Rescue Techniques

Coach Boat Safety

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Topics

Vessel Recovery

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Vessel Tow

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Person Overboard

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Unconscious Recovery

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Hypothermia

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Heat Emergency

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Entanglement

Vessel Recovery

Sinking Vessels

Causes?

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Step 1: reduce water intake

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Sail or Tow?

Closest Shore or Return to Club?

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Consider:

• stability of the vessel
• your ability to control the inflow of water
• distance to the beach or dock
• experience level
• wind speed and direction
• weight of the boat
• weather (is hypothermia a factor)
• availability of assistance

1. Confirm sailor’s safety

- approach slowly, bow first

- call out by name and wait for response

- injured? Consider EAP

- no answer? EAP

2. Confirm vessel is clear from hazards

3. Assist with righting the boat (as required)

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Keep your group together by calling Control Position

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Only provide Full Support if it is needed.

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Capsized Vessels

Supporting a Capsized Vessel

• Hold the painter to keep boat in irons

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• Mast toss or shroud/mast walk

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Cause?

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1. Confirm sailor’s safety

- approach slowly, bow first

- call out by name and wait for response

- injured? Consider EAP

- no answer? EAP

2. Confirm vessel is clear from hazards

3. Assist with righting the boat (as required)

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Turtled Vessels

Supporting a Turtled Vessel

Forestay Walk

Pull up on the forestay and proceed until you’ve reached the top of the mast. Proceed from capsize using previous methods.

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Coach Boat Pull

Supporting a Turtled Vessel

Mast Stuck in Mud

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Goal: mast would be pulled straight out of the mud without any sideways pressure

Suspect the mast is stuck when:

• Shallow waters
• Turtle recovery methods are unsuccessful
• Boat is not fully turtled

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Best Methods

Centreboard Pull

Shroud Pull

Other Methods

Bow Line Pull

• Gently pull bow line to turn the boat in circular motion
• Can cause damage to mast

Boat Push

Mast Disconnect

Vessel Towing

Towing is an important safety method!

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Sailor should be familiar with:

• Hand signals
• Knot tying
• How to rig for a tow
• Proper steering and balance

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Practice Makes Perfect

• Attach the tow lines on each boat to a strong point (preferred knot is the bowline)
• Release sail controls to depower the sails
• Raise centerboard
• Adjust speed slowly and give a lot of warning when starting or stopping the tow
• Tow at the lowest speed possible
• Use a wide turning arc, leaving lots of space for the towline to make the turn
• In rough conditions increase the length of towline between the coach boat and the boat first in line
• Keep a very careful eye on the towline and watch for fouling the propeller (neutral when setting)
• If a boat comes away from the towline, slow down and circle back. No stopping!
• Have the sailors cast off the tow line one at a time starting with the last boat in the line.

Guidelines for Towing

Alongside Tow

• One boat at a time
• Fair weather
• Short distances

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Tow Types

Transom Tow

• Several boats
• Any conditions
• Long distance

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Person Overboard

1. Reduce speed
2. Alert the crew or acknowledge the POB
3. Assign a spotter to maintain eye contact and verbal contact with the person
4. Manoeuvre the vessel back to the person. Wide arc and stay to leeward.
5. Recover the person at the forward quarter of the vessel, if possible. Turn engine off if recovery is near stern.

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If the person is conscious and non-injured they should be instructed to assist in the recovery process.

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• Climb aboard
• Under Arm Lift (POB faces vessel so they can bend at the waist)
• Lifejackt Lift (POB faces vessel so they can bend at the waist)

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POB Procedure

Use Parbuckle when:

• Cannot lift POB
• POB is injured, unconscious,

or suffering from hypothermia

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Technique:

• Lines should be 4 feet apart
• Head toward bow
• Lines around shoulder and thigh
• Support neck as much as possible

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POB Recovery

6. Assess the person - Uninjured? Commence First Aid? Enact EAP?

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• Transport the person – To land? Back to their boat?

