278 seamanship secrets
- When moving, crouch to lower your center of gravity and keep your
knee creases below the upper lifeline levels (most upper lifelines on
production boats, however, are too low). - During night watches or when the weather worsens, don a safety harness,
clip it to jacklines whenever you’re outside the cockpit and to padeyes
whenever you’re in the cockpit (see next section), and crouch even lower
to the deck. In extreme conditions, crawl to and from the foredeck.
Use N.O.W. and Keep Crewmembers Alive and Well
N.O.W. conditions are Nighttime, Off shore, or Weather with high wind, sea, or
precipitation. Heighten your crew’s awareness during these conditions and use
the following ten-step guide to keep them safe:
- Don life jackets (PFDs). All crew on deck aft er sunset or during blustery
weather should wear a personal fl otation device. Equip PFDs with waterproof
lights and whistles on lanyards. Cover the outside of the jackets with long,
wide strips of refl ective tape. If you fall overboard, a spotlight will pick up this
tape long before the crew sees your face and body. - Rig jacklines. Jacklines are long lengths of line, webbing, or wire rope
run from bow to stern. Th e crew in a safety harness (see next) clips to the
jackline to move about the boat without fear of falling overboard. Run
your jackline from the largest bow cleats to stout fi ttings aft. Th ese might
be quarter cleats, genoa track slides, or deck padeyes with backing plates.
Do not use the weak eyes found on the inboard side of stanchion bases. - Don safety harnesses (with dual tethers). Safety harnesses must be worn
by any crewmember working on deck at night or in heavy weather. Don
the harness before coming on deck from below. When moving forward
and aft , always clip onto the windward jackline. Harnesses need two tethers
so the crew remains attached even when going around the mast or other
obstructions. Clip the lead tether before you unclip the trailing tether. - Engine test and familiarization. All hands need to know how to start the
engine and use the throttle, shift er, and fuel stop. Let each person use the
shift er—moving from forward to neutral, to reverse, and back to neutral. - Rig swim ladders. Unfold collapsible swim ladders. Set up strong lashings
to hold the ladder on both sides of the boat in the recovery area. - Th rowable device. Tie 100 feet of polypropylene line to a throwable
device—such as a life ring—and secure the bitter end to the rail. Attach
and test a waterproof light and whistle to the gear. - Extra life jackets. Place several life jackets in port and starboard cockpit
lockers and near the steering station. Place extras near the helm. Th e
life jacket is the most important throwable device aboard. If the victim