Safety

Level 150 lifejackets are intended for coastal and offshore use and are designed to help turn an unconscious wearer face-up. That performance still depends on choosing the right size and buoyancy for the activity, wearing the jacket snugly over the actual clothing, fastening semi-tight crotch straps, checking its condition and following the maker's servicing interval. Level 275 is aimed at extreme offshore conditions, especially with heavy or air-retaining clothing; it is not automatically the best choice for every trip.

A safety line connects a correctly fitted harness to a purpose-made strong point or jackstay. Clip on before leaving the safer area. Use the shortest suitable tether and a route that reduces the chance of reaching the water; guardrails are not harness attachment points and jackstays should be kept close to the centreline where practicable. Remaining attached is not the same as being safe: a person dragged alongside can still drown, so stop the vessel if a tethered person enters the water.

Where a kill cord is fitted, the driver wears it whenever the engine is running and tests it at the start of the day or session. Turn the engine off before changing driver, then attach the cord to the new driver before restarting. Do not clip the cord to loose clothing or lengthen it beyond the engine maker's arrangement.

If someone falls overboard unattached, raise the alarm immediately, deploy buoyancy, appoint one person to keep pointing, mark the position and slow or stop the vessel while the skipper organises communications, approach and recovery. The exact manoeuvre and recovery method depend on the boat and conditions, so every crew needs a rehearsed plan and usable recovery equipment.

For grave and imminent danger when assistance is required, send the VHF DSC distress alert on Channel 70 by pressing and holding the covered control until the set confirms it has sent. The alert identifies the vessel by MMSI and can include position and time when valid navigation data reaches the radio. It carries the selected nature of distress, or an undesignated distress if none was selected.

On receiving a DSC acknowledgement, or after about 15 seconds, transmit the voice distress call and message on Channel 16 when circumstances permit. Give MAYDAY three times, vessel name three times, call sign or other identity and MMSI, then repeat MAYDAY and give vessel identity, position, nature of distress, assistance required, number of people on board and other useful information before OVER.

PAN PAN is for an urgent concern about the safety of a person or vessel that does not meet the MAYDAY threshold. Current MCA small-boat guidance uses a DSC All Ships Urgency call with a nominated working channel, an announcement on Channel 16 and the full message on that working channel. Safety information follows the radio's supported safety-call procedure or a voice call on Channel 16 before moving as directed.

An EPIRB transmits a 406 MHz distress alert by satellite; GNSS-equipped units can include position. An EPIRB or 406 MHz PLB carried on a UK-registered ship or watercraft must be registered with the UK Beacon Registry and kept up to date. A radar SART is a close-range locating aid. VHF range depends strongly on antenna height, so use the appropriate available alerting and locating methods rather than assuming one device guarantees contact or immediate rescue.

A compliant red rocket parachute flare fired vertically reaches at least 300 metres and burns bright red for at least 40 seconds, making it a long-range alerting signal. A compliant red hand flare burns for at least one minute and helps a known approaching rescuer pinpoint the casualty. A buoyant smoke signal emits highly visible smoke for at least three minutes in calm water and is primarily a daylight locating signal.

A white hand flare is not a recognised distress signal. It can warn another vessel of your presence or a collision risk, but it must not be mistaken for a red distress signal. Signal choice must account for day or night, visibility, whether help is already searching nearby and the vessel's actual carriage requirements.

Read the maker's instructions before an emergency, keep signals dry, accessible and in date, and fire them only when the emergency and chance of detection justify it. Do not dismantle, test-fire or place expired signals in ordinary waste.

HM Coastguard stopped accepting unwanted flares from private individuals in January 2023. Use a confirmed third-party or take-back route such as a supplier, marina, liferaft service, local authority or suitable waste business, and check acceptance before transporting the flares.

Prevention starts with maintained fuel and electrical systems, clean bilges, correctly installed gas equipment, secured flammable liquids and cooking that is never left unattended. Fire extinguishers must be visible, accessible and positioned so a crew member does not have to move through the fire to reach one; keep a suitable fire blanket close to cooking facilities.

The fire triangle is a decision model: sustained fire needs fuel, heat and oxygen. Safely shutting off gas or fuel removes the fuel supply; cooling removes heat; closing a space or stopping ventilation can reduce oxygen. None of these actions is worth trapping a crew member or feeding the fire by opening the wrong hatch.

Use an extinguishing medium rated for the burning material. Water is for suitable Class A solid-material fires and must not be used on liquid, gas or electrical fires. Dry powder can cover several classes but creates residue, reduces visibility and can affect breathing. CO2 can be effective on small Class B and live electrical fires, but it disperses in the open and can create an asphyxiating atmosphere in a confined space. A fire blanket can be effective on a small cooking-oil or pan fire when it can be applied without leaning into danger.

If fire is discovered, shout the alarm, account for the crew and keep the escape route behind you. Stop engines, fuel, gas, electrical supply or ventilation only where it is safe and appropriate; use the correct equipment from a protected position. Make the distress call early if people or vessel are in grave and imminent danger, and prepare to abandon if the fire cannot be controlled.

Maintain the listening watch on Channel 16 or the frequency specified and repeat the aircraft's requested course, speed and working area. Clear loose gear before the helicopter arrives and keep people away from the winching area unless they have an assigned job. Do not invent a universal heading or stop the vessel unless directed; the safe profile depends on the aircraft, wind, sea, vessel and casualty.

A hi-line is a light line used to guide the winchman or strop when the helicopter cannot hover directly overhead. Tend it, keep it clear of obstructions and feed or recover slack as directed. Never secure a hi-line or winch wire to the yacht and never wrap it around a person or hand.

The wire and the person being lowered may carry a dangerous static charge. Do not touch either until earthing or discharge has occurred and the aircrew or winchman directs contact. The safe action is to follow the live instruction, not to assume that the wire must always be made to touch a particular part of the yacht first.

Once aboard, the winchman controls the transfer. Keep the working area clear, continue the requested course and speed, and report any fouled line or new hazard immediately. Never cut a fouled wire unless the helicopter crew directs it.

Start with the vessel, number and needs of the people aboard, operating area, distance from help, weather, water temperature, daylight, passage length and the rules that apply. A coastal yacht may need correctly fitted lifejackets, harnesses and tethers, suitable alarm and locating methods, fire-fighting equipment, first aid, sound signalling, lighting, communications and a practical means of recovering a person from the water. The exact carriage requirement is not identical for every pleasure vessel or voyage.

For a UK pleasure vessel under 13.7 metres, a liferaft is not automatically mandatory, but the decision should consider distance from other boats and emergency services, water temperature, weather and the consequences of fire or sinking. Choose, stow and service any raft for the actual people and passage; it must be accessible and launchable by the crew who may need it.

A grab bag supplements the equipment already packed in the raft. Its contents therefore depend on the raft, passage and people. Prioritise raising and maintaining the alarm, helping rescuers locate you, protection from exposure, medical needs, then food and water. It may include a registered EPIRB or PLB, waterproof handheld VHF, suitable signals, torch, thermal protection, first aid, medication, water and a safety knife. Keep it accessible, waterproof or buoyant as appropriate, secured and complete.

The departure briefing should show where equipment is, who uses it and what triggers each emergency plan. Check dates, batteries, service indicators and physical access; practice person recovery and make sure someone other than the skipper can raise the alarm and control the vessel. Abandon only when remaining aboard is more dangerous and follow the skipper's or rescue service's direction where available.