Small Boat Ownership - Boat Safety
Safety equipment is one of those “boring” subjects that people generally aren't too interested in until such time as they urgently need to use the stuff. Then it suddenly becomes the only show in town. The fundamental reason why it has this anorak label is probably because it contributes little to the primary function of getting out there and actually catching fish, and it can soak up great handfuls of money that could be spent on buying stuff that does. Spending what in total can be many hundreds of pounds on equipment we not only hope, but expect never to have to use can be a bitter pill to swallow. This is particularly true of flares which have a limited life span and will ultimately end up being discarded and replaced. But have it we must. And as with insurance and the RYA Power Boat Level 2 certificate, increasing numbers of clubs and slip way operators are demanding proof as a condition of using their facilities.
RYA certification and insurance are straightforward enough as they come as pieces of paper which can easily be produced. I have colour photocopied both of mine and had them laminated so I can leave them in the boat. Safety equipment is, or should I say can be another matter. Nobody wants to start digging out flares, life jackets and all the rest at the top of the slip every time you turn up. Fortunately, now you don't need to. As with the RYA certificate, there is now a recognised national safety equipment standard to aspire to, which if done formally results in an annual sticker to put on the window of your boat. The RNLI run the scheme and it’s completely free. Their sea safety advisor will even come out to you to do the check and produce the sticker. Its called Sea Check, and it's the requirements of that scheme I am going to work to here.
FLARES: The actual wording in the list is ‘Appropriate In Date Pyrotechnics’, which is a fairly loose term. My club (Blackpool Boat Angling Club) for example recommend 3 parachute flares when they Sea Check their boats. At a recent demonstration by the RNLI, the advisor recommended more of a mix including red hand flares which are particularly useful for presenting a target for the rescue services to home in on at night, and pin point orange smoke flares to perform the task in daylight hours, all of which should be stored in a suitable watertight container.
However you choose to store your flares, make sure you and your crew know exactly where they are and how to use them. The last place to be trying to make sense of a set of instructions is either in the dark, or in a sinking boat. For this reason, the RNLI will also put on demonstrations with live flares, and even better, with dummy flares which gives you the chance of some hands on experience of playing with the different firing mechanisms. During a recent demonstration I had arranged to video, one of the flares failed to detonate, which goes to show that even well in date flares stored in perfect conditions can let you down.
LIFE JACKETS: Before getting into the nitty gritty of what a true life jacket actually is, let me first point out what a life jacket is not. Regardless of what manufacturers and angling urban myth might try to have us think, buoyancy aids and flotation suits are not life jackets. A true life jacket will turn an unconscious wearer face upwards in the water so that they can continue to breathe. Buoyancy aids and flotation suits only have the ability to help the wearer help him or herself to stay afloat, which means you must remain conscious and presumably be able to swim.
True life jackets come in three standard forms. Some get all their buoyancy from foam filling. Others get it from either oral inflation or a gas canister. Option three is a combination of foam and gas. They also come in a range of buoyancy ratings. Sea Check recommends a minimum of 150 Newton’s of buoyancy, which is the minimum standard for offshore and rough weather use. Self inflating models reliant on a CO2 canister need to be checked regularly for canister corrosion and leakage, and auto inflating jackets activated by contact with sea water are not recommended for situations where the jacket is likely to get splashed, which could include launching and fishing. They should also be fitted with a top up nozzle for oral inflation and a whistle, and be carried at the rate of one per person on board.
VHF RADIO: VHF radio is now pretty much standard on small angling boats, and rightly so. An important tool for social contact as well as for safety. A fixed DSC VHF with a high vantage point fixed aerial is the favoured option. DSC sets can be interfaced with GPS to give the emergency services your personal identification details along with your exact location at the flick of a switch. A DSC distress alert should be made in preference to a channel 16 mayday (unless you don't have a DSC set) as it will activate an alarm in all other DSC sets within range who may well come to your assistance., unless of course you don't have DSC. Use the high power output for long-range calls, and the lower power for talking to other boats at closer range. And remember, hand held VHF and a mobile phone are okay as backups to a full fixed set, but should not be seen as substitutes as they will often not work in situations where a fixed VHF will.
