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Safety Tips and Advice

Pre Season Checks
Start of a New Season Well here we are again Christmas and new year over with, winter gales blowing and our boats all tied up and safe. Nows the time to start making a scheduled for our maintenance to finish those odd jobs that we didn't get around too just before we went back on the water at the start of the last season and do carry out our mandatory servicing for this years season.. So here are a few pointers or gentle hints to help you start your season safely...... Lights,Check all your lights inboard and outboard, can you find your spare bulbs for your Navigation lights or did you use one last season and forgot to replace it? Shapes, we all carry the right shapes yes , but can you find them and are they still the right shape? Anchors yes I said anchors, have you got the right length of chain for your length of vessel, and hows the shackles on the chain and is the wire locking the shackle is it still good to lock the shackle? Radar reflectors, are there attachments still holding and when was the last time you checked the reflection of your radar reflector? First Aid Kits, is it still in date, are the creams and plasters still in date or does the kit require replacing.More importantly do your crew know where its stowed away and how to use it when required. Life Rafts, when was the last time you had it serviced?was it two or three seasons ago, if so will it still work when you most need it. Or will you never have to use it! Life Jackets and Harnesses, We all wear our life jackets every time we go out on the water,but do we check them every time? When we wear our favorite jackets or tops and they get dirty we wash them, but how often do we have our life jackets serviced, once a year I hope at least! Water Proof torch we all need a torch at some time, but when did we last change the battery's? Do they still hold a charge or have they leaked inside the torch? Hull temporary repair Kit Not every body carries a temporary repair kit but are the contents still ply-able or have they gone hard! Charts Hopefully all your charts have remained dry and not got damp, have you got all the corrections and are they up to date, its alright I hear you say I have a GPS Plotter..... is it up to date and have you checked the connections ion the back of it and can you remember how to use it after you have switch it on !! EPIRBS Are normally maintenance free but have you changed your boat and carried the same Epirb over but forgotten to re-register with Falmouth Coast guard( Its Free you know). Is the battery still in date (5 years Life) and when was it last serviced. Hint: before you remove the epirb from its bracket check that you don't break the connection with the magnets if you have any, if you have broke the connection and your Epirb has activated don't panic phone the nearest coast guard station up and tell them what has happened,this will save a lot of resources and time and effort for the emergency services. Fire Extingiuishers Can we still get to them with ease, are the indicators still in the green, are they the right fire extinguisher for the right job and if you have a dry powder extinguisher in the engine compartment will your insurance pay for the engine clean after the fire has been extinguished? Flares Are they still in date?ah there only one or two years out of date they will still work won't they!!!!!! Check your flares, the dates on them are now important as when the date expires out of date flares are now staring to fail at an alarming rate. So How old are yours?To Be Continued How many of us have left our Automatic life jackets on board our boats in there lockers over winter, only to find on our next visit that they have inflated! This could of happened for a couple of possible reasons. 1) The automatic capsule / salt tablet has become damp over a period of time by a combination of hot one minute and then cold the next or in some cases cold and colder. 2) Condensation reaching the capsule / tablet and then releasing the firing pin. To Overcome this problem just take these simple precautions, Take your life jackets home and place them in a warm dry place such as a airing cupboard or similar. Unfold any Sharpe creases on the folds of the life jacket and leave the life jacket open. If hanging the life jacket up try avoid using a metal coat hangar. While you are in a dry warm place why not just give your life jackets the once over checking visually for wear and tear especially at the folds, straps and fastenings. These tips are just tips, and by no means replaces the annual service your life jackets require each year.

Pre Season Checks

Start of a New Season

Well here we are again Christmas and new year over with, winter gales blowing and our boats all tied up and safe.

Nows the time to start making a scheduled for our maintenance to finish those odd jobs that we didn't get around too just before we went back on the water at the start of the last season and do carry out our mandatory servicing for this years season..

So here are a few pointers or gentle hints to help you start your season safely......

Lights,Check all your lights inboard and outboard, can you find your spare bulbs for your Navigation lights or did you use one last season and forgot to replace it?
Shapes, we all carry the right shapes yes , but can you find them and are they still the right shape?
Anchors yes I said anchors, have you got the right length of chain for your length of vessel, and hows the shackles on the chain and is the wire locking the shackle is it still good to lock the shackle?
Radar reflectors, are there attachments still holding and when was the last time you checked the reflection of your radar reflector?
First Aid Kits, is it still in date, are the creams and plasters still in date or does the kit require replacing.More importantly do your crew know where its stowed away and how to use it when required.
Life Rafts, when was the last time you had it serviced?was it two or three seasons ago, if so will it still work when you most need it. Or will you never have to use it!
Life Jackets and Harnesses, We all wear our life jackets every time we go out on the water,but do we check them every time? When we wear our favorite jackets or tops and they get dirty we wash them, but how often do we have our life jackets serviced, once a year I hope at least!
Water Proof torch we all need a torch at some time, but when did we last change the battery's? Do they still hold a charge or have they leaked inside the torch?
Hull temporary repair Kit Not every body carries a temporary repair kit but are the contents still ply-able or have they gone hard!
Charts Hopefully all your charts have remained dry and not got damp, have you got all the corrections and are they up to date, its alright I hear you say I have a GPS Plotter..... is it up to date and have you checked the connections ion the back of it and can you remember how to use it after you have switch it on !!
EPIRBS Are normally maintenance free but have you changed your boat and carried the same Epirb over but forgotten to re-register with Falmouth Coast guard( Its Free you know). Is the battery still in date (5 years Life) and when was it last serviced. Hint: before you remove the epirb from its bracket check that you don't break the connection with the magnets if you have any, if you have broke the connection and your Epirb has activated don't panic phone the nearest coast guard station up and tell them what has happened,this will save a lot of resources and time and effort for the emergency services.
Fire Extingiuishers Can we still get to them with ease, are the indicators still in the green, are they the right fire extinguisher for the right job and if you have a dry powder extinguisher in the engine compartment will your insurance pay for the engine clean after the fire has been extinguished?
Flares Are they still in date?ah there only one or two years out of date they will still work won't they!!!!!! Check your flares, the dates on them are now important as when the date expires out of date flares are now staring to fail at an alarming rate. So How old are yours?To Be Continued

How many of us have left our Automatic life jackets on board our boats in there lockers over winter, only to find on our next visit that they have inflated!

This could of happened for a couple of possible reasons.

1) The automatic capsule / salt tablet has become damp over a period of time by a combination of hot one minute and then cold the next or in some cases cold and colder.

2) Condensation reaching the capsule / tablet and then releasing the firing pin.

To Overcome this problem just take these simple precautions,

Take your life jackets home and place them in a warm dry place such as a airing cupboard or similar.

Unfold any Sharpe creases on the folds of the life jacket and leave the life jacket open.

If hanging the life jacket up try avoid using a metal coat hangar.

While you are in a dry warm place why not just give your life jackets the once over checking visually for wear and tear especially at the folds, straps and fastenings.

These tips are just tips, and by no means replaces the annual service your life jackets require each year.