Does your sailing crew know the location of survival equipment, fuel shut-off valve and how to test a seacock? Make these ten items your first stop when you step aboard any boat, power or sail. Did you know the Coast Guard can board your boat anytime they want to check safety items whenever they want? No “probable cause” needed!
Fire Extinguishers
Fire on a boat means big trouble. Check fire extinguisher locations and gauges. Recharge any extin- guisher where the dial points into the red sector. Once a month remove each dry chemical extin- guisher from their brackets, invert, shake, and mount again. That way, any powder packed into the bottom will loosen up. Point out each portable fire extinguisher to your sailing crew. Remember to mount them to the left and right of the galley. If the chef has a flash fire, they need to get away from it and it won’t help if the extinguisher is right by the stove. In an emergency, you’ll be glad you did!
Flare Kits
All items in your emergency flare kit have two stamped dates: a manufactured date and an expira- tion date. If they’re expired, keep the old ones that still appear to be in good shape as backups but you must replace them with new ones. The ones that fit in a hand gun and look like 12 guage shot- gun shells will swell with time. They won’t fit when needed the most. Flares save lives, so keep them accessible and ready to use in an instant.
Stuffing Box
A leading cause of boats sinking is from leaking stuffing boxes. At the dock, on a mooring or at anchor–not underway! The stuffing box is where the engine shaft exits the dry boat and enters the water with a prop on it. A lot of rotation and vibration everytime the engine is used. Get your flash- light and shine it onto the packing and lock nuts. Water lubricates the packing, so you should see a drop or two every minute. Excessive leaks indicate worn packing. Address this right away before you cast off.
Bilges and Engine Drip Pan
Check the bilge for excess water. Look for leaks around keel bolts or transducer through-hulls. Look under the engine in the drip pan. If you see water, dip your fingers in and rub them together. Clear, oily water indicates a engine fresh water coolant problem.
Engine Fuel Shutoff
Make sure you know the location of the fuel supply shutoff valve. In an emergency, you need to turn this off to stop fuel flow to your engine. Trace the fuel line between tank and primary fuel filter. Test the valve to make sure you can turn it off and on.
Marine Seacocks
Another top cause of boat sinkings are seacocks with frozen handles or blown hoses. Every seacock aboard must have a handle that works. Test each handle in the shut off and open position. A tiny leak of salt water will quickly corrode the valve and handle. The handle will often just break off. A gentle tap frees up most handles, frozen from corrosion. Look for tapered plugs, tied to the base of each seacock. In an emergency, they’ll plug a leak. A cone shaped foam plug can be twisted and quickly inserted in a broken valve, hose or hull breach.
Head Valves
Another boat sinker. The head seacock often stays open while underway. With a defective valve, this could cause the commode to fill and overflow, especially when heeled over. Make it a habit to shut off both valve and seacock after every use to prevent this problem. I believe it’s vital to make a physical demonstration of this procedure to your crew. Not all crew will tell you if they know how to use the head, so a short 30 second demonstration could save your boat. The last boat they were on may have had a different style of flushing, from foot peddles to levers and instuction labels that fell off years ago. Just show them!
Port, Hatch and Cowl Closure
Do the opening ports and hatches secure tightly? In a squall, spray or rainstorm, you must button her up below. Do you know where the cowl vent cover is? A dry cabin pumps up crew morale, second only to a hot meal!
Marine Bilge Pumps
Electric bilge pumps are nice but floats that stick and wire connections around and in salt water are a disaster. Install trusty “works-every-time” manual type bilge pumps too. Check for a large capacity manual bilge pump, like the whale pumps, in the cockpit. Find the handle and show the crew to keep it handy.
Make sure you have a bailing bucket or two aboard, too. They’ve kept more than one boat afloat when other methods failed.
Battery Covers and Tie Downs
Most sailboats have two banks of batteries, one to start the engine and one for general (house) use. Each battery must have a strong tie down to prevent movement when you heel. Test the cables for tight contact to the battery terminals. Now you know they’ll give you juice when you ask for it.
Don’t forget to file a float plan.