Boating and Sailing.pdf - Moja ladja

Chapter 7: People Management and Safety Aboard
◆ Explain your route of travel for the same reason. If you’re in an area where there’s a
lot of shallow water, or if you’ll be out during low tide, explain where the safe routes
are.
◆ Select a second-in-command and explain basic boat operation to him or her. Again,
if you’re disabled, this person will have to keep the boat under control until the boat
docks or help arrives.
◆ Tell everyone where the head or marine toilet is and explain how to use it.
◆ Remind all that there will be no smoking during refueling. None, period.
Make this all light and informational—the object is to make your crew aware without
making them nervous.
Alcohol Afloat
While waiting for the sun to drop below the yardarm and then enjoying a cup of “grog”
is a longtime seagoing tradition, alcohol use afloat brings with it all the cautions of use
ashore, and some additional concerns as well.
As with driving a vehicle, the skipper or anyone else who will be charged with a critical
job should not drink anything, at all, until the boat is securely tied up for the night. The
standards for driving under the influence are the same on a boat as they are ashore in
most states, and so are the penalties. In fact, in some states, a DWI on the water gets
added to your driver’s license ashore! As few as two beers can put a small person over the
legal limit. Don’t risk legal problems—and more importantly the safety of your crew and
your boat—by drinking while you’re at the helm.
Be aware that drinking afloat can have a more immediate and obvious affect than drinking
ashore, too. Dehydration and overheating from long hours in the sun can cause alcohol to
pack a lot more wallop than it does when you’re sitting in an air-conditioned lounge. And
those who have too much to drink can be at least as obnoxious afloat as they are back on
land; keep an eye on drinkers and don’t be afraid to limit their intake if you feel it’s necessary
for their own safety or that of others.
Protection from the Sun
I don’t like to read health warnings any more than anyone else, but for those new to life
afloat, the relationship with the sun is a whole new ball game. That friendly Mr. Sun that
gives your cheeks a rosy glow when exposed during a walk in a park will fry your skin into
purple blisters if it’s not protected during several hours of open-water boating.
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