Jump to content

Wild Is The Wind

Member
 View Profile  See their activity

  • Posts

    180

  • Joined

  • Last visited

 Content Type 

Posts posted by Wild Is The Wind

  1. Boat safety drills

    in Boat Handling

    Posted

    I haven't yet had to retrieve a passenger. We have clearly stated Man Overboard procedures, stated in our Domestic Safety Management plan- a large folder of documents, compiled for the MCA and our use, stating exactly what we will do in a myriad of emergencies.

     

    Our Man Overboard plan is variable, depending on what is happening. In an ideal world, it's a fairly sober young person who is able to swim who falls in; in which case, out of gear straight away, have them swim to the bank, take the vessel to the same bank and have them get back on there.

     

    Or, if they're in difficulties, they get a lifering, and they are either pulled back to the deployed boarding ladder using the attached line, or if it's nighttime, they get a lifebuoy with a water activated light, and I reverse the boat next to them, going out of gear when within 5 metres to allow the vessel to drift back.

     

    Worst case scenario, they're unconscious, so the vessel is reversed back to them, and the crew use a boathook to bring them to the hatchway.

     

    You will need to consider not only the safety and wellbeing of the casualty, but also your crew. They're going to be leaning over the water and in our case opening hatchways that are normally closed; how can their safety be addressed, so they don't end up falling in too? Our DSM for example has them don lifejackets, which they don't normally wear, when retrieving casualties.

     

    And there's also the safety of the vessel and the other passengers, first and foremost. Yes, there's a casualty in the water, but you cannot maneuver in such a way as to put your passengers at risk- or other river users. Our plan has a number of steps before we can even think about retrieving a casualty:

     

    -Assess the overall situation first. Can the vessel be maneuvered without putting others in danger?

     

    -Shut off any music (literally pull the plug on DJs!) so that we can all concentrate.

     

    -Clear the back deck of passengers- shut the bar, and that crew member/s assist the others

     

    -Tell the passengers to remain seated or where they are in the rest of the vessel whilst we maneuver.

     

    In short, lots to think about- remember when designing your plan, that the risks aren't only to your casualty in the water, but also your crew who have to retrieve them, the other passengers on your boat, and the safety of other river/canal users. Address these in your plan too!

     

    Thank you, that's helpful.

    Last March we were out and the dog fell off the back of the boat. She was wearing a harness and was tied to the boat. Somehow she managed to slip the harness, now changed for a totally different one.

     

    Of course the first action I took was to knock off the power. Then a couple of things happened that I had not thought of. The wind started to blow the boat into the bushes on the off side and also a boat was coming in the opposite direction of which the helm was unable to see what was happening in front of him. I initially tried to signal him to stop but he appeared to not understand what I was trying to do. Mrs T ran to the front of the boat and got him to stop by shouting loudly at him.

     

    Fortunately the dog swam to the back of the boat, was recovered without harm and we went on our way.

     

    I used to sail offshore and have practiced Man Overboard drill on many occasions but of course the cut is totally different. We have practiced MOB in our marina with a buoy and a bucket. It is easy to talk and say what you would do but for me reality was different.

     

    I am sure every situation is slightly different but being a little prepared in advance is surely a help.

  3. Boat safety drills

    in Boat Handling

    Posted

    Ive recently had to do a risk assessment for children living on board and now need to put together a safety drill we can do regularly covering fire, sinking and man overboard.

     

    It sounds over the top, but actually made me realise we dont all know what to do in these emergencies, and the drills could actually be fun.

     

    Has anyone put anything like this together for a narrowboat, canal only atm, or know where I can find some useful information?

  6. Manual shower taps v's thermostatic

    in Boat Equipment

    Posted

    Bristan Jute bath shower mixer tap Chrome Plated

    Product Code: C51570

    WRAS_Logo.gif
    • Online Retail Price (Inc. VAT):
      £161.34
    • Online Offer Price (Inc. VAT):
      £107.82
    DEALS Offer Price
    Quantity

    icon1.pngCollect in BranchFREE Reserve & Collect in-branch

    icon1-d.pngDeliveryNormally available in 2-3 working days

    Bristan_Logo_m.jpg
    C51570_wpdp.jpg

    Image shown for illustration purposes only.

