Communication is one of the better tools in any captain's kit. We at the helm need to make sure our crew knows what's going on with the boat in advance whenever possible. Surprises can hurt-sometimes a lot.
For example, take the transit of a patch of water rougher than the rest. This can be a coastal inlet or the confluence of two currents, or maybe a harbor area so crisscrossed with wakes from commercial traffic that there is no discernible size or pattern to the sea that's running. A competent and considerate skipper lets the others aboard know this is coming and they might endure a big drop into a hole or get slammed broadside by a 3-foot wave.
Of course, you might not have trouble. You'll likely run at a prudent speed and course, and with attentive hands on the controls. But still, stuff happens, as we all know. So, you ask for everybody to sit down. You tell them it might get bumpy and to put on life jackets if they are not wearing them already. You should do all of this in advance because things can happen in a blink out on the water. You'll minimize the chances of someone falling or losing their footing and banging their head or twisting their ankle.
At the calmer end of the spectrum, make sure you inform your crew to watch their limbs and heads as you come into a dock. Getting rubbed by a piling can hurt. Fending off is something every boat guest seems to want to do. But should we allow every guest to help like that? You need to make that decision and vocalize it before someone gets a splinter-or a broken bone.
Most times, these are easy-tosee scenarios. But we don't always have advance notice. Sometimes situations arise that cause the boat to accelerate, decelerate or maneuver so suddenly that an injury can result. Plus, as skippers, we have to remember that we have the wheel to hold onto, we are looking at wha...
For example, take the transit of a patch of water rougher than the rest. This can be a coastal inlet or the confluence of two currents, or maybe a harbor area so crisscrossed with wakes from commercial traffic that there is no discernible size or pattern to the sea that's running. A competent and considerate skipper lets the others aboard know this is coming and they might endure a big drop into a hole or get slammed broadside by a 3-foot wave.
Of course, you might not have trouble. You'll likely run at a prudent speed and course, and with attentive hands on the controls. But still, stuff happens, as we all know. So, you ask for everybody to sit down. You tell them it might get bumpy and to put on life jackets if they are not wearing them already. You should do all of this in advance because things can happen in a blink out on the water. You'll minimize the chances of someone falling or losing their footing and banging their head or twisting their ankle.
At the calmer end of the spectrum, make sure you inform your crew to watch their limbs and heads as you come into a dock. Getting rubbed by a piling can hurt. Fending off is something every boat guest seems to want to do. But should we allow every guest to help like that? You need to make that decision and vocalize it before someone gets a splinter-or a broken bone.
Most times, these are easy-tosee scenarios. But we don't always have advance notice. Sometimes situations arise that cause the boat to accelerate, decelerate or maneuver so suddenly that an injury can result. Plus, as skippers, we have to remember that we have the wheel to hold onto, we are looking at wha...
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Boating (Digital) - 1 Issue, May 2023