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• Transfer the person – The person will often want to scramble quickly into the sailboat, however it is important to ensure the transfer is safe. Both vessels should be completely stopped and held together tightly. Do not allow sailors to place body parts between the vessels.

POB Procedure

6. Assess the person - Uninjured? Commence First Aid? Enact EAP?

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• Transport the person – To land? Back to their boat?

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• Transfer the person – The person will often want to scramble quickly into the sailboat, however it is important to ensure the transfer is safe. Both vessels should be completely stopped and held together tightly. Do not allow sailors to place body parts between the vessels.

POB Procedure

Unconscious POB and Concussions

Activate EAP

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911 or VHF Ch. 16?

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Most common cause: Concussions

Unconscious POB recovery should always be associated with a concussion unless you have means to believe otherwise

Unconscious POB

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“When in doubt, get it checked out”

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If you suspect concussion it MUST be evaluated by a doctor or nurse practitioner before returning to sport. That athlete’s emergency contact should be called and the athlete should seek medical attention immediately.

Concussed Sailors

Hypothermia

1. Prevent further heat loss
1. Wrap the casualty in a plastic sheet or blanket
2. Remove from cold environment

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2. Remove wet clothing and replace with dry items
1. Do not change until in a warm environment
2. Do not rub limbs or suggest a warm shower

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3. Encourage warm fluids

• Must not be shivering
• Avoid caffeine and alcohol

Hypothermia Recovery Procedure

Heat Emergencies

Heat Exhaustion Heat Stroke

Heavy sweating

Paleness

Muscle cramps

Tiredness

Weakness

Dizziness

Headache

Nausea or vomiting

Fainting

Skin is cool and moist

Pulse rate is fast and shallow

High body temperature

The absence of sweating, with hot red skin

Rapid pulse

Difficulty breathing

Strange behavior

Hallucinations

Confusion

Agitation

Disorientation

Seizure

Coma

• Give them a cool, non-alcoholic drink (preferably water)
• Let them rest in a shady area or air-conditioned environment
• Let them cool off in the water
• Get them to remove any excess clothing

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Inform caregiver and/or EMS

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Prevention is key!

Heat Exhaustion Treatment

Enact EAP

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Try and keep them cool by:

• Fanning them
• Carefully removing them from the sun
• Removing excess clothing
• Use ice packs

Heat Stroke Treatment

Entrapment

Encourage your sailors to keep a clean boat

• Loose halyards, boom vangs, and bridles are often responsible for entanglement

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Dress Appropriately

• ill-fitting PFDs and loose clothing can increase risk
• Mature/advanced sailors should carry a knife with them on the water

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Educate Sailors

• Train them to be comfortable in “the bubble”
• Communicate risk

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Entrapment Prevention

Knife

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Wire Cutters

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Quick-Release Trapeze Harnesses

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Entrapment Equipment

1. If there is a visible sailor have them move to centreboard
2. Use a VHF radio to hail another coach boat or a coach on shore and indicate that you may have a crewmember stuck under the boat. If one coach immediately blow fleet to control (or shore depending on EAP) while working rescue.
3. Drive the coach boat to the mast side of a capsized boat, or far side of a turtled boat and look for the missing sailor(s).
4. If the sailor(s) are not visible:
1. attempt verbal contact with sailor
2. If the sailor is tangled but safe in the air pocket, it is better to leave the boat in the turtled position until sailor can be cleared of the tangle.
3. If contact cannot be made, using either the shroud or the mast, begin to right the boat. Stabilize the boat in a capsize position.

Entrapment Recovery

5. If this is a two-person rescue, one may enter the water (if it is safe) to free the athlete from the tangle. If only one instructor is on the scene position the coach boat in such a way that you can access the athlete and attempt to free them with a knife or wire cutters.
6. It is important to remain calm and talk throughout the process. Fear or shock could turn a rescue into a life-threating situation for both the entrapped sailor and rescuer.
7. Once clear, if the trapped athlete is not responding immediately, activate your EAP.
8. Following all emergency procedures, debrief all athletes, coaches and parents of entrapped athlete on the incident and fill out required emergency form(s).

Entrapment Recovery

Questions?