Basic Sailing Safety

While a great time can be had on the water, no matter the size of the ship or boat, safety should always be key to one's adventure on the seas, whether they be high or no. On Pern, there doesn't seem to be anything resembling a personal floatation device (life-jacket), and swimming is taught to anyone who will be spending any length of time aboard ship or jaunting with the smallest skiff. Anyone who cannot swim or is afraid of the water should not make any lengthy journey on a boat or ship.

It's inevitable that any canoe, kayak, or dinghy will be subject to capsizing. That is, the boat tips over enough that it fills with water or it overturns some or all of the way. It's a good idea to practice recovering from capsizing in shallow waters with one or more experienced sailors present to assist if needed. Recovering from a capsized canoe or kayak is relatively straightforward process. First, one needs to right the craft. Most canoes and kayaks will still float if full of water, so getting aboard is the first step. To do this, one must carefully pull oneself out of the water and into the boat and then begin the baling process using a sturdy bucket.

With a dinghy, it is different. The sail makes the process more interesting in that the wind direction and which side of the boat the sail fell plays a factor in how to refloat the dinghy. An advantage to righting a dinghy is the centerboard on the keel, the part of the boat that helps prevent accidents of this nature in many circumstances. The centerboard can be used as leverage, with one crewman pulling it down into the water and then standing on it and using his weight to tip the boat upright. The issue with the sail is to ensure that the second crewman is able to push the sail up out of the water. The wind direction becomes important in that a leeward capsize, defined as a capsize where the sail is in the water on the side of the dinghy with the masthead aimed in the direction of the wind, is more difficult to recover from, as the wind will continue to force the boat onto its side. A windward capsize is one where the masthead is aimed against the wind. Thus, when recovering from a windward capsize, the sail itself helps right the boat. The danger is to ensure that the dinghy doesn't immediately capsize in a leeward fashion. A good idea regardless of how the boat has tipped is to try and guide her so that she's pointing into the wind, allowing for an easier time of righting the vessel. While many dinghies offer self-baling cockpits these days, it's always a good idea to have a bucket or three handy, just in case.

It's always a very good idea to practice safety procedures before shipping out, even on a sail with an experienced sailor and/or a brief excursion through known waters. All such practical safety measures should be well known to anyone aboard your vessel, be they crew or passenger. To do so may save lives, even your own.

References:

Written by Journeyman Varek, SouCon MUSH

1. Learning to Sail with Bob Fisher, Chartwell Books Inc., c. 1996 Regency House Publishing Ltd.

Emblems are copyright of Anne McCaffrey and drawn by Merryweather.