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by Chuck Hawley (39, |
Subject: Fire/Flooding
The story in MarineLog on this year’s Summer Solstice seemed both familiar and odd at the same time. A yacht valued at $1,500,000 burned to the waterline, and later sank, while undergoing some routine maintenance at a marina in Washington state.…
by Eric Thyrre, |
Subject: Emergencies
The weather at the ramp was sunny and clear, yet lightning struck the son standing on the bow. The lightning bolt came in his tail bone and out his foot. The son immediately went overboard and started to sink. The father jumped overboard and…
by Chuck Hawley, |
Subject: Culture of Safety, Preparation of Boat and Crew
But what about the resolutions we make with regard to the safe operation of our own sailboats and cruisers? How many times have you heard a fellow voyager say “Ya know, the next time we’re out, we ought to do a man overboard drill” or “I need to…
by Chuck Hawley, |
Subject: Overboard
A passenger on a Carnival Cruise Ship, traveling from New Orleans to Cozumel, was reported missing about 13 hours after he was last seen onboard. A search ensued, and the passenger was spotted by a commercial vessel, which then relayed the…
by Sheila McCurdy, |
Subject: Culture of Safety, Seamanship and Awareness
Good seamanship should include the ability to assess, address, and anticipate. The best offshore sailors use sight, smell, hearing, and feel to monitor what is going on below, on deck and in the wider environment for whatever may come next.…
by Chuck Hawley, |
Subject: Overboard
Inspect, test, and practice your life jacket!
by Chuck Hawley, |
Subject: Overboard
Typical MOB situations (dark, rough seas) may make maneuvering the rescuing vessel tricky. The development of the Lifesling and similar devices assists in recovering a person in the water without having to get dangerously close.
by Chuck Hawley, |
Subject: Safety Gear, Boat, Emergencies
Safety Moment, Cruising Club of America, SF Station, Sept 2018 Chuck Hawley
by Chuck Hawley, |
Subject: Safety Gear, Personal, Overboard
How would you go about figuring out if a life jacket design is capable of saving a life when used in rough water? What would you look for? How would you measure the life jacket’s effectiveness? Which models would you accept, and which ones would you…
by Chuck Hawley, |
Subject: Navigation and Piloting
Three Star Fix 
by Chuck Hawley, |
Subject: Safety Gear, Boat, Fire/Flooding
Remarkably, the list of required safety gear for a 35’ sail or power boat is remarkably short. Life jackets and throwable flotation, navigation lights, visual distress signals, a sound making device, and a couple of fire extinguishers is pretty much…
by Chuck Hawley, |
Subject: Safety Gear, Boat, Safety Gear, Personal
Fast forward 20 or so years, and Stan is again sailing on state-of-the-art multihulls, but now on Gitana 17, a foiling trimaran, whose crew intends to set the around the world record: the Jules Verne Trophy. While the personal gear that the crew…
by Chuck Hawley, |
Subject: Overboard
  By Chuck Hawley, San Francisco Station, October 2019
by Chuck Hawley, |
Subject: Culture of Safety, Preparation of Boat and Crew
Suppose you’re heading off on a two-day race and some of your crew haven’t sailed with you before. They come highly recommended, but they don’t know your boat or your standard operating procedures. What should you discuss with them as you head for…
by Chuck Hawley, |
Subject: Overboard, Electronics
One of the most exciting developments has been the progression of Man Overboard Beacons (or Crew Overboard Alarms or whatever you want to call them). Over the last 20 years or so, through about four generations of products and technology, these life…
by Chuck Hawley, & by Stan Honey, & by Sally Honey, |
Subject: Overboard
  Chuck Hawley, San Francisco Station, with immense help from Stan Honey and Sally Lindsay Honey, San Francisco Station
by Chuck Hawley, |
Subject: Good Practices Underway
Lessons from a British Virgin Islands Charter
by Chuck Hawley, |
Subject: Navigation and Piloting, Electronics
It would be prudent for all navigators on unfamiliar boats, or perhaps when returning after a period of time to a familiar boat, to ensure that the hidden, potentially helpful fudge factors buried in silicon memories are actually helping, not…