Part 1 · Your first day aboard
Your first day aboard: safety
The first hours on a new yacht are the ones that matter in an emergency. Here is what to find, touch and ask about before you start work.
Before you start duties on a new boat you should be shown its safety equipment and what to do in an emergency. On a busy turnaround day it can get missed. Ask for it. A good mate or chief stew will be glad you did.
Find and touch
- Your muster station and your lifejacket
- The fire extinguishers on your deck, and the fire alarm call points
- Two escape routes from your cabin and your work area
- The first aid kit and the AED
- Liferafts, lifebuoys and how they are launched
Know and ask
- The general emergency alarm: seven short blasts and one long
- Your duties on the muster list
- Who you report to in an emergency
- Your job if someone goes overboard
- Where the EPIRB and SART are kept
Count the steps from your bunk to the nearest exit. In smoke you will not see it.
Write it down
Write your muster station and duties on the inside of your cabin door. When the alarm goes at three in the morning, you will not remember the list. Then keep a record of every drill you take part in: it builds your sea time record and shows the next captain you know the drill.
Every boat is different
Signals, duties and equipment change from yacht to yacht. Read the muster list on day one and after every crew change, and always follow your captain's procedures.
Part 2 · Pass your STCW
Pass your STCW basic training
STCW Basic Safety Training is the first course every crew member needs. Here is what it covers and how to walk in ready.
STCW Basic Safety Training is the entry ticket to working at sea. It is usually a five-day course, and it is refreshed every five years. I teach it every month, and the students who do best are the ones who have read up first.
What it covers
- Fire prevention and fire fighting: how fire starts and spreads, extinguishers, breathing apparatus and real fire
- Elementary first aid: the primary survey, CPR, bleeding, burns and shock
- Personal survival techniques: lifejackets, liferafts, the pool session and cold water survival
- Personal safety and social responsibilities (PSSR): safe working, permits, hours of rest and life on board
How to revise
- Ten flashcards a day in the week before the course
- Say the answer out loud before you turn the card
- Practise the order of things: DR ABC, PASS, cut, stream, close, maintain
- Sleep well before the fire and pool days: they are physical
Students who know the basics before day one learn far more on the day. The flashcards are there to get you to that point.
On the day
Bring photo ID, comfortable clothes, closed shoes, swimwear and a towel. Tell your instructor about any medical condition before the practical sessions. And ask questions: that is what we are there for.
Want the full kit? The 50-page handbook: emergencies, casualty care, water toys and the checklists and drill records. Safety at Sea Pack, €9 →