Boating Safety
Requirements, Float Plan, Vessel Safety Check
Requirements, Float Plan, Vessel Safety Check
Requirements, Float Plan, Vessel Safety Check
Safety Requirements for Recreational Boats, and a Float Plan form
Safety at Sea Training
Requirements, Float Plan, Vessel Safety Check
Requirements, Float Plan, Vessel Safety Check
Where can you go for training in safety at sea?
LifeSling/Crew Overboard
Requirements, Float Plan, Vessel Safety Check
If someone falls overboard, can you get the boat back to them and get them safely back on board?
Cold Water Hazards
Crew Overboard with Double or Short Handed Crew
The waters of Puget Sound are cold year around. Find out about the hazards of falling overboard into cold water.
Crew Overboard with Double or Short Handed Crew
Crew Overboard with Double or Short Handed Crew
Suggested response to a crew-overboard "Man Overboard" situation from a double-handed boat. From Cruising Club of America
Emergency Station Bill
Mahina Expeditions offers examples of emergency station bill, seasickness avoidance etc. FREE!
i911 to US Coast Guard
You can now use your cell phone to communicate your location to the US Coast Guard when you're vessel is in distress.
US Sailing Safety Equipment Requirements
To help race Organizing Authorities clearly specify "...equipment requirements that are appropriate for the conditions, easily verified, and not excessive" A great resource for non-racers too!
ABYC Standards and Technical Information Reports for Small Craft
Covers all the major boat systems and the development and annual review of these standards correlates directly to the significant reduction in the number of boating accidents over the past six decades
King County Water Safety
"We live in an area surrounded by water, giving many opportunities for exciting water activities, but also increasing the possibility of injury and drowning."
Fly w/inflatable PFD?
Will the airlines let you fly with your comfortable personal inflatable PFD (Personal Flotation Device, aka Lifejacket)?
Have boat launch, dock, marina? Consider safety equipment
Life Jacket Loaner Station
Life Jacket Loaner Station
Life Jacket Loaner Station
When you go out boating and don’t have a life jacket or find yours doesn’t fit properly, you can visit a life jacket loaner station and borrow an infant, child, youth or adult life jacket for the day or weekend—at no charge. When finished, simply return the life jackets to the same station
Life Ring Cabinet
Life Jacket Loaner Station
Life Jacket Loaner Station
Supplied with a 24" USCG approved life ring and 100" of rope, with a choice of wall or rail mounting fixings & additional security features to deter theft and vandalism .
Dock Safety Ladder
Life Jacket Loaner Station
Dock Safety Ladder
Safety ladder for boat launch, dock, marinas to provide a safe, secure exit from the water for "accidental" swimmers
Disposing of Expired Flares
How to dispose of expired flares
Since I dispose of lots of expired flares after Safety at Sea training: get questions on how to do it. They expire 42 months after manufacture, as stamped on them.
Many sources say you can take to local fire department, USCG office, harbor master, etc. But it's been my experience that they don't want them, and don't really know what to do with them either.
The answer depends on where you are. For example:
In King county, you can only dispose of 10 a day, at one of the hazardous waste disposal locations (but not the waste mobile). If they are off your boat (not your business) they are considered household waste. Here's the locations and schedules for that: https://kingcounty.gov/en/dept/dnrp/waste-services/hazardous-waste-program/household/disposal-facilities
In Pierce county: https://www.lriservices.com/lri-hidden-valley/household-hazardous-waste-facility
In other counties, you may have to call a number to find out, it may be limited to county residents, only open certain days of the month, you may be asked to make a $10 donation to cover the costs, etc.
In Portland OR, Portland YC has a free bin for that purpose.
and... the rules often change, as it looks like recently happened in BC: https://canadianboating.ca/how-to-diy/safety/expired-marine-flares-disposal-dates/
Keep them for use on your boat as 'backup'? Perhaps for a few years, but I've seen lots of misfires on flares over 10 years old.
Decide you're just going to fire them off? alert/ask permission from appropriate authorities, including USCG and VHF alert on water. Best to not do over water if type of flares that drop hot slag with polluting chemicals.