Fire
Before departure, make it a game: find every fire extinguisher on the boat and check it's operational. Know where the gas solenoid is — the valve that cuts the gas supply to the stove — and how to shut it off.
If fire breaks out: aim the extinguisher at the base of the fire and sweep side to side. Never use water on an oil or electrical fire. If you see smoke coming from the engine room, shut down the engine and don't open the hatch — starving the fire of oxygen is the priority.
- No smoking below deck.
- Never leave the galley stove unattended.
- Electronics left charging in confined spaces can overheat — don't pile them up.
Man Overboard (MOB)
Rule one: one hand for the boat, one hand for yourself. Most MOB situations start with someone not holding on.
Know where the life jackets are before you need them. If conditions deteriorate — rough seas, night sailing, strong wind — put yours on. You don't ask, you just do it.
If someone goes overboard:
- Shout "Man overboard!" immediately and loudly.
- Throw a flotation device — life ring, cushion, anything — toward the person.
- Maintain visual contact. One person's only job is to point at the person in the water. Never look away.
- The captain's right-hand crew cancels the autopilot, assists with manoeuvre, and prepares recovery lines.
We practise MOB drills. By the end of the week, this sequence will feel automatic.
Collision
A moving sailboat has momentum. Things happen faster than you expect: other vessels, debris, reefs, sudden weather. Your job as crew is to maintain constant awareness of what's around the boat and call it out.
If you see something — another boat, a floating object, a darkening sky — say it out loud and wait for the helmsman to confirm. Don't assume they've seen it. Don't assume the other vessel has seen you.
Serious Injury
We are at sea. The nearest hospital could be hours away. Nothing beats common sense and situational awareness — the goal is never to need the first aid kit.
- Know where the first aid kit is.
- Watch your head around the boom, especially during tacks and gybes.
- Use the companionway steps carefully — they're steeper than they look.
- Tell me if you have a medical condition. I'm not here to judge, I'm here to keep everyone safe.
Also worth knowing from day one: the life raft location, the flare kit location, and who to call if I'm incapacitated. We go over this at the dock briefing.