Dan buoy, life ring and throwing line
On the starboard side pushpit rail is an auto-inflating Dan Buoy. In a man overboard situation (MOB) this should be deployed as soon as possible which basically means pulling up the retaining loop of elastic cord and throwing the whole thing at the man in the water. A lanyard permanently fixed to the boat will trigger the mechanism and you’ll have physically marked the MOB position.

The Dan Buoy is primarily a marker with a bright orange pennant and bright strobe light that is designed to drift with the MOB at the same speed.

The life ring is on the port side pushpit rail and is attached to both a red drogue to slow drift and an automatically triggered floating light. If you can throw it at the MOB then go for it, though if the MOB is obviously unconscious you will be wasting your time.

The throwing line is in an orange bag on the starboard side pushpit rail - you loop the lanyard around your wrist and throw the whole bag at a conscious casualty - please remember the lanyard around your wrist as this is the boat ‘end’ of the rope. You can use this floating line to try and retrieve a conscious MOB but if we are at speed it may be more useful once we have come around to the casualty - the chances of the MOB hanging onto the line as it whips through his/her fingers at 10 or more knots is small. Be careful when deploying this line as getting it round the prop in an emrgency wouldn't improve matters.

Ditch bag
There is a bright yellow emergency ditch bag held by velcro on the saloon forward bulkhead. In an emergency this must be got on deck as it contains flares, a handheld VHF radio with spare batteries, a portable GPS, strobe light, mini first-aid kit and our valuables (including mobiles). If we do have to abandon ship then this bag goes with us. If we are in trouble then you also need to get hold of the EPIRB - see E.

Drinking
No drinking alcohol during club racing. Once we’re over the finish line I’ll supply a stubby or two of beer for everybody that wants one, but that’s it. When we get ashore drinking becomes obligatory.

Back to the A to Z menu >>

Go to E >>