SAFETY SHOULD BE THE FIRST CONCERN OF EVERY SAILOR, AND CERTAIN ITEMS ARE REQUIRED BY LAW TO BE CARRIED ON THE YACHT. MINIMUM SAFETY EQUIPMENT REGULATIONS VARY AS TO THE JURISDICTION UNDER WHICH THE YACHT MAY BE OPERATING. YOU MUST CARRY THE MINIMUM EQUIPMENT REQUIRED BY THE REGULATIONS OF THE NATIONAL AUTHORITY UNDER WHICH YOUR YACHT IS REGISTERED OR FACE SEVERE LEGAL PENALTIES. HOWEVER, PRUDENT PRACTICE DICTATES THAT YOU EQUIP THE YACHT TO A MUCH HIGHER STANDARD THAN THE MINIMUM REQUIRED BY LAW. ADDITIONAL SAFETY EQUIPMENT SHOULD BE CONSISTENT WITH THE NATURE OF YOUR CRUISING AREA(S), WEATHER CONDITIONS AND ALL NAVIGATIONAL RISKS AND HAZARDS - EXPECTED OR UNEXPECTED.
One Type I, II, II, or V per person plus one Type IV throw able device. PFD’s must be CG Approved, wearable by the intended user and readily accessible. The Type IV throwable device must be located such that it is immediately available.
One B-II and one B-1 or three B-1
Minimum of three day-use and three night-use or three day/night combination pyrotechnic devices. Non-pyrotechnic substitutes: 1 orange flag (day-use) and 1 electric S-O-S signal light (night-use).
Must have an operable CG-Certified Type I, II, or III Marine Sanitation Device (MSD). Any “Y” value for discharge overboard must be located in such a manner or affixed to prevent accidental discharge of untreated waste into water.
Subject to Local Laws!
Current copy of the USDOT USCG International - Inland Navigation Rules must be kept on aboard. Familiarity with rules recommended.
Craft over 8m in length but not over 12m in length Personal Protection Equipment One Canadian-approved PFD or lifejacket of appropriate size for each person on board One buoyant heaving line of not less than 15m in length One approved lifebuoy with an outside diameter of 610mm or 762mm that is attached to a buoyant line of not less than 15m in length A reboarding device (ladder) if the freeboard is greater than 0.5m Boat Safety Equipment An anchor with not less than 30m of cable, rope or chain in any combination One bailer One manual water pump fitted with or accompanied by sufficient hose to enable a person using the pump to pump water from the bilge of the vessel over the side of the vessel One Class 10ABC fire extinguisher, if the pleasure craft is a power driven vessel, plus another Class 10ABC fire extinguisher if the pleasure craft is equipped with a fuel-burning cooking, heating or refrigerating appliance Distress Equipment p-, One watertight flashlight 12 Canadian approved flares of Type A, B, C or D; not more than 6 are to be of Type D Navigation Equipment A sound signalling device Navigation lights that meet the applicable standards set out in the Collision Regulations Craft over 12m in length but not over 20m in length Personal Protection Equipment One Canadian-approved PFD or lifejacket of appropriate size for each person on board One buoyant heaving line of not less than 15m in length One approved lifebuoy with an outside diameter of 610mm or 762 mm that is attached to a buoyant line of not less than 15m in length A reboarding device (ladder) Boat Safety Equipment An anchor with not less than 50m of cable, rope or chain in any combination Bilge pumping arrangements One Class 10 ABC fire extinguisher at each of the following locations: at each access to any space where a fuel-burning cooking, heating or refrigerating appliance is fitted at the entrance to any accommodation space at the entrance to the engine space One fire axe Two buckets each with a capacity of 10L or more Distress Equipment One watertight flashlight 12 Canadian approved flares of Type A, B, C or D; not more than 6 are to be of Type D Navigation Equipment Two sound signalling appliances (bell and whistle [or horn]) Navigation lights that meet the applicable standards set out in the Collision Regulations
10-lc European
See relevant regulations for country of registry
The International Sailing Federation Offshore Racing Council’s SPECIAL REGULATIONS governing offshore racing are a good starting point forguidelines as to equipping your yacht. For offshore cruising, a yacht should be equipped to Category One requirements as a minimum standard. This publication may be purchased from your national sailing association. Life Jackets (PFDs) The wearing of a PFD by competent swimmers in benign conditions should { never be considered “sissy-fied” and is highly recommended at all times when underway. Non-swimmers should always wear a PFD at anytime on deck, even at the dock. It is prudent practice to attach a whistle and small personal strobe light to each wearable PFD. For sailors who feel that the traditional bulky life jacket will hinder their movement about the boat, inflatable PFDs are now on the market, while CG approved models are preferred, other models will still provide . I more safety than wearing no flotation. In addition, an approved “throwable device” is usually required to be carried ? near the helmsman or on deck. Many very effective “man-overboard devices” are NOT USCG approved. Make sure you have an approved device in addition 1 to the non-approved but desirable device. ’ Life Buoys PS Many yachts carry life buoys or “man-overboard poles” which can be stowed in a * bracket on the stern or adjacent to the helmsman. These life buoys should have a gravity-activated strobe or other bright light attached, along with a long line which connects to a man-overboard pole. This pole is typically stored near the transom and would go overboard along with the buoy and light. The assembly m facilitates spotting the person to whom the buoy has been launched in any type of sea or visibility