    View Large Image
    Description
    Product Description

    Compact styling with gorgeous curved edges.

    You may also need
    Espot-JulyDeals-PLP-Nero.jpg

    Please ignore that, wrong product and don't know how to do links.

  8. Manual shower taps v's thermostatic

    in Boat Equipment

    Posted

    Thanks both - at very basic level was thinking of bath taps with shower attachment and bar to fix to. Thermostatic and not too expensive. Can anyone post a link to something that would do, have been looking at Screwfix?


    Thanks Cuthound. That sounds like another option. Are the valves expensive? I guess any plumber could do this for us or would they need experience of doing things on a boat?

  9. Manual shower taps v's thermostatic

    in Boat Equipment

    Posted

    Hi all

    Looking for some advice...

    We are fitting a small shower bath so are researching whether to fit a simple set of mixer taps with shower attached or to go for thermostatic version. I understand the thermostatic version should help regulate the water temperature if someone turns on a tap elsewhere when someone is in the shower so this sounds the safer option. The water is heated by the engine or Webasto and there is an accumulator and expansion tank in place.

    We want to keep it as simple as possible and don't have a lot of money to spend.

    Any recommendations on what to buy would be really helpful.

    Thank you in advance.

     

  13. Shallow shower tray

    in Boat Equipment

    Posted · Edited by Wild Is The Wind

    Our boat was fitted with a shallow tray when we bought it and it was rubbish. Would flood every time. So we designed our own shower area based on a very deep enamelled steel tray, 900 x 600, German made and quite expensive. Best thing we have done, love to use the shower now.

     

    Thanks for your reply, sounds like a more expensive job then. Is your tray sunk into the floor?

  16. Pole and plank rack

    in Boat Equipment

    Posted

    Hope its ok to ask here, ive been searching the forum and it brought me to this thread. I noticed a little blackened area on the oak lining inside where the horn is fitted to the roof. A black rubbery seal has been used and its obviously started to perish but i cant see any rust. Ive ordered some Marine Flex and wondered if its just a case of remove old seal and replace, or are there any other tips to make sure we've done a proper job? Thanks in advance for any replies.

  21. Towing another boat - advice needed please

    in General Boating

    Posted

    What excellent advice, thanks everyone, lots I hadnt thought about and great pics which is really helpful as cross strapping did sound baffling - will ponder on this over the next week. I will check out the insurance but I'd like to help if I can. Already have some scrapes (!) and it will be good experience I might need again in the future. Another adventure! I must say I do think its nice to lend a hand when you can. Even though I didnt really know how to do it for the best we rescued three or four boats that were stuck last summer, i remember one of them had was a dad with a little boy who had been stuck for two hours with none of the passing boats willing to help. It took us half an hour and the marina had closed so we had to wait till the next morning for diesel but we were glad to have helped. Ali

    Not already mentioned but obviously need to keep all ropes well under control and away from my rudder!

  22. Towing another boat - advice needed please

    in General Boating

    Posted

    Wow, I posted this an popped to Tesco and so many replies. Thanks everyone, just need a few minutes to take it all in. Have two weeks to decide. Mine is 60 x 10 and the other a 60ft nb, not deep drafted but looks to be poorly equipped. I will be travelling from Packet Boat to Rickmansworth and the other needs to get to Denham so only two locks. I could also add at this point if anyone else passing through with more experience than me and would like to help I could hook you up lol

  24. Insulating doors

    in Boat Building & Maintenance

    Posted

    I made some porthole bungs today as the temporary ones i made last winter where excellent, and im keeping my mushroom vents as they are, they are there for good reason. My 60 x 10 space is plenty warm enough with Squirrel stove kept on 24/7, but have draughty Stern doors and sliding hatch. Not really a problem as warm enough with a curtain and making some draught blockers for hatch tomorrow, but really interested in ideas for insulating these areas.

×
×
  • Create New...

Important Information

We have placed cookies on your device to help make this website better. You can adjust your cookie settings, otherwise we'll assume you're okay to continue.