General safety requirements

[Ned Ludd]

After joining this forum and reading the good, the bad and and the lucky relating to incidents I have been really looking at basic requirements Vs. what a prudent mariner should have available. I have been outfitting my boat with way beyond the minimums this season.
There have been 2 incidents in the last year where a sailor has gone overboard and it has taken a long time to retrieve them, one case nearly 45 min in the dark, the MOB nearly did not make it. Another sailor who had 12 people on his Catalina 25, I asked him "You have PFD's for everyone right?" he just gave me a thumbs up.
I know the sailors who do not meet the minimum requirements and if they ask me to join them I politely decline.
This is mostly a rant and advise to newer sailors, the minimum is not enough.

 

[Jackdaw]

Toms of gear is nice, but most importance is skill and knowledge to stay out of trouble in the first place, and know what to do with that gear if and when trouble occurs.

 

[Gunni]

12 people on a Catalina 25 is not only stupid, it is a violation of the builders load limit and subject to citation for same. Kind of a red flag on the operator's recklessness. And yes, always have a Plan B, and a Plan C.

 

[Benny17441]

12 people on a Catalina 25 is not only stupid, it is a violation of the builders load limit and subject to citation for same. Kind of a red flag on the operator's recklessness. And yes, always have a Plan B, and a Plan C.

Not true except for the stupid part. In a boat 25' in length not used for charter the Captain has sole discretion on the number of people that can be aboard. He will use his experience in determining the conditions, the type of activity and the competency of the crew. The boat's manufacturer is not required to place a plate indicating a maximum number of people for a boat that size.

 

[Gunni]

What is interesting to me is that while there have been exemptions for some midsized boats, my 41 is rated for 12 (inshore) to 8 (offshore). Hard to believe anyone is a safe boater with 12 passengers on a Catalina25. Didn't realize there some boats are exempted from load capacity ratings. I believe the recent spate of folks rolling their boats over while overloaded caused NMMA to change the rules for the production builder load capacity placarding. I know that ABYC greatly reduced load capacities as a result of those capcizings.

 

[Ron20324]

The manufacturer rating is as stated by the design as the safe limits- not a legal limit as far as I know. Additional load can be added on by the skipper as he desires- even if stupid. Most of us know the "passengers= L x W divided by 15" as the point at which neglect can be brought into law suits.

 

[DAVA390]

My Precision 23..
8x 23, ÷ 15 yielded 12.something,seems to be a pretty big number...

 

[BudGates]

My Precision 23..
8x 23, ÷ 15 yielded 12.something,seems to be a pretty big number...

That is a very big number and it would be fine for a tour boat under mild weather conditions. The problem with the formula is that it doesn't account for either the heavy ballast or the larger wind effect of sailboats.

 

[Parsons]

I agree with Ned that the 'minimums' advised by the local laws are usually insufficient in a real emergency, have not been updated in years, and perhaps should be reconsidered. I recently had my boat safety inspected by a USPS volunteer, and was surprised at how much extra and redundant safety gear I carry just for coastal cruising. Things that I think of as very basic are not required at all - VHF, radar reflector, plugs, extra extinguishers, first aid kits, etc. Summary - the required list is inadequate and not 'prudent seamanship'.

 

[All U Get]

We just certified our liferaft and two Epirbs. Our technician asked us if we intended a long voyage. I answered "They always seem long when you're waiting for help".

All U Get

 

[Gunni]

ABYC has new load standards. Believe they are displacement/5 for outboard boats, displacement/7 for inboard boats. That works up to pretty much what Beneteau placards my boat with. Bottom line if something happens and you are using that tired old calculation of length*beam/15 you will be explaining why you thought it prudent to shove off with your waterline under water and passengers elbow to elbow. A half-smart Philly attorney will take you apart. Good judgement should prevail, not a calculation some guy sent you on the intertoobs

 

[Biobob Catalina 27]

Heard one side of a distress call right near our marina, something about a sailboat (2 of us heard 25 ft) with 4 adults and 7 children aboard that was "taking on water", that in my opinion would be VERY overcrowded (read stupid). From talking to slipmates, it was just across from the marina and they were helped by other boaters. As above, don't know about illegal, but definitely stupid!

 

[kappykaplan]

Heard the same thing while I was out yesterday and had the same opinion.