced your lifejackets, or had them recertified? Horseshoe buoy and light serviceable and in date? Inflatable Jonbuoy serviced? Is the liferaft in date? Does it need a service and is the hydrostatic release in date?