Boat safety

[billt4sf]

Was just on the Mermaid 2 and someone had posted somewhere about boat safety.

i thought this seemed like the gold standard (ASSUMING that the crew knows how to use them!) but what do others think?

 

[Wookie]

You are absolutely correct, the proper equipment must come with the proper training. The question to ask is "Does any member of the crew have STCW training?" (They must to meet international passenger vessel safety requirements) and "Does the vessel hold regular drills?" You'll know if they do, because they will hold one while you are there.

By law, any safety sensitive crewmember (Captains, deckhands, Engineers) must complete 5 days of training to include a day of First Aid, a day and a half of Personal Survival Craft, a day and a half firefighting, and a day of PSSR (Personal Safety and Social Responsibility, or the no grabassing class).

Also by law, the vessel must hold an abandon ship drill within 24 hours of getting underway, Including all passengers don lifejackets and muster at the disembarkation station. As well, ships must test the EPIRB monthly, hold a fire drill weekly, a MOB monthly, and make sure the first aid kit contains minimum supplies quarterly.

THATs the gold standard. Any vessel should be willing to show you their logs.

 

[billt4sf]

You are absolutely correct, the proper equipment must come with the proper training. The question to ask is "Does any member of the crew have STCW training?" (They must to meet international passenger vessel safety requirements) and "Does the vessel hold regular drills?" You'll know if they do, because they will hold one while you are there.

By law, any safety sensitive crewmember (Captains, deckhands, Engineers) must complete 5 days of training to include a day of First Aid, a day and a half of Personal Survival Craft, a day and a half firefighting, and a day of PSSR (Personal Safety and Social Responsibility, or the no grabassing class).

Also by law, the vessel must hold an abandon ship drill within 24 hours of getting underway, Including all passengers don lifejackets and muster at the disembarkation station. As well, ships must test the EPIRB monthly, hold a fire drill weekly, a MOB monthly, and make sure the first aid kit contains minimum supplies quarterly.

THATs the gold standard. Any vessel should be willing to show you their logs.

I have never been on a boat of any type in any locale that held a drill while I was there. Maybe about 20 years ago I recall putting on a lifejacket.

- Bill

 

[outofofficebrb]

You would be surprised how many boats that don't have the necessary safety equipment or just partial. It's always worth asking and double checking. I don't mean in the US/Canada, etc., but in SE Asia and other parts of the world.

Then there was that liveaboard boat in Egypt that got completely torched from a fire and they didn't even have fire extinguishers on board.......They tried to throw water on the fire that was started in the kitchen that was oil-based and then they tried to "fan the flames out" by moving the boat to favor the wind.

 

[Wookie]

I have never been on a boat of any type in any locale that held a drill while I was there. Maybe about 20 years ago I recall putting on a lifejacket.

- Bill

So I assume you now know the answer to your question/statement. You can have millions of dollars worth of exactly the right equipment for any marine casualty, but if you aren’t trained and don’t drill in its use, gold star turns into dog turd.

 

[Darnold9999]

Pretty much all of the liveaboard I have been on have done a drill. Usually first day, followed by a general dive briefing as everyone has now been collected in one place.

Now can’t remember if Mermaid II did or not but I seem to recall all collecting on the back deck with life jackets. Memory fades with age so ... maybe some other boat.

 

[billt4sf]

Pretty much all of the liveaboard I have been on have done a drill. Usually first day, followed by a general dive briefing as everyone has now been collected in one place.

Now can’t remember if Mermaid II did or not but I seem to recall all collecting on the back deck with life jackets. Memory fades with age so ... maybe some other boat.

I have been on Mermaid I four times and Mermaid II once - no drills.

- Bill