TRANSFER TIPS

• Put a spare, fully charged VHF battery in your grab bag (these can be purchased for most handheld radios)

• If making regular ocean passages in colder climates, consider investing in an immersion suit for each crewmember. If you have to go in the water for a transfer these provide vital protection.

• Use orange smoke flares or sea marker dye to indicate wind direction and drift to a rescue vessel that is preparing to float or throw a messenger line over.

• Sea survival courses teach and refresh many of the skills and techniques required for rescues. Even if you have done one before, consider booking your whole crew on before any significant offshore passages. There is no substitute for practical and recent experience.