Section 1 • Safety
A.Medical Emergency
You may be far from professional medical help when you are boating. At least two people on board your boat should be CPR certified, and should have taken a first aid course. Equip your boat with a first aid kit.
B.Water Rescue
A person who has fallen overboard will die from hypothermia in water temperatures below 70°F if not rescued quickly. Water rescue consist of three steps: returning to the victim, making contact with the victim, and getting the victim back on board.
Returning to the Victim
•Immediately make everyone aware of the incident and keep the victim in sight.
•Slow the boat and keep pointing toward the person overboard. At night, direct the best available light source at the person.
•Throw a life preserver, even if the person is wearing a PFD. It will serve as another marker.
Making Contact
•Slow the boat and circle toward the victim.
•Try to approach heading into the wind or into the waves.
•Keep the victim on the right (starboard) side so the boat operator has the victim constantly in sight.
•When almost alongside, turn off the engine in gear to prevent propeller "windmilling."
Getting Back Aboard
•Try to reach the victim with a pole, or by throwing a life preserver. Do not swim to rescue the victim, except as a last resort.
•Assist the person in boarding the boat. The person should normally be brought in over the stern.
•If the person is injured or cannot get into the boat, a rescuer should put on a PFD with a safety line attached to the boat and enter the water to assist the victim.
•Handle the victim with care. Spinal injuries may have occurred.
C.Fire
Fire is a serious boating hazard. Boats can burn quickly. Do not remain on board and fight a fire for more than a few minutes. If the fire cannot be extinguished within a few minutes, abandon the boat.
Have fire extinguishers handy. A small fire can be extinguished quickly with the right size and type of fire extinguisher.
•Extinguish smoking materials, shut off blowers, stoves, engines and generators.
•Throw burning materials overboard, if possible.
•If the fire is accessible, empty the contents of fire extinguishers at the base of the flames.
•If the fire is in the engine compartmentand you have an automatic extinguisher that activates, wait 15 minutes before opening the compartment. Have a portable extinguisher ready in case the fire flares up.
•Signal for help.
•Grab distress signals and survival gear. Put on PFDs. Prepare to abandon ship.
D.Flooding, Swamping and Capsizing
In the event of flooding, swamping or capsizing:
•Try to shut off engines, generators and blowers before leaving the boat.
•Have everyone put on Personal Flotation Devices (PFDs).
•Account for all who were on board.
•If the boat is floating stay with the boat. Hang on, or climb on the boat and signal for help.
•Only as a last resort should you attempt to swim to shore - it is further away than it looks and you can tire and drown.
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