Recovering boats
The seating arrangements in some vessels used for disabled people, and participants’ own limited mobility, may make it harder for the crew to stay out of the way of a tow rope, particularly if multiple vessels are being towed.
Safety fleets are used to having plans in place to recover the entire fleet or deal with multiple issues on the water (which may or may not involve towing the fleet). Many disabled sailors staying in their boat may be the safest and quickest way to recover them.
Implications for practice and procedures
- The Herringbone tow might be preferable to in-line tows as the tow ropes are clear from sailors in the boat.
- If they are empty, a stern first tow of Hansa's is particularly effective.
- The safety lead will need consider how many people you can transfer easily to safety boats and how many people will need to stay in their boat.
Find out about the importance of having a plan for people who may not be able to fully help themselves in the water
Next - recovering peopleAn overview of the key elements of safety systems
Providers of activity have a clear duty of care to keep those involved in the activity safe. People of all ages, with a wide range of impairments go sailing. It is important to consider the person, the situation and the staff / volunteers involved before making safety decisions.
It is important to get the choice of personal flotation device right each time a person goes afloat, particularly for people who may not be able to actively participate in their own self-righting if they were to end up in the water.
Strapping and other equipment are used for several reasons including to maintain posture and improve control of sails and steering. Straps and harnesses can be used by a person day to day (for example, in a wheelchair) or as a specific part of sailing equipment.
Self-righting means different things for different vessels. Experience shows self-righting boats can and do get ‘knocked down’ or capsize, increasing the risk of inversion and entrapment. There are known examples where through a variety of factors they have subsequently inverted, including with the keel or weighted centre board retracted.
Any modifications that deviate from the original design specification may alter the stability characteristics of that vessel and access to the full range of controls (steering and sails).
When towing vessels participants usually remain in the boat. The seating arrangements in some vessels used for disabled people, and participants’ own limited mobility, may make it harder for the crew to stay out of the way of a tow rope, particularly if multiple vessels are being towed
Explore equipment like slings or wet nets, the importance for having a plan for individuals who may not be able to fully help themselves and the role really good communication plays
Seating and posture are important for both personal safety and the ability to take an active part in sailing.