Info. for Guests Aboard

[Minnewaska]

I agree with Donna, there needs to be a balance. Keeping your wits about you is the most important safety criteria. Scaring everyone before you leave the dock, or giving them so much information they couldn't possibly remember it all, will just overwhelm the newbie and freeze them in their tracks. Makes seasickness more likely too, IMHO.

1. Life Jackets
2. No one leaves the cockpit without permission
3. MOB, point and yell, keep pointing.
4. Sailboats are supposed to heal.
5. Keep fingers and feet away from control lines.
6. Fully close the refrigerator door.
7. Laminated instructions on how to use the head are in cabinet over sink.
8. When in doubt, ask or sit still and await instructions. Don't guess.

Enjoy. The container in the fridge with the lime green juice is not just juice.

p.s. In a standard cut and paste email to all new guests, I send the marina address and list of stuff to bring. Proper shoes, windbreaker, sunscreen, etc, etc. They can check that off calmly before they arrive. I even list what they do not need to bring, as we have plenty of towels, sheets, pillows, etc.

[BubbleheadMd]

Sorry but for a casual daysail, those 2 first lists are completely over the top. Any of my friends would bail on me if I gave them a pre-brief like that.

I'm retired Navy, submarines and patrol gunboats and I understand and know the value of checklists. I also know not to treat non-military people as if they were military crew.

I assign everyone a life jacket and a pair of gloves and give my daysail brief:

1. Stay on the boat, stay on the boat, stay on the boat.
2. Do not put any part of your body between the boat and a dock or other boat.
3. If I fall overboard, throw me a floating cushion, blow all sheets and dial 911. DO NOT COME IN AFTER ME.

That's it. Once we're away from the dock, and sailing, I show them the danger of the boom, maybe a few other things. If they like it, and want to sail more, then I add more knowledge to their repetoire.

New racing crew get a more detailed brief, but they're expecting more information, so that's ok.

[smurphny]

So here are the general categories, so far, of things that visitors ought to be aware of:

1. What to bring/not to bring
2. What a sailboat does/why it heels/why it will not capsize… (hopefully:-)
3. The lines and how they work (sheets, halyards, and winches)
4. Radio use
5. Engine starting and operation
6. Fresh water systems/conservation
7. Limitations of space
8. Limitations of supplies
9. The Head
10. Critical Safety Issues:
PFDs- Fire- locations of safety items- line handling- the boom- MOB- FA kit
11. Where to sit

Now, how to best word some of these items so that they are simple and clear to someone getting an email about coming out sailing for a couple of days or longer.?

On comment above about laminated head info--People do not read these things! Specific verbal instructions are needed.

[bljones]

If I remember correctly, Denise had put together a great "guest briefing" a couple of years ago here. I'll see if I can find it...

[Squidd]

I think the most important thing to do is brief the guests on is what to do if "I" fall in...

Most anything else we can handle as we go...

[BubbleheadMd]

Originally Posted by Squidd

I think the most important thing to do is brief the guests on is what to do if "I" fall in...

Most anything else we can handle as we go...

Yup, that's why my brief is so short.

Smurph is right, no one reads the placard on head operation. I give a demo, sans waste product, of course.

[Ulladh]

I keep it simple;
-Stay on the boat, the Delaware River kills a hand full of people every year.
-Stay on the boat, I don't want to waste sailing time explaining things to the police when your body is recovered.
-Don't jump from boat to dock, if you go in the water we probably won't recover the body until you have been dragged under the boats on the other side of the fairway.

How do I know this, well while taking some stray line of my prop while wearing a PFD and a rope attached to a dock cleat I was being dragged under the floating dock until pulled out by a neighbor.

[CapnBones]

I always do a standard walk through, here is the safety equipment , life jackets, here is how the radio works and what to do if I fall over.

For the past couple years Spinsheet Magazine has been putting out a free pamphlet "Start Sailing Now" It has a basic overview and even suggests what to bring. It adds that it is always good to bring food and drinks as a guest. I got a bunch of copies and keep one or two on the boat and if I can I will give it to people in advance as a little primer, everyone seems to like it, if you are in the area where they are circulated check it out.

[CarbonSink62]

Thanks to all for this thread. I'm putting together my email list for guests & crew and will be stealing ideas from here for what to add to the invite.

I sold the C-18 2 days ago; I close on the C-25 in 4 days.

Time to change my signature.

For the time being, I am a man without a boat. I must admit, I think I sleep a little more soundly.

[Minnewaska]

Originally Posted by smurphny

4. Radio use
5. Engine starting and operation

Unless you are the only crew aboardand the rest are novice passengers, I see no reason that others need to know how to use the radio or start the motor.

On comment above about laminated head info--People do not read these things! Specific verbal instructions are needed.

We have electric heads with a FLUSH, FILL AND DRAIN button. Not one guest in the history of time has done it right and I've tried everything, verbal, dry demonstration and all. Even seasoned sailors fail to flush enough water, despite already knowing how to make it work.

5 simple steps on a laminated 5x8 card. We'll see if it helps, this is the first year we are using it.