Issue date
Dr Dave Austin will be back in May to run his annual offshore medical course at the Auckland Sailing Club.
Dr Dave, a Kiwi through and through, is an experienced offshore sailor and is sought after as an onboard doctor for top racing yachts.
In 2015, he was engaged by Yachting New Zealand to review the medical kits for the Safety Regulations of Sailing and in 2016 ran the inaugural offshore medics course at Royal Akarana prior to the Auckland to Fiji race. The course was so well received Royal Akarana now run it as an annual event.
The course is tailored to sailors and facilitated by Dr Dave, who flies in from Rockhampton where he is the director of critical care for Central Queensland.
It has a large practical component, with the participants taught to treat the following:
- Sea sickness
- Minor wounds
- Major trauma
- Major wounds and closure techniques
- Cardiac arrest
- Fractures and dislocations
- Burns and infection – skin, systemic
- Antibiotics
- Intramuscular injections
- Suturing and stapling wounds
It is a requirement for all vessels going offshore to have two advanced first aid-trained people on board and the Royal Akarana offshore medics course more than meets this requirement. The fundamental difference between a regular first aid course and the offshore course is that the regular first aid course assumes help within one hour, whereas offshore you must be prepared to keep someone alive and relatively comfortable for a number of days.
Use the certificate for this course for:
- Sydney Hobart
- Fastnet
- Auckland Noumea
- Round North Island / Round NZ
Dr Dave will be leading a course at Auckland Sailing Club (Royal Akarana's temporary home) on Saturday May 12 that will cover all aspects of first aid at sea, and include discussion on the Yachting New Zealand first aid kit. The course is recognised by Yachting New Zealand for Cat 1 and World Sailing and is limited to 40 students.
It will cost $350 per person (and will include morning/afternoon tea and lunch) and will run from 8.30am to 6pm. All profits will be donated to a charity, including adding equipment to support a disabled race officer.
See here for more information.
