Safety Gear to Have on Board a Sailboat

Video Transcript

"At Tradewinds we have what we call SAFE TO GO. It's an acronym we use for the students to make sure they have everything that needs to be done on the boat ready before we leave the dock. We are going to start with S. S is safety gear. One of the things you need to always have on board is a throwable it's a type four throwable. The Coast Guard gives different types to different emergency and safety equipment. This is so if anybody ever goes overboard the first thing you do is throw them something. You need to have this within reach of the helmsman so they can toss it. It's not only for the person who goes overboard, but also to mark where that person actually went in the water. It's a lot easier to see the type four than it is to see a head bobbing in the water. Part of S in safety gear is a life jacket. Everybody on board needs to have a life jacket by Coast Guard regulations. Now, the Coast Guard doesn't require you to wear them, but it's a very, very good idea. This is a type; Ok we'll have to cut that one out. What is it five? It's actually a type five unless it's inflated then it's a type one. This is a type five life jacket. It's very easy to wear and comfortable. Everybody on board can wear them. It just clips on and you're ready to go. The other things you need to have are a fire extinguisher. Depending on the size of your boat there are different numbers that you have to carry, but you need to make sure you have those on board by Coast Guard regulations. You have to have a way of making sound in case you have to signal another boat. This is a very simple one. It uses a diaphragm and a piece of plastic and makes noise. It makes a lot of noise for a little thing. You also are required to have flares, three flares. You also need to make sure that they are in date. The date printed on the side of the flare is when they expire. You need to make sure that those are good. Although it's not required; sorry about that. The other requirement is a visual signaling device. What we have on this boat is a flag. This is required. Then even though it's not required it's always a good practice to have a first aid kit on your boat and we have that in our box also. The other part of safety in our SAFE TO GO; the S is stow. There is a lot of movement on a boat when you get out on the water so you go through the entire boat and make sure everything is put away, locked down, all the doors and cabinet drawers are locked and that everybody's gear is away in case the boat heels from side to side or up and down nothing will get thrown around the cabin."