FIXED MAGNETIC COMPASS: With the advent of cheap affordable GPS, the magnetic compass has become all but obsolete from a regular working perspective, which is fine until the day comes along when you have a power failure out of sight of land. So whether you use it regularly or not, you should at least have a fixed compass on board and know how to use it. It’s also useful to have a note pad containing compass bearings from your base to all your regular haunts and back. Keep this in a sealed plastic bag in one of the boats lockers, preferably with a pocket or hand bearing compass as back up.
ANCHOR(s), WARP & CHAIN: It doesn't matter if a person only ever fishes on the drift, no boat should ever put to sea without some means of applying the handbrake in an emergency such as when the power is lost. The RNLI recommended additional items list suggests a kedge anchor which includes my favourite pattern the fisherman anchor. Several yards of good heavy galvanised chain will help any anchor bite. But it won't bite if the rope isn't long enough. Three times the depth being fished is the often-quoted minimum length for an anchor rope. But four or even fives the depth might be required in lumpy conditions, a fierce tide, a very soft sea bed, or heaven forbid, a combination of all three.
CHARTS: The actual wording in the list is charts, navigation publications and instruments, of which in my opinion, the latter two are aimed more at coastal yachtsmen than anglers. For small boat fishing I’m sure a suitable chart alone would suffice. Would you undertake an unknown land journey without a detailed map; of course not. So why put to sea without one, in addition to which, charts also offer clues as to the best spots to be looking for fish. However, a charted area that has not been surveyed for some time might not be accurately depicted. Shallow banks can shift in winter storms, while wind farms and other offshore ‘obstacles’ have a habit of popping up all over the place these days. If in doubt, check the survey date on your particular chart.
BUCKET & HAND BILGE PUMP: Taking on water when beach launching, particularly in lumpy conditions, is a fact of life. Hull damage from poor trailer rollers and hitting rocks or floating debris might also result in taking some water into the boat which can result in dangerous lateral instability, not too mention under extreme circumstances, even sinking. Buckets and balers have their place, but you can’t beat a bilge pump. Most bilge pumps these days are electric. There is however a lot to be said for a hand-operated pump, particularly if you suffer a power failure.
ALTERNATIVE MEANS OF PROPULSION & STARTING: To most small boat anglers, the definition of an alternative means of propulsion is an auxiliary outboard motor, which if you fish either as a single boat, or in areas where the likelihood of getting assistance is poor, makes absolute sense. Auxiliary engine power is less important if you belong to a club, and in particular a club with a minimum two-boat launch rule, which means you have a buddy to call on the radio if you get stuck. Some clubs will accept oars or paddles as an alternative means of propulsion. But I have to say that there are very few trailed fishing boats these days that you could row, even if rowlocks were fitted. Paddles might help make some headway but are probably more symbolic than practical, particularly in a strong tide or offshore breeze.
Alternative means of starting so far as I can ascertain means a pull cord for the engine in case the battery goes flat. Under general use, a well charged pinned plate hobby battery should last a lot of trips if the engine is set up to charge some power back in while it is running. One point I would make is that if you have all the usual electronic instruments on board, it makes good sense to feed these from a separate battery in the steering console locker. That way, if the engine battery does go down, a quick battery swap could still see the engine fire up without resorting to the pull cord or a tow back.
EMERGENCY STEERING: For me this is a tricky one. On a yacht it might be possible to cobble together some sort of make shift rudder. But in a fishing dinghy with a failed cable steering system it will not be that easy. It may well be that the steering linkages will have to be completely disconnected at the engine to eliminate the effects of the problem and get the engine to turn. This is where an oar or paddle could really come in handy roped or similarly fixed to the engine to work as a tiller. However, if you have an auxiliary outboard, providing the main engine is pointing forward, some steerage can be had from the smaller engine acting as a rudder.
APPROPRIATE TOOLS & SPARES: Working on an outboard engine that is essentially fixed outside of the boat has its limitations. But having the ability to clean dirty electrical connections, patch up wiring and fuel lines, change plugs and the like could mean the difference between getting a tow home, and making your own way back. So a can of WD40, a selection of small spanners, screw driver and pliers, plus small jubilee clips, tyraps and PVC tape in a water tight tub could literally be a life saver.
FIRST AID KIT: As with patching up a problem engine, patching up yourself or a crew member at sea also has its limitations. Stemming bleeding, and patching or cleaning wounds is about the best you can hope to achieve. Painkillers are also useful and can sometimes be the difference between a lousy day and a good one.
