The course was developed by Yachting Australia to provide survival training for Offshore Sailors. It is mandatory for 50% of crew in Category 1 Offshore Races and is highly recommended for sailors in Category 2 events. Bluewater cruisers will also benefit greatly from the training. If you are considering competing in any Category 1 or 2 yacht races, you should consider this course as a standard component of your on-going skills development.

"The safety of a boat and her crew is the sole and inescapable responsibility of the owner, or owner's representative who must do their best to ensure that the boat is fully found, thoroughly seaworthy and manned by an experienced crew who are physically fit to face bad weather. He must be satisfied as to the soundness of hull, spars, rigging, sails and all gear. He must ensure that all safety equipment is properly maintained and stowed and that the crew know where it is kept and how it is to be used."AYF Special Regulations, Addendum A.1, Section 1, Regulation 1.02 (a) OWNER'S RESPONSIBILITY.

The course's main objectives are:

• To assist offshore skippers and crews in developing awareness of respective responsibilities.
• To offer and discuss practical strategies for coping with emergencies at sea.
• To familiarise skippers and crews with safety and emergency equipment, its purpose, deployment, and use.

The Safety and Sea Survival course is a practical and theoretical course which should be completed over a period of at least 16 hours (2 full days). The course is taught by Pacific Sailing School's YA-qualified instructors. We follow the recommended SSSC instructor-to-student ratio of 1:15 for the theoretical component, with a maximum class size of 20 students. The instructor-to-student ratio for the "wet drill" is 1:10 with no more than 20 students undertaking the drill at once.

All course participants undergo both theory and practical assessment. You will need to show your skill or "competence" in certain practical aspects of the syllabus as well as pass a written theory examination.

YA issues Certificates of Competence, valid for 5 years, to students who successfully complete the course. Your details will be added to the national YA website database which can searched by owners and skippers to find and validate crew eligibility.

Syllabus Overview

• Introduction

Causes of Marine Emergencies

• Principles of Survival

Principles of survival at sea for the boat and crew

General precautions

Damage Prevention

Planning

Equipment

Crew briefs

Emergency instructions and standard procedures

Care and maintenance of safety equipment

• Personal Lifesaving Appliances

Lifebuoys

PFDs

Harnesses and Tethers

Personal clothing

Personal EPIRBs

Personal lights/strobes

Other items

• Areas of Risk and Emergencies

Preparation for rough weather

Rough and severe weather strategies including:

Boat handling

Assessment options

Crew routines

Damage prevention, control and repair

Use of storm equipment including:

• Drogues
• Storm sails
• Galley operations

 
Emergencies and strategies to address:

• Disabled vessel/severe damage
• Loss of mast
• Loss of rudder/steering
• Loss of keel
• Fire
• Man overboard
• Flooding
• Capsize/knock-down
• Giving assistance to other craft
• Abandoning Ship (Liferafts) - Preparation & planning for "The Last Resort"

Decision to abandon ship as last resort

Personal preparation (including donning of PFD, clothing, harness)

Crew duties - Procedures and responsibilities

Grab bags and extra items

Launching of survival craft

Boarding survival craft from vessel and water

Entering the water wearing a PFD

Survival techniques in the water

Liferaft construction, function, standards, and recommended equipment

Initial actions upon on boarding liferaft

Deployment of drogue

Assisting injured persons and survivors into the liferaft

Deploying EPIRB

Dangers to survivors

Best use of liferaft facilities

Righting an inverted liferaft

Manoeuvring liferaft

Need to maintain watch

Psychology of survival

Physiology of survival

• Search and Rescue

Search and Rescue authorities and agencies

Communications -air rescue, sea rescue

Need to assist rescue -flares, warnings about their use, EPIRBs, distress signals, smoke, communication

Search procedures and patterns

Overhead rescue from vessel/raft/water

Rescue by surface vessels

• Use of Pyrotechnics

Types and purposes

Firing/ignition mechanisms

Hazards & dangers of use

• Weather Forecasts and Meteorology

Sources of weather forecasts

Terms and definitions used in forecasts

Wind & sea state scales

Weather systems and sea conditions

Instruments for onboard observation -barometer

Visual monitoring of atmospheric changes and sea state for local forecasting

• Fire Prevention & Fire Fighting

Fire Theory

Prevention

Equipment - fire extinguishers, fire blankets, serviced, tested, maintained

Methods

• Emergency Communications

Marine Radio Certificate -2 members of crew

VHF -listening watch, handhelds

GMDSS

Satcom

• First Aid and Early Management of Injury or Illness

Senior First Aid -2 members of crew

Injury or illness

Hypothermia

Seasickness

Medical assistance -medical kit, extra medication, waterproof containers

• Duty of Care

Duty of Care of Owners/Skippers

Occupational Health and Safety Legislation

Employee/employer responsibilities

Importance of keeping records

Training and periodic practice - long overnight races in preparation