conditions. Safety Harnesses Just as with life jackets, a safety harness should always be worn by crew members on deck in all but the calmest conditions. Harnesses allow the wearer to be attached to some permanent fixture on or above the deck. They should be ! of good quality and capable of carrying the full weight of the wearer falling several feet. There are padeyes mounted in the cockpit and on deck specifically m> for this purpose. Additionally, removable nylon web strap jacklines are supplied with your SAGA which will allow the crew to manoeuvre on deck without detaching the harness tether line. CAUTION: Nylon degrades when exposed to T UV light over a period of time. Be sure to remove the jacklines between ’ passages or whenever the jacklines are not being used. Inspect them regularly and replace the web straps if any sign of degradation is observed. nq $PFlashlights The yacht should be equipped with several water-proof flashlights, routinely checked to be in good condition with well charged batteries. Flashlights serve as a convenience at night while moving about the yacht and in trimming sails as well as a safety measure. They may also be used for attracting attention as well as locating a person overboard. Radar Reflectors The fiberglass sailboat may not create a distinctive return on another vessel’s radar, therefore a radar reflector is a must. The radar reflector should be stored
0 carefully to prevent damage as the performance of the unit is directly related to the accuracy of the intersecting angles of the component planes. When mounted, the reflector should be carried as high as possible on your boat. Often, a flag halyard is used to hold a reflector just below one of the spreaders. Some types of reflectors may be mounted permanently on the mast or one of the stays. Dinghy or Life Raft Your yacht has a locker intended for a valise-type life raft on the starboard side of the cockpit. Most modern 6 person life rafts will fit in the locker; however, be sure the one you contemplate buying will fit before spending your money. The modern inflatable dinghy is a great convenience while cruising, but is of limited use in an emergency situation. Inflatable craft should be thoroughly checked every year to ensure safe and proper operation. Life rafts should be inflated, inspected, repacked and certified on a regular basis. Your SAGA Yachts Dealer can advise you where such inspections are offered in your locale.
The life lines aboard your yacht should be checked daily to ensure their integrity. Always close the access gates before leaving the dock. On longer offshore passages, the gates’ pelican hooks are best taped over to prevent accidental opening. Check carefully that the swage end fittings are not pulling out and that the lock nuts on the turnbuckles are tight. Cotter pins (not “ring- dings”) should be fitted and taped over for protection from chafe and personal injury. Do Not allow crew members to sit on the lifelines as it damages the wires where they pass through the stanchions. 10-4 Anchors & Anchoring Your yacht is equipped with two large anchor handling rollers on the bowsprit and a large, divided, rope/chain locker low in the forepeak. Since all of the factory supplied components are generously-sized, it is tempting to overload the bow. In a quest for a high confidence level when anchored. Many sailors ignore the negative effects of an overloaded bow on the flotation level and trim of the yacht; this in turn has an adverse effect on performance, comfort, and even safety when one encounters heavy weather.
There are several strategies to use to reduce the overall weight of your ’ anchoring system and increase its efficiency for certain conditions. The following list of equipment may not be entirely suitable for your cruising style or locale. T
An electric windlass which handles a specially spliced rope/chain rode. Make sure the windlass gypsy and the anchor rode and chain continue to be correctly matched to each other and a proper splice connects them, for smooth operation.
After the anchor is laid out with sufficient scope for the depth of water, cleat the anchor rode and back down on the anchor with the engine at approximately 2000 RPM in reverse. Watch for dragging. If you drag, retrieve the anchor and try again. There is no agreement in boating on any single anchoring technique or anchoring equipment. Although we offer one possible combination of anchoring equipment, other sources may provide you with differing recommendations. Talk to other boat owners in your area, take courses with the Power Squadron, Coast Guard Auxiliary or an accredited sailing school 10-5 Gasoline Storage Gasoline vapours are explosive in the right concentrations and heavier than air. Improper storage of the dinghy’s outboard gasoline supply is extremely hazardous. We have provided a special locker in the cockpit near the transom door designed to hold a standard 6 gal outboard tank. The locker is vented overboard and sealed from the bilge according to USCG guidelines. This is a p unique SAGA feature. Please use it for your safety.
NEVER STORE GASOLINE IN A SAIL LOCKER OR BELOW DECKS
Addresses: United States Sailing Association PO Box 1260 E-mail: [email protected] 15 Maritime Drive 401/683-0800 ((ph.) 401/683-0840 (fax) Portsmouth, Rl 02871-0907 1-888 US SAIL-6 (Toll free Fax-On-Demand) Canadian Yachting Association 1600 James Naismith Dr. Tel: (613) 748-5687 Gloucester, Ont. K1B 5N4 Fax: (613) 748-5688 E-Mail: [email protected] Royal Yachting Association RYA House, Romsey Road, Tel: +44 (0) 1703 627400 Eastleigh, Hampshire SO50 9YA Fax: +44 (0) 1703 629924 E-mail: [email protected]