Introduction: 

Man Overboard Rules of Safety 

• Rule No. 1. DO Not Fall Overboard. When sailing at night, in bad weather, when reefed, alone, or in cold waters, the best safety is to be clipped in and stay with the boat. 

• Rule No. 2. DON'T forget Rule No. 1. 

Larry Glenn, owner of Runaway, a J44 is very thoughtful, plus he is organized and disciplined about his thinking regarding emergencies.  Larry knows that you cannot assign tasks in the middle of a crisis; you have to plan and organize ahead.  Here is some actual planning Larry did before the 2012 Bermuda Race so his life raft would be ready and his crew would be able to deal with Abandon Ship issues. … Read more

This note presents the results of the work of CCA member John Brooks in investigating the position of the U. S. Coast Guard with regard to “laser flares”. It also contains some description of the devices and links to other information about the devices. 

When we think about boating safety, all of us can come up with a specific story, perhaps several, that previously taught us about the ocean, how sailboats perform, and how to avoid trouble. Frequently, these stories involved trouble of one sort or another, since the school of hard knocks provides a pretty effective education.

In the early 1970s, a new method of categorizing life jackets was introduced by the Coast Guard and Underwriter’s Laboratories, using five “types” and a new, strange name for life jackets: the Personal Flotation Device.