Safe sailing practice

Sailing safety

Sailing at sea involves a number of hazards that are not easy to grasp when you are starting out in the practice of sailing.

On a sailboat, the risks of accidents are amplified by the power of the forces involved on lines or rigging.

A line running free badly or a jammer that gives way can cause serious accidents, especially when the wind is strong and the sea rough. In terms of safety, however, both lack of confidence and overconfidence are equally dangerous.

To set the cursor in the right place, you must of course remain vigilant at all times, but also keep in mind a minimum set of reference points, starting with statistics.

Engine failure, a classic that is still going strong

While around a quarter of rescue requests involve sailboats, more than half of these interventions originate from engine failure. By definition, however, a sailboat in most cases allows you to return under sail at least as far as the harbour entrance.

Since towing from the channel is free in many harbours, using port services would therefore avoid many inconveniences for volunteer rescuers... Another way to prevent engine failure is of course to monitor its operating condition before departure.

Many boat rental companies operate under pressure during the summer season and do not always take the time to carry out thorough maintenance. For their part, renters often tend to rely on the responsibility of the rental company. Negligence, when you hold us...

Other common causes of rescue at sea are more evenly distributed. They include navigation difficulties, fouled propellers, groundings (a grounding being voluntary) or mooring problems. All factors that encourage us to prepare properly before setting off.

Weather you shall take

The first basis of navigation is to obtain marine weather forecasts correctly. If your smartphone is out of order, coastal forecasts are displayed in harbour offices. Otherwise, the Internet makes it very easy to cross-check weather bulletin sources. A good way to get the most accurate idea possible of what to expect once outside.

Of course, it is not enough to know the departure conditions, but if possible those of the return as well. If you risk being stuck in a given harbour due to bad weather, it may be better to change plans.

Finally, if the forecast makes you uncomfortable, it is better to stay in port rather than take unreasonable risks or impose them on the people for whom you are responsible.

You shall train in safety manoeuvres

Once at sea, you must be able to rely on yourself and your crew in the event of an accident.

The major manoeuvre to know is of course “man overboard”. The event is indeed rare but sufficiently serious to require every homo navigans to master the recovery procedure. Your mission, should you accept it, will be to repeat the manoeuvre every time you take a boat, as it is rarely the same depending on conditions...

Beyond man overboard, you will need to familiarise yourself with safety manoeuvres. They will allow you to protect yourself in strong winds or heavy seas, which are not particularly rare in offshore sailing. Of course, this does not happen overnight. Mastery of these manoeuvres requires repeating them until they become a reflex.

Heavy-weather points of sail

If conditions become particularly dangerous, you will not be unhappy to know heavy-weather points of sail.

In force 10 winds with 8-metre seas, it is always useful to know how to heave-to, deploy drogues or set a sea anchor.

The liferaft, a little-known piece of equipment

In the same vein, we cannot encourage you enough to learn how to handle a liferaft. Reading the instructions is one thing; using it under stress, where you lose 50% of your capabilities, is another!

You will need to learn how to launch it, embark safely, then urgently gather what you need to drink, eat, sleep warm, wash, communicate...

A whole programme that is better thought through a little before you are confronted with it.

World Sailing courses

For amateur or professional skippers wishing to take part in offshore racing events, World Sailing courses (ex-ISAF) teach, through a mixed format of classroom theory and onboard practice, the right reflexes to acquire in heavy offshore weather.

They lead to a certificate valid for 5 years accredited by the French Sailing Federation.

Fire management

Another important step towards safe sailing practice is to learn how to manage fires on board; depending on the situation, you sometimes have only a handful of seconds to react.

Adopt the right reflexes when faced with a galley fire, an electrical fire or an engine fire. Learn to recognise the different types of fire extinguishers and the legal obligations of recreational sailors regarding fire-fighting.

Infornav safety courses

This is expertise that, during courses essentially dedicated to safety, will enable you to:

* Prevent nautical risks through mastery of all situations requiring detailed analysis of your navigations.

* Plan appropriate and compliant equipment allowing you to sail safely, combining technique and enjoyment.