Issue date
Wednesday's boat prep and safety seminar was well attended, and we had some great speakers on the night, covering a variety of topics. If you didn't make it, or if you'd like to recap on the main points from the evening, here's a quick round-up.
Multihull designer and Yachting New Zealand safety inspector Tim Clissold was our safety guru on the night. He recommends being prepared, should the worst happen.
- Test lifejackets, allocate one to each crew and make sure they fit pre-race.
- Inspect your flares and know how to use them - not knowing the hot end from the cold end can be disastrous!
- Practice reefing - a 40 knot nor'easter is not the time to be doing it for the first time.
- Check your bilge pumps to make sure you can get water out in the event of hull damage.
Rig Pro's Auckland Manager Alexis Reeves spoke about the importance of checking your rig before the big day. “It's great having flash sails,” he said, “but your rig is what they hang on!”
- Make a plan for hoisting someone up the rig - who is going up and who is on the winch - and do a rehearsal before the race.
- Check your bosun's chair, make sure you have two strong attachment points, always tie a bowline to the chair - don't use a snap shackle, and never trust your crew's life to a jammer or self-tailer - keep the halyard on a winch and lock it off, on the winch.
- Get familiar with your own rig - check it bow to stern, top to bottom, looking for missing split pins and screws, cracks and small changes, or wear and chafe on halyards.
- While you've got someone up the rig, get them to check the nav lights too.
Andy Pilcher from Doyle Sails advised similar pre-departure checks on your sails.
- Check sails every season for wear and tear from spreaders etc.
- Check seams and luff tapes for chafe, and stitching for UV damage.
- Lay spinnakers out in a well-lit room to show up small holes.
- Make sure your storm sails are in good condition ,with sheets attached (as per Cat 3 requirements)
- On race day, check the forecast and work out a strategy, but be prepared to change it if the conditions alter.
Simon Hull, NZMYC representative and owner of Team Vodafone Sailing, spoke about the importance of crisis planning.
- Make an emergency plan so everyone knows what to do, should the worst happen.
- Allocate a crew member to each task - launching the liferaft, calling for assistance, etc.
In terms of navigation, here are some important points to note:
- Make sure the skipper and crew know where you are at all times - without relying solely on GPS. Use landmarks, radar, depth sounder etc.
- Know the lights you'll see on the way up the coast - have a list of lights on hand (from the Nautical Almanac) and tick them off as you progress, to confirm your position.
- Identify ‘bolt holes' up the coast - safe harbours you can withdraw to if necessary, and have charts of those harbours on board.
And perhaps most importantly - skippers - remember YOU are ultimately responsible for the safety of your crew and vessel, so remember the 6 Ps - Proper Planning and Preparation Prevent Poor Performance!
We look forward to seeing you on the start line on 23 October. If you haven't already, get your entry in now!