RADAR REFLECTOR: I'm not convinced as to the value of a radar reflector fixed to the low profile of a pitching dinghy in a lumpy sea, but I suppose any advantage should be accepted with open arms, particularly in areas where big ships are regularly in service.
LIFE RING OR SIMILAR: In the time it takes to get the anchor up and get into position to retrieve a crew member that has fallen overboard, he or she could well have drowned, unless of course you cut the rope. In a cold sea with plenty of tide and dressed in heavy winter clothing, sometimes even chest waders, and with no life jacket on, few would have the ability to make it back to an anchored boat. So something buoyant with a rope or handle to hang on to as an interim measure could quite literally be a lifesaver. A life ring is the obvious choice. But anything that floats from a fender to an anchor buoy could do the same job.
KILL CORD: Going over the side as a lone angler aboard a moving boat could be even worse, with or without a life jacket. So always attach the outboard kill cord to your wrist to stop the engine if the worst should happen.
SAFETY HARNESS: When I first saw a safety harness listed, again my immediate response was ‘only applicable to offshore yachtsmen’. But thinking about it more carefully, for reasons already dealt with, if you slip overboard from an anchored boat while fishing alone, you could well be a goner. So a short length of rope one, end of which is tied to a grab rail and the other around your waist, could be one of the best and cheapest insurance policies you will ever take out.
MAN OVER BOARD RECOVERY: When someone in the water does eventually get to the point of being rescued, that could well be easier said than done. A bulky inflated life jacket is not the most helpful garment when trying to get back into a boat from such a low vantage point wearing heavy water logged clothes. This is where transom steps, ladders and grab rails come into their own. You could of course have the victim face away from the boat, then haul him aboard with ropes under his armpits if there are two of you left in the boat. Another method is to cut the engine, have the victim grab hold of the leg, them lift him on the trim and tilt button until he/she is in a position to scramble across into the rear well of the boat.
TEMPORARY HULL REPAIR FIT: You might think to yourself how the hell can anybody hope to temporarily repair an impact damaged hull letting in water at sea. By bunging the hole up of course. Hand wiper rags could well plug a hole for long enough to make it back to shore assisted by balers, buckets and a bilge pump. It depends on the size of the hole. Fortunately most boats these days are double skinned below the water line, and have roving matting for addition strength laminated into the hull lay up. But just in case.
TORCH OR SPOTLIGHT: Light has many uses when fishing after dark. Apart from the obvious practical ones such as baiting up and netting fish, signalling for help and guiding would be rescuers to your exact position are two more, though it has to be said that a boat out at night should also have fixed lighting to a set standard.
FIRE EXTINGUISHER(s): The types of fire most likely to occur in a small boat will be fuel (Category B) and electrical (category C), both of which can be dealt with in most instances by either a CO2 and dry powder extinguisher.
COOKER FIRE BLANKET: At one time, trailed fishing boats with cookers were the exception to the rule. But with small portable cookers now freely available they are becoming increasingly common place. If you use one, Sea Check recommends a fire blanket be carried.
LIFE RAFT: A life raft fixed to the cuddy roof of a dinghy is perhaps an expense too far, and again is probably aimed more at offshore users and yachtsmen. But you do see the odd one from time to time.
EXTRA FOOD FOR THOUGHT: Carrying sufficient fuel for any given day, though not a listed Sea Check requirement, goes without saying. But what if it cuts up rough and you have to creep back with the boat well down off the plane. That is going to take more fuel. So always carry a couple of spare one-gallon containers. Similarly, if you end up giving someone a tow back, for the same reasons it will take more fuel. You could be motoring on two stroke and them on four, or visa versa. If their fuel is compatible with your engine, ask them to pass it over. If not, consider summoning additional help, otherwise your could both end up stuck out there.
As I said at the start, the RNLI will Sea Check your boat free of charge and provide proof by way of an annual window sticker. They will also provide you with a booklet entitled Sea Safety - The Complete Guide, which comes complete with an instructional CD bearing the same title. Both are strongly recommended, and both are free, though I'm sure a donation to this worthy charity would not go amiss. The RNLI can be contacted for any of their sea safety services on www.rnli.org.uk/seasafety.
SEE THE VIDEO VAULT – Dinghy safety