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29/06/2010 ILB & ALB: Launched to a assist in search for a missing person at the River Tay.
Sea Safety

Link to Sea Safety Home Page
The sight of an RNLI vessel as it hove into view is often one of immense relief for anyone with the  misfortune to get into trouble at sea. Much as the gratitude expressed on such occasions is appreciated the best option for all concerned is to avoid the need for the callout in the first instance and some simple checks can avoid most problems.

The RNLI Sea Safety team offers invaluable sea safety advice and offer a free Safety Equipment Advisory Check of your non commercial vessel and can be requested online at http://www.rnli.org.uk/what_we_do/sea_and_beach_safety/sea_safety/book_a_sea_check

The RNLI offer you a completely free, friendly and confidential service that looks at safety aspects involved with your boat. SEA Check is neither a test nor an inspection and there is no pass or fail. Conducted by one of our highly trained volunteers, SEA Check is a personal face-to-face safety advice service that takes place on board your own craft. You set the time and we tailor our visit to your vessel and the type of boating that you do.

The check will be conducted by an RNLI volunteer,  who will also be able to provide additional safety advice and suggestions for any additional improvements that can be made to the vessel or its operation.Cost of a SEA Check

The Sea Safety team also provide Talks, Presentations and Demonstrations on various subjects and can be booked to attend your own club or venue free of charge.  You will also find some of our Sea Safety volunteers in attendance at some events around your area. To book or enquire about a demo or presentation, use the contact details further down the page to get more information.

Or you can call the Sea Safety head office in Poole completely free of charge on 0800 628 0600  
 

What is a Free RNLI SEA Check?

As a diver, a boat owner and one of "those" Jet Skiers I have always had an interest in safety at sea for many years. From my early days of boating and diving all over the world I came across too many poorly equipped boats a few of which were extremely grateful for a tow back to shore. With increasing numbers of pleasure craft and the subsequent rise in Lifeboat call-outs, the RNLI came up with the idea of SEA Check.

 It is a free Safety Equipment Advisory service for all the pleasure craft owning public to participate in, designed as a pro-active tool to reduce incidents before they happen. And yes it is completely FREE (though the RNLI suggest a cup of tea might be appreciated?)

The service is operated on a friendly, non authoritarian, approach to safety at sea to encourage sea-going people to partake in the scheme. It's not a formal compulsory check where we report our findings to the authorities just an informal chat on how best to prepare your vessel for the way you generally use it or even just confirm that you have been right all along with what you keep onboard, we are not surveyors so we do not check the structure of the vessel.  The advice given is only related to safety equipment and systems and is not a certificate of sea worthiness.  All non commercial craft can have a SEA Check or advice, from Jet Ski's (PWC) to Cruisers and Kayaks to Yachts.


The check can be done anywhere and at a time to suit the owner and takes between 20 minutes and an hour, the information recorded is in strict confidence and any advice given can, if the owner pleases, be disregarded; on completion a copy of the SEA Check and a year dated boat sticker confirming a check has been carried out is given to the owner, as well as a copy of the Complete Sea Safety guide which includes a fantastic CD-Rom for your computer.

SEA Checks done annually as a way of confirming that no safety equipment is overlooked or out of date prior to the start of the season.
If you are not sure you would benefit from a SEA Check or Sea Safety advice and you are in the Angus area then you are welcome to contact me for an informal discussion contact us by e-mail  Or call the Angus team direct on 0700 581 1202 or fax 0700 581 1252. You can also contact the RNLI Sea Safety team at the head office in Poole on the freephone number 0800 328 0600 for more information you can also visit the RNLI Sea Safety website at
http://www.rnli.org.uk/what_we_do/sea_and_beach_safety/sea_safety

Ray
Lifeboat Sea Safety Officer (Arbroath)


Ray's Profile:

Job: Consultant

Joined the RNLI Sea Safety team in 2002
Appointed as Arbroath LSSO 2006

Qualifications:

  • RYA Powerboat Level 2 Instructor
  • RYA PWC Instructor
  • MCA Coastal Skipper & Yachtmaster Offshore (Theory)
  • RYA Day Skipper
  • PADI Assistant Instructor
  • RYA VHF (DSC/GMDSS) Short Range Certificate
  • RNLI Flare Demonstrator
  • RNLI Sea Safety Presenter
  • RNLI Lifejacket Demonstrator
  • RNLI SEA Check Adviser
  • PADI Emergency First Response
  • British Red Cross - First Aid At Work
  • PADI Divemaster and Rescue Diver
The RNLI SEA Check itself:

A SEA Check entails a visit to your craft by an authorised RNLI SEA Check advisor; the advisor is a volunteer who has a sea going background and is trained to perform the safety check.

