Boating Safety--Glad We Did It

[Marty Loken (Norseboater)]

In coming months, I think everyone who took today's Boating Safety Class will remember things they learned, and be glad they participated. As a club, we'll be working harder to incorporate safety, and safety-training exercises, in future on-the-water events...and it'll be fun!

Attending today's class were members Mark Maguire, Allan and Sue Martin, Lauryn Taylor, Ross Henson, Gordon and Cheryl Davies, John Nelson and young Peter, Marty Loken, Barry Bates, D. Jay Giese, Ken Cook, Steve Kiesel, Tom Sexton, Bill Fowler, Joe and Amanda Bistryski, Steve and Christy Hayward and Lowell Lorenz. A good turnout, especially for a dry-land event.

In coming months, we'll develop a Boating Safety department on this website that'll include Rules of the Road handouts that instructor Skip Anderson distributed today, together with links to a lot of websites where members can get additional information.

For this evening, here are some online resources Skip shared today:

BOATING BASICS
http://www.boatingbasicsonline.com/c...ting/4_2_b.php

NAUTICAL CHARTS
http://www.nauticalcharts.noaa.gov/m...ineViewer.html

LIGHT LISTS
http://www.navcen.uscg.gov/pubs/Ligh...V6COMPLETE.pdf

REGULATIONS FAQ'S
http://www.uscgboating.org/about/faqs/regulations.aspx

AREA TIDES
http://saltwatertides.com/dynamic.di...gtonsites.html

ANIMATED KNOTS BY GROG
http://www.animatedknots.com/index.p...age=.&Website=

DOCKING GAME
http://www.madmariner.com/docking_ga...FSahiQodQk94lg

Here are a few photos from today's session...

- Marty

Marty
Today's meeting was well worth attending. I found Skip's presentation interesting and informative. He is skilled as a teacher. As someone new to boating as an owner I learned a lot. It also confirmed my opinion that like many things it is your attitude towards boating safely and accepting the responsibility that goes with making sure it stays as safe as you can make it that will keep you out of trouble. I was aware of the problems with rescuing a person over board but never really thought about how I would deal with it so that is something I will have to solve with my own boats. Barry

Marty,

Thanks for organizing this event. Skip did a great job of presenting a wealth of information in a clear and humorous manner. I feel like he has left us all with a challenge to develop a plan "B" for personal and club outings, and to get out there and practice many of his safety suggestions. (So who is going to be the first "practice" man / woman overboard in a wet suit :eek

I'm adding a swim / man overboard ladder to my "must have" list, and I'll be studying charts around Whidbey and other proposed destinations to find a "safe haven" cove or harbor in a foul weather situation.

And, on another note, it was great to meet you and everyone else!

Lauryn

[Marty Loken (Norseboater)]

Man (Or Woman) Overboard...

Lauryn -

I think that the newest, most enthusiastic member of NWCBC gets to be the first one overboard--and guess who that might be?

Regarding boarding ladders, Skip demonstrated that you can help save yourself, or your boating partner, with a simple bowline at the end of a line...that serves as a step for the person to use when trying to scramble back into the boat. (You could pre-tie a series of loops in a line and keep it permanently ready-to-go in the boat.)

My personal favorite solution is a particular, compact but very strong boarding ladder that has a bridle, line and strong caribiner clip at the upper end. You can keep the thing inside the splashwell of your boat, clipped onto a strong eye bolt that's installed on the inside face of the transom. (I'll post a photo of the thing in a few days.) The nice thing is that this approach allows you to get back into your boat if you're out there alone--no partner to throw lines, or help hoist your sorry, waterlogged ass back into the boat. If you can swim to the transom, you can reach in, pull the boarding ladder out, and have a strong, safe way back to safety. (Of course, when you're solo and you need the ladder, you have to arrange to fall overboard at the dock, or when the boat is otherwise stationery. But the ladder works just as well if you're with someone and they know how to operate the boat...at least enough to get back to you and shut off the motor.)

