Safety at Sea Training Day - BYOB - SOLD OUT

Raritan Yacht Club

Sunday, May 19, 2024 at 1100

On May 19, 2024, Raritan Yacht Club and the Storm Trysail Club/Foundation (STC/STF) are teaming up to offer a new safety training event.  We call it “BYOB” —Bring Your Own Boat— Day.  A core tenet of STC’s safety training is that safety seminars, videos, and books are important for exposing sailors to safety concepts, techniques, and equipment. However, it is only with actual and repeated practice on their own boats with their own crew that competence can be achieved with the “muscle memory” to act properly in the moment.  The BYOB event encourages owners and crews to perform crew overboard (COB) and other safety drills on their own boats, with their own equipment, and their own crews.  Newport-Bermuda Race and Block Island Racers may also wish to participate and fulfill some of their practice requirements for those races.

 

Skills that will be covered include COB prevention, returning to a COB, emergency communications, and several different recovery techniques for different situations.  Offshore race crews will also include abandon ship and firefighting protocols.  We will also discuss how to do a safety briefing on your boat and how to practice these skills on our own. Training will be tailored to the boat and crew.  So, for instance, a fully-crewed race boat might do slightly different drills than a short-handed cruising couple.

 

Prior to the event, there will be a Zoom briefing session for all skippers and crew to go over the basic techniques.  On the morning of the event, we will conduct a brief dockside demo of several of the methods.  For the on-the-water portion, each boat will be given a list of drills to perform with instructions.  Our coaches will then go from boat to boat to help you fine tune your practice and methods.  At the end of the day, we will meet up at RYC for refreshments and to discuss lessons learned.

 

RYC and STF will provide coaches and coach boats, and STC’s innovative COB “dummies” (which simulate the weight of a 180 lb. crew) for recovery training.  As available, we will also provide special “rescue” PFDs, tall buoys,  and throw bags.  A maximum of 10 boats will be registered.  

 

Note:  This training does NOT provide any sort of certification.  It is simply a chance for you to practice these skills with your own boat and crew.

 

We recommend all participants to review the following information on MOB Recovery techniques:

MOB Recovery

MOB Recovery – MidLine Lift Video

Seamanship, Leadership and Safety at Sea Handbook

BYOB Training Day

 

Preference will be given boats entering the Block Island and Bermuda Races. 

 

NOTE:  STC/STF are not providing ANY certification through the BYOB Day event.  All skippers and crews are solely responsible for meeting the requirements of any event in which they plan to participate.

Course Curriculum

  • COB Prevention
  • Returning to COB
  • Emergency Communications
  • Several different recovery techniques for different situations
  • Offshore crews will also include abandon ship and firefighting protocols
  • How to do a safety briefing on your boat
  • How to practice these skills on our own
  • On May 16 at 1930, there will be a Zoom briefing session for all skippers and crew, and the week after the event we will provide a Zoom debrief with video.

Questions?

Contact [email protected] with any questions

Schedule

Thursday, May 16 at 1930 

  • Pre-Event Zoom Meeting

 

Sunday, May 19 at 1100

  • One crew per boat should be prepared to act as “Rescue Crew” to be lowered by halyard over the side (to waterline level) wearing a PFD. The Rescue Crew will attach a tether to the MOB Dummy and both will be hoisted up on deck.  This technique is required to recover an unconscious or injured MOB who cannot stay in a Lifesling.

What to Bring

STF will provide coaches and coach boats, our innovative MOB “dummies” (which simulate the weight of a 180 lb. crew) for recovery training, as well as pick-up sticks/tall buoys, for all event registrants.  

  • Any boat, or member, that can provide a Galerider, or similar, drogue is asked to make them available for the event.
  • Each boat must be equipped with a Lifesling and Throwbag.
  • As available, white water Rescue PFDs will be provided by STF.
  • The “Rescue Crew” should also wear a dry- or wet-suit, helmet, tether, and climbing harness
  • All crew are encouraged to wear PFDs with integrated harnesses.


Fees

Storm Trysail Foundation recommends that participating boats make a donation to STF in the amount of:

  • $200 for boats 45’ LOA or longer
  • $150 for those boats 40’- 45’ LOA
  • $100 for boats smaller than 40’ LOA

Registration