Boating Safety
Introduction
Boating and sailboating is a physical, active, adventure, outdoor activity in a dynamic environment utilizing specialist skills, training, and equipment. It therefor stands to reason that you should adequately aware of the dangers this may pose, and always analyze the changing situation and circumstances in a potential strange and hostile environment.
Being safe and keeping yourself and your passengers and guests and other people safe and out of harms way is your responsibility. You always need to be alert. Be prepared by never stopping to learn more. Keep on seeking out continued education (see resources below). Research, read and practice in advance.
Personal Safety
Primary importance is your own physical safety. Avoid challenging physical activity if your mobility and health does not allow it. If you have physical limitations or restrictions, physical strenuous could be harmful and even dangerous.
Don’t wait for something to happen. Think ahead.
You have to understand , learn, be experienced and practice multiple situations so that you are able to discern to make the correct decision to operate your vessels for your own safety but also the sake or your passengers or 3rd party.
Don’t ignore safety rules and regs and other procedure. They are there for a reason. They may feel silly and superfluous now, but can save you when something goes wrong.
Vessel Safety
The vessel you are in command of is your responsibility. It will keep you safe on the water and provide protection against the elements and you need to understand how to operate it optimally in order to utilize it effectively.
Similar to your motorcar, you need to inspect and maintain your sailboat. Pro-active knowledge of all aspects are imperative. Alternative back up plans and secondary layers of redundancy are crucial. Your knowledge of and ability to implement and utilize this seamlessly are essential. You need to know what to do and how. You need to know what you can do and when.
Resources
A lot of this may sound like common sense. The more knowledge and experience you have, the better your common sense is. Think, research, read and discuss possible situations in advance. Remember things can change fast and don’t always follow the ways you expect them to. Be prepared for any scenario, and then change it up. The more you practice, the luckier you get. In the heat of a stressful moment you don’t have time to stop and think, you need to act, and need to make the correct decision. Fast. Making the wrong decision can be costly. Be prepared.
Be Safe
Report all incidents to the club board and completed CA state required reporting forms, https://dbw.parks.ca.gov/pages/28702/files/DBW%20BAR-1%20Boating%20Accident%20Report%2011.14.17(final).pdf