Probably the key things I learned yesterday, as they apply to our group, were:

* We have to make sure that all of us, AND our partners, know how to operate our boats--not just where the ignition key is, but also how to maneuver among other boats while underway, how to dock, how to most efficiently get back to someone who's gone overboard, how to handle lines, use the VHF, and on and on...

* The buddy system we use now is critically important; we just need actual practice drills so that we can quickly and safely help another boat that's in trouble--regardless of weather conditions--and of course we need to know how to get people out of the water;

* We need to talk about our route plans and other details at the before we head out on group expeditions--(we do that now, most of the time, but we could be more thorough)--and as Skip suggested, we need Plan B's and Plan C's in case we run into weather or have other problems as a group. This is typically more critical when we're venturing onto Puget Sound or other places with tides, currents, rocks and other challenges, but when we're on small, warmer-water bodies of water like Mason Lake, we should use the occasion to practice everything--man overboard, line tossing, towing, the works.

* We should be sure that all of our boats are equipped with the required safety items, and do self-checks to be sure it's happening. Obviously, we need to have PFDs handy and wear them most of the time--definitely when venturing out into big water, and absolutely when we're alone in our boats, regardless of conditions. After yesterday's class, I'm wearing some kind of floatation device every time I go out...maybe a light and slim model for lake and river events, but always the serious, strap-under-crotch Big Boy model for every adventure involving frigid saltwater and/or solo runs anywhere.

* And, yes, we should all take the boating-safety exam and have our Washington State Boating Safety Cards, whether they're required (of our age group) or not.

If we find ways to incorporate boating-safety exercises into most of our on-the-water events....well, pretty soon we'll develop deeper trust in each other, and we'll actually become competent at taking care of ourselves and our friends on the water. It'll be pure fun, too, practicing a lot of the things covered in yesterday's class, and getting beyond a safety-class-handout understanding of how to take care of ourselves and our equipment on the water.

The very next event, the Opening Day Parade (Saturday, May 2), offers a great opportunity to have our first boating-safety practice exercise. (What size wetsuit would you like, Lauryn?)

- Marty

The very next event, the Opening Day Parade (Saturday, May 2), offers a great opportunity to have our first boating-safety practice exercise. (What size wetsuit would you like, Lauryn?)

- Marty

Now that could be a bit tricky Marty. First of all, it could lead to a bad hair day. Very bad. Then Chris (the spouse) will suffer for the rest of the day.

Second, it might be a very difficult rescue. You see, I lost the coin flip on the choice of costume. It was tails. So I now have a costume for the wild wild west theme that is...ahem.... the back half of a horse. Also known as the horse's _____. And, isn't there an old saying about not getting too close to the back of a horse?

Size 8.

ps: Speaking of pains in the backside, why does it say senior member under my name? Cause I like to flap? (I'd put a big embarrassed face here right now but I can't figure out how to do it on an edit)

[Marty Loken (Norseboater)]

Need a Bigger Victim...

Lauryn -

At size 8, you're too small for my wetsuit. Maybe Chris can be the one who goes in the big dunk tank.

- Marty

[Dave C]

........ why does it say senior member under my name? Cause I like to flap? (I'd put a big embarrassed face here right now but I can't figure out how to do it on an edit)

It's based on the number of posts. It changes from junior to senior at about 25 posts.

[Steve_Kiesel]

Yes, it was a very good class. Gave us all something to think about and act on. Adding a safety section to the club's website is a good idea. Plus what's required by the Coast Guard. That's something new boaters to the club would find helpful.

As we seen yesterday, there is a lot to know and learn. If anyone is wanting more in depth training, I would recommend taking one the Power Squadron courses. Here's the link to their main website. From there you can locate local Power Squadron's. http://www.usps.org/

I took one about twenty years ago. If you plan on doing a lot of boating on the salt, this is a good class. They get into how to read charts, charting courses, plus much more.