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Before You Board

Coach Boat Safety

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Topics

Preparation

Standard of Care

Equipment

Maintenance

Local Knowledge

Collision Regulations

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Emergency Action Plan

Know and understand your EAP

An EAP should include:

Listing of emergency numbers/channels
Location of medical profiles for each sailor in the coach’s care
Location of first-aid kits (land & water)
Call and control persons are identified
Roles and contact information for call and control persons
Route to nearest hospital

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Emergency Action Plan

Control Person:

Clear the risk of further harm
Designate who is in charge of the other participants
Perform First Aid
Wait by the injured person until EMS arrives and the injured person is transported
Fill in an accident report form

Call Person:

Call for emergency help
Provide all necessary information to dispatch (e.g. facility location, nature of injury, what, if any, first aid has been done)
Clear any traffic from the entrance/access road
Wait by the entrance to direct the ambulance when it arrives
Call the emergency contact person listed on the injured person’s medical profile

An EAP should have clear instructions so that ANYONE can put it to action

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Vessel Limits

Prevention is key!

Understand the limitations of you and your vessel.

Never push your craft beyond its safe operating limits, even when providing assistance.

ex: coach boat can’t keep up with sailors

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Class Size

Recommended Sail Canada Instructor Ratios

1 coach boat : 7 single-handed sailors

1 coach boat : 10 double-handed sailors

Consider: skill level and the weather conditions

The smaller the ratio the better the level of supervision.

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Be a Leader

Set the example for your sailors!

- Dress for the weather

Show off your sun safety
Pack and supply water bottles
Pack and supply sunscreen
Always wear your PFD properly

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Due Diligence and Standard of Care

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STANDARD OF CARE

refers to the reasonable degree of care a person should provide to another person.

DUE DILIGENCE

As an instructor your training dictates that you apply a ‘standard of care’ in keeping with your training. In the event of an accident investigation your ‘due diligence’ will come into question.

Failure to make this effort or meet this standard may be considered negligence.

is the effort made by a reasonable party to avoid harm to another party.

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Transport Canada Requirements

Personal Life-Saving Equipment

well-fitting, Coast Guard approved personal floatation device (PFD) for each person on board

reboarding device

15m of buoyant heaving line

marine First Aid kit

Visual Distress Signals

watertight flashlight (with batteries)

three flares

Vessel Safety Equipment

paddle OR anchor (with 15m of line/cable/chain)

bailer or manual bilge pump

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Transport Canada Requirements

Navigation Equipment

sound signaling device (whistle or reliable horn)

navigation lights *if operated during dark or periods of low visibility

magnetic compass *if out of sight of navigation buoys

Firefighting Equipment

1A:5B:C fire extinguisher

extra extinguisher *if equipped with fixed fuel tank, inboard engine, or fuel burning appliance

Towing Equipment

means to immediately cut or release a tow line (ex: knife)

vessel is clear of obstructions aft of the towline

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Credentials

Pleasure Craft Operators Card

ROC(M)

Sail Canada Instructor Card

Download a copy from www. members.sailing.ca

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Sail Canada Suggests:

laminated EAP

properly installed “kill cord”

important medical information for

participants

knife and wire cutters

communication device (mobile phone / VHF)

spare bailer

towline

safety flags (yellow for control position & red

for emergency head in)

basic repair kit: tools, spare parts, spare line,

tape

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Storing equipment safely is just as important as having it on board

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Maintenance

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Pre-Departure Checks

Engine Inspection

Throttle controls are operating smoothly
Propeller clear
Cooling water discharging (intake is clear)
Oil level (two stroke added directly to the gas, four stroke has separate oil chamber)
Fuel level
Condition of the fuel line, battery cables, and kill cord
Attachment of a safety chain or lanyard from the engine to the boat

Boat Inspection

Safety equipment onboard the vessel and stowed correctly
Correct any tube inflation problems (inflatable boats)
Bail any water in the hull

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If you have crew aboard your boat:

Share importance of keeping hands and feet inboard.
Point out any hazards in the boat and where all of the safety equipment is stowed.
Review safety and communication procedures.
Show the crew how the engine is started and stopped.
Specify how the crew should act during docking procedures

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Coaches should encourage the club to conduct regular maintenance and inspections on the coach boats.

Maintenance logs are a trustworthy way to prove the club has shown due diligence with respect to ensuring the reliability of the coach boat and safety equipment.

This Photo by Unknown Author is licensed under CC BY-SA

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Basic Parts and Controls

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https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uyMFNv9tHOY

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Tiller Drive

Tiller Arm

Pull Cord

Gear Shift

Throttle

Kill Switch

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Local Knowledge

Chat: What are some local hazards from your home club?

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Local Knowledge & Hazards

Be aware of local navigational hazards and review them with your sailors.

Take a look at a chart of your local waters to become familiar with hazards.

Check the weather often!

Use it to plan your lesson
Dress appropriately and warn your sailors of environmental risks

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