Crew Safety

One of the first things to equip your boat with is the proper gear for the safety of your crew. Small boats like daysailers are limited in the amount of equipment they can fit on board, so it's important to focus on the likely problems and equip your boat accordingly.

Each person on your crew should be outfitted with the items needed to keep him or her warm, dry and safely in the boat .

In addition to personal safety gear, all boats should be equipped with man overboard ("MOB") gear.

Importance of Life jacket (PFD's)

The number one piece of personal safety gear is a life jacket or "personal flotation device. US Coast Guard boating fatality statistics from 2004 report that

"Approximately seventy percent of all fatal boating accident victims drowned (484 out of 676). Approximately 90 percent of the victims who drowned were not wearing their personal flotation device (PFD or life jacket). Overall, fatal accident data show approximately 431 lives could have been saved last year if boaters had worn their life jackets."
The most reported type of accident was a collision with another vessel. However, capsizing and falls overboard are the most reported types of fatal accidents and accounted for over half (57%) of all boating fatalities. Boat operators need to pay attention to the capacity label on their boat and be careful not to overload small boats (less than 16 feet) with passengers and/or gear.

Importance of Training

You would never consider having a teenager get behind the wheel of a car with no driver education, yet (in most states) you can get behind the helm of a boat and head to sea with no training. US Coast Guard boating fatality statistics from 2004 report that " Approximately 70% of all reported fatalities occurred on boats where the operator had not received boating safety instruction."

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Crew Safety Equipment

	Item	Link to Detail
Personal Safety Gear
	Clothing to keep each person warm and dry
	Flashlight (esp. Pelican brand "SabreLight" model) and spare batteries
	Personal Floatation Devices ("PFD's" / life jackets) with attached whistle
	Note: See the topic "Man Overboard" for the boat's MOB equipment list

Safety Skills

Take the time to practice these skills before you need them in an emergency situation. Safety equipment is useless unless you know how to use it and verify that it will work on your boat.

	Item	Link to Detail
General Safety
	Safety briefing checklist - review with your crew before you set sail

Man Overboard
	Ability to stop the boat quickly and recover a person in the water	Link to US Sailing
	Ability to bring the person back on board	Link to article from Practical Sailor

Links to Outside Resources

The following links provide links to further reading, manufacturers websites and more information on "how to".

	Item	Link to Detail
	List of boating safety courses compiled by the US Coast Guard	USCG boating safety site
	BOAT/US - Free loaner lifejackets for kids	Link

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