The check is of a pre-printed form (top +3 carbons) based format with the first part of the form being the owner and the boat details and requires a signature from the owner allowing the SEA Check to be carried out.

The form is divided primarily into 2 columns labelled Priority Equipment and Recommended Equipment and both columns further subdivided into categories that describe conditions under which the craft is going to be used
  • Small Leisure Craft
  • Sheltered Use,
  • Inshore Use,
  • Offshore Use,
  • Extended Passage Use:
the category of use is discussed and agreed with the owner before the check can be started. The category generally agreed upon by most diving craft is Inshore Use; this means the craft will cruise along the coast normally within 10 miles from a safe haven.
The check then continues down the rows associated with the agreed Use column to discuss each item of recommended safety equipment, firstly down the Priority Equipment and then the Recommended Equipment.

The Priority Equipment list covers:-

Anchor with warp/chain and strong point, Radar reflector, Appropriate Navigation lights, shapes and sound signals, Lifebouy or similar, MOB recovery equipment, Liferaft, Emergency steering, Kill cord, Alternate means of propulsion/starting, Tool kit and spares, Lifejackets/Bouyancy Aids, Safety Harnesses, Bailer and bilge pump, Charts and table of emergency signals, Compass, VHF radio, EPIRB, Torch/spotlight, Pyrotechnics in date, Fire blankets/extinguisher, Temporary hull repair kit, First aid kit, (and Oxygen kit for dive boats)

Remember not all of the above equipment is required, it all depends on your passage use and type of craft.


The Recommended Equipment list covers:-

Fairlead, Towing warp, Throwing line/quoit, Kedge Anchor, Sea Anchor, Boarding Ladder, Dan Buoy, LW/MW Radio, Additional Portable VHF radio, Navtex, HF/Satcom, EPIRB, Emergency Aerial, Barometer, Echo sounder, GPS, Hand bearing compass, Log, Binoculars, Personal protective clothing, grab bag, Emergency water, Storm Sails, Repair Materials and a means of severing rig.

Again not all of the above equipment is required, it all depends on your passage use and type of craft.
 


At the end of the check any comments, as a result of the check are added by the SEA Check advisor who then signs the form, he gives the top copy of the form to the owner of the craft and issues a year dated craft sticker. The remaining copies go to RNLI headquarters, Lifeboat Sea Safety Officer and the SEA Check advisor.

Boating should be fun

Every year our lifeboats respond to thousands of incidents, many of which could have been prevented with simple safety precautions. Even the most experienced seafarers should prepare for the worst.

The RNLI can help make your boat as safe as possible – you owe it to yourself and your crew.

Whether you’re a newcomer, or an experienced boater, our unique one-to-one service will give you an opportunity to ask any niggling questions on equipment or emergency procedures. To help you safely on your way we also provide a pack of free publications to ensure that next time you go afloat you are more prepared. Included in this pack is your free copy of the Safety Companion, which is full of useful information and normally retails at £6.95.

What are the benefits?

  • A free independent check of safety equipment.
  • An opportunity to discuss safety matters.
  • The satisfaction of completing a check.
  • A sticker showing your boat has completed the check.
  • Your copy of the check form, which may attract further benefits.
  • Free Safety Companion and literature.
  • Helping the RNLI in its core activity of saving lives at sea.
     

Is SEA Check really free?
Absolutely! The RNLI believe that prevention is better than cure and we want to make sure that everyone gets the right advice. So the whole SEA Check service, even the phone call to 0800 328 0600, is free.

 

 
 
 
 
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