SAFETY AND SEA SURVIVAL COURSES
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Overview |
As a result of a lengthy inquest into the 1998 Sydney to Hobart Yacht Race, the NSW State Coroner made recommendations to the Cruising Yacht Club of Australia (CYCA) and Yachting Australia which have been adopted into the Yachting Australia Racing Rules of Sailing for 2005-2008. At least 50% of the crew, including the skipper when racing in a Category 1 shall, and for a category 2 race it is recommended, hold a Safety and Sea Survival Course certificate of competence, though it is strongly recommended that for both categories of races all crew members undertake the course.
The course is a practical and theoretical course which should be completed over a period of at least 16 hours (2 full days) . The course will be taught by Yachting Australia qualified instructors at Yachting Australia Recognised Teaching Centres. The recommended SSSC Instructor to student ratio for the theoretical component is 1:15 with a maximum class size of 20 students and the SSSC Instructor to student ratio for the "wet drill" is 1:10 with no more than 20 students undertaking the drill at once. |
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Objectives |
To assist offshore skippers and crews in developing awareness of respective responsibilities.
To offer and discuss practical strategies for coping with emergencies at sea.
To familiarise skippers and crews with safety and emergency equipment, its purpose, deployment, and use. |
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Outcomes |
You will hold a Safety and Sea Survival Course Certificate of Competence as required for category 1 and recommended for category 2 races. This certificate is valid for 5 years from the date of the course. |
Syllabus Outline
1.0 Introduction
1.1 Causes of Marine Emergencies – weather, wind, swell, sea state, vessel construction and maintenance, poor seamanship, poor navigation, collision with vessels, objects, or sea life, fire, instability, abnormal health
2.0 Principles of Survival:
2.1 Principles of survival at sea for the boat and crew - prevention, protection, location, attention to basic needs, injury management, positive morale
2.2 General precautions (Blue book 1.02, 2.04, 6.01) - crew expertise, crew fitness, training, personal responsibility, skipper’s responsibility
2.3 Damage Prevention - measures while underway including regular boat and rig checks and ongoing maintenance
2.4 Planning - set procedures (see 2.6), efficient boat systems including reefing and sail setting systems, secure and accessible stowage positions (labeled), grab bag set up, efficient emergency steering system (Blue book 4.14)
2.5 Equipment (Blue book 3 and 4) - specific safety equipment, first aid equipment, safety bungs, emergency navigation lights, equipment identification
2.6 Crew briefs - safety equipment, stowage details, procedures, responsibilities
2.7 Emergency instructions and standard procedures – responsibility of skipper or sailing master –man overboard and abandon ship addressed specifically
2.8 Care and maintenance of safety equipment*(Blue book 2.03) - regular checks for wear or deterioration, storage, expiry dates, servicing
3.0 Personal Lifesaving Appliances
3.1 Lifebuoys (Blue book 4.21) – jonbuoys, danbuoys, man overboard modules, lifeslings
3.2 PFDs (Blue book 5.01) – design, construction, donning, crotch straps, whistle, types
3.3 Harnesses and Tethers (Blue book 1.02, 2.04, 6.01) – design, construction, donning, crotch straps, plain snap hooks not recommended, dual clipping, attachment points
3.4 Personal clothing (Blue book 5.04) immersion suits, thermal protective aids, retro-reflective tape
3.5 Personal EPIRBs (Blue book 5.05)
3.6 Personal lights/strobes (Blue book 5.03)
3.7 Other items – retro-reflective tape, retrieval system, heaving lines, waterproof torches, personal knives, jetsam thrown overboard
4.0 Areas of Risk and Emergencies
4.1 Preparation for rough weather – stowage, personal preparation, sail selection, jackstays (Blue book 4.03)
4.2 Rough and severe weather strategies including:
· Boat handling - early sail changes, sail change procedures, know the boat, know its characteristics and tendencies, helming techniques, heaving-to
· Assessment options – eg stand off or cross a barred entrance
· Crew routines- hooking on before leaving hatchway, working in exposed positions remaining hooked on at all times, telling someone before going forward, use of torches or lighting for deckwork, PFDs and harnesses on at night, torches on deck, personal EPIRB on person at all times on deck - relief arrangements and watch alterations
