Summary of duties for safety boats Downs SC
 

1.  Please be ready to get organised at least 1 hour before planned start. Check tide and weather.
2. Open boathouse, put full fuel tank in boat and do boat and engine checks and engine warm up.
3. Discuss with sailing committee and race officer re course. Check sufficient marks in boat. Perform radio check (channel 37)
4. Aim to be launched at least 30 minutes before race start. At least one member of crew needs to be dressed to enter the water. Include radio check when boat on the beach.
5. Lay course. Confirm with race officer and ideally have a sailing committee member sail the first lap or beat to check.
6. Check on boats as they launch. Count number on water and confirm with Race officer.
7. If boats appear to be free sailing check they are aware of tides and are competent to be left alone. Advise them of limit of your cover.(if time)
8. Position yourself in areas most likely to be needed. Most capsizes are on the run and gybe so up tide and upwind. Advice non racing inexperienced sailors to keep in middle of course or up tide.
9. For every capsize, regardless of their experience, ensure that the crew are safe immediately. If in doubt proceed at safe maximum speed and ask race officer to check with binoculars. The RYA safety boat scheme advise 3 minutes as a maximum to attend a capsized boat.
10. In event of serious problem such as multiple capsize or persons missing inform race officer who will initiate extra help via coastguard as needed. Club policy is for this to be done by phone from the club rather than channel 16 so that club and safety boat remain on channel 37. If needing to change channel to liaise with RNLI or coastguard await instructions from those parties.
11. If you become occupied with one boat inform race officer so that he/she can keep extra watch on remainder of fleet. This also applies if wind greater than force 4 and in rough water when capsized boats may not be visible to you.
12. If crew taken from a boat and boat ‘abandoned’ attach ‘crew safe’ marker to boat and if time and equipment attach spare anchor to that boat
13. Monitor weather and pass observations to race officer- especially squalls, thunder, fog and dying wind.
14. When racing finished  and if no boats needing assistance call race officer for permission to collect marks and ask the Race officer to maintain an increased look out
15. Check all boats ashore and come back to beach
16. When coming ashore ensure sufficient helpers available. Call race box to arrange if needed. If onshore winds and waves consider asking for yellow ‘woods’ to be placed on beach to prevent danger of the sledge being washed away or into  a helper, come ashore positively remembering to raise engine early and switch off early to prevent damage to prop.
17. When being winched do not stand behind boat in case of wire breakage, the boat coming off sledge or the winch operator error. This is very important.
18. Clean engine, sort boat, refill boat fuel tank and cans back in locker, turn radio off and put boat fully in boathouse. Ensure all boat equipment stowed tidily in its appropriate place and the ready for immediate use. Pay special attention to mobile marks and ground tackle. If any problems with the boat notify John Cass, Chris Danican John Sharvill or executive officer.

John Sharvill, Commodore DSC May 2006  review 2007