Suddenly Overboard (29 page)

Most important, gear like an EPIRB is not only for well-financed racing teams or wealthy sailors. These units are now so inexpensive that every boatowner can have one, or at minimum a PLB or submersible handheld VHF radio (in areas of coverage) for coastal and even lake sailing. (These devices should always be registered by the owner to expedite the search-and-rescue procedures followed when an emergency signal is received.) And in most cases, near shore, you don't need a life raft; a good PFD will keep most sailors afloat and alive until rescue arrives as long as they also have the means to summon help
.

Almost every sailor who met a tragic ending in the stories in this book could have been saved by this simple combination of equipment along with a “what if” attitude toward always being prepared
.

G
ary Jobson, a lifelong sailor and racer, is currently president of U.S. Sailing, the governing body for the sport in the United States. A former winning tactician in the America's Cup, he has written 17 books on many aspects of sailing and is generally regarded as the premier spokesman for the sport of sailing. On March 2, 2012, he spoke to me about his attitude toward safety issues when sailing.

You've had a very long sailing career on many different types of boats and races and in all kinds of waters. Have you come close to emergency situations yourself?

I've been in several situations that involved fatalities on sailboats. During the 2002 Block Island Race, a crew on the boat I was on was hit in the head by a spinnaker pole and went over the side and drowned. It was very traumatic. Another time I was on a ship where a man fell off a lifeboat and hit his head, and he died. I was also in the [1979] Fastnet Race off England when 15 sailors died during that storm. Last year I helped put together the investigation after Olivia Constants died while sailing a 420 near Annapolis where I live [see
Chapter 2
]. We all know there's some risk on the water, but it's very sad and unfortunate when things like this happen.

What can be done to help sailors stay safe on the water? Is it a matter of teaching so people are more aware of what can happen?

I definitely believe in teaching safety. After the Fastnet storm in 1979, U.S. Sailing created a Safety at Sea seminar series. For our distance ocean races now it's mandatory to take one of these safety seminars at least every 5 years. They really make a difference. You go through these scenarios; like if somebody goes over the side, we go through the routine—the safe way to save the person, doing crew-overboard drills, the whole step-by-step process. The fact that you've talked about it, you know the equipment and how to use it, testing your inflatable PFD—everything. It gives you a much better chance if something happens.

It's especially important if you're new to sailing or you just bought your boat. It's worth the time to take a safety course, get some instruction, or hire a coach for a day, so you know how to operate the boat, what to do if the weather goes bad, and so on.

How should we talk about the everyday safety issues that can arise when sailing?

I think you need to strike a balance. Sailing is fun, it's accessible to everyone, and it's a great sport, good for all ages. But you need to balance that with the message you have to be careful, safety is an important issue, and we want to do it properly.

What other preparations do you advise sailors to take?

Whenever you're going sailing you need to be able to call for help; take a radio with you. Tell someone where you're going and what time you expect to get back. Sometimes it's just that simple. Then, when you're on the boat, be purposeful. Pay attention to everything. Someone's on the helm, someone's keeping a lookout, someone's paying attention to the sails—as opposed to kicking back with a beer and letting the boat sail itself. You have fewer accidents when people are paying attention to everything going on.

And common sense counts. If your dog goes overboard and you're by yourself, your first impulse may be to jump in and save
the dog, but it's better to think a second and then sail over and haul the dog back on board.

What about wearing a PFD?

When I race a sailboat like an Etchells or a Laser, I always wear a PFD. I just always do it. I try to set an example. Even when I'm sailing by myself casually, I still wear a PFD. You just can't afford not to.

Anything else?

I always think it's important to try to educate people, so I think your book is going to provide a service to someone you'll never know: they're going to read it and take note and do some of these things to stay safe. So I applaud what you're doing.