· Damage prevention, control and repair - risk assessment, equipment spares, spare materials, tools, specific prevention procedures eg reef safety strops
4.3 Use of storm equipment including:
· Drogues* (Blue book Appendix E)
· Storm sails* (Blue book 4.24) - selection and procedures know your boat, know its tendencies and characteristics
4.4 Galley operations (Blue book 3.15) – precautions and safety procedures, lee strops, protection clothing, fuel supply, rough weather food
4.5 Emergencies and strategies to address:
· Disabled vessel/severe damage
· Loss of mast
· Loss of rudder/steering (Blue book 4.14)
· Loss of keel
· Fire
· Man overboard*(Blue book 4.26, Appendix B)
· Flooding
· Capsize/knock-down
· Giving assistance to other craft*
5.0 Abandoning Ship (Liferafts)* - Preparation & planning for "The Last Resort"
5.1 Decision to abandon ship as last resort (Blue book Appendix A, 4.19, 4.20)
5.2 Personal preparation - donning PFD, clothing, hardness
5.3 Crew duties - Procedures and responsibilities
5.4 Grab bags and extra items - Grab bags, food, water containers, cushions, blankets, handheld VHF
5.5 Launching of survival craft^ - Manual launch or hydrostatic release devices
5.6 Boarding survival craft from vessel and water - Precautions to take
5.7 Entering the water wearing a PFD - Precautions to take
5.8 Survival techniques in the water - Strategies for survival in the water
5.9 Liferaft - construction, function, standards, and recommended equipment
5.10 Initial actions upon on boarding liferaft
5.11 Deployment of drogue - Using the drogue
5.12 Assisting injured persons and survivors into the liferaft - AMSA and RYA
5.13 Deploying EPIRB (Blue book 4.18) - Features of an EPIRB
5.14 Dangers to survivors - including illnesses and marine life
5.15 Best use of liferaft facilities - Features of liferaft
5.16 Righting an inverted liferaft
5.17 Manoeuvring liferaft
5.18 Need to maintain watch - durites of the watch
5.19 Psychology of survival – trauma, effects of death, delusion, emotional instability, need for team cohesion, leadership roles, routines, positive approach, prevention and preparation (visualisation, drills)
5.20 Physiology of survival – shock, drowning, exposure, hypothermia, injury, dehydration, starvation, reduced physical functioning (metabolism, mobility, strength, human waste, constipation), sea sickness, dangers (sharks, fish, jelly fish)
6.0 Search and Rescue*
6.1 Search and Rescue authorities and agencies
6.2 Communications – air rescue, sea rescue
6.3 Need to assist rescue – flares, warnings about their use, EPIRBs, distress signals, smoke, communication
6.4 Search procedures and patterns – green flares at night, aircraft acknowledgement
6.5 Overhead rescue from vessel/raft/water
6.6 Rescue by surface vessels
7.0 Use of Pyrotechnics* (Blue book 4.22)
7.1 Types and purposes
7.2 Firing/ignition mechanisms - Practical demonstration
7.3 Hazards & dangers of use
8.0 Weather Forecasts and Meteorology*
8.1 Sources of weather forecasts
8.2 Terms and definitions used in forecasts
8.3 Wind & sea state scales - Beaufort wind scale
8.4 Weather systems and sea conditions
8.5 Instruments for onboard observation – Barometer (Blue book 3.26)
8.6 Visual monitoring of atmospheric changes and sea state for local forecasting
9.0 Fire Prevention & Fire Fighting* (Blue book 4.04)
9.1 Fire Theory -The fire tetrahedron and how fire spreads
9.2 Prevention - Good house keeping
9.3 Equipment - Fire extinguishers, fire blankets, serviced, tested, maintained
9.4 Methods - Steps to fighting a fire
10.0 Emergency Communications *(Blue book 3.24) Marine Radio Certificate – 2 members of crew
10.1 VHF – Listening watch, handhelds
10.2 GMDSS - Global Maritime Distress and Safety System
10.3 Satcom
11.0 First Aid and Early Management of Injury or Illness (Blue book 4.07) Senior First Aid – 2 members of crew
11.1 Injury or illness
11.2 Hypothermia (Blue book Appendix C)
11.3 Seasickness
11.4 Medical assistance – medical kit, extra medication, waterproof containers
12.0 Duty of Care (Blue book 1.02)
12.1 Duty of Care of Owners/Skippers - Blue Book recommendations
12.2 Occupational Health and Safety Legislation - State and Federal
12.3 Employee/employer responsibilities
12.4 Importance of keeping records
12.5 Training and periodic practice - long overnight races in preparation
Please contact the Training Office on 9435 8882 for course dates.
