First AYF Safety and Sea Survival course

by Shane Kearns on 11 Jul 2001 Over the weekend of 7th and 8th July, Getaway Sailing Adventures, located at Birkenhead Point Drummoyne, ran the first AYF Safety and Sea Survival course

With 13 participants the course was well received with students commenting positively on the content of the course and the value of the practical exercises.

The weekend commenced with theory sessions covering Duty of Care, Preparation for Rough Weather and Principles of Survival and was followed by the Wet Drill component on Saturday afternoon at the Qantas Training Facilities Pool at Mascot.

The pool drill was the most popular component of the course and all students were encouraged to test out their wet weather gear and their safety equipment. Many students let off their inflatable lifejackets for the first time and experienced life in the water for 3 hours in all their sailing gear. 'Having the gear is one thing, being able to use it is quite another' said Darren Smith a participant.

'The Life raft deployment and drills on righting and boarding were valuable, I had no idea how difficult it would be, and we were in a pool' was a popular comment from many more participants.

Shane Kearns, Principal of Getaway Sailing Adventures, commended the positive attitudes of the participants. He praised their focus, their attitude to teamwork and getting it right, looking out for others, whilst maintaining their own safety were crucial elements to their successful participation in this course.

Having participated in 3 of these courses now, Kearns recommends that yacht crews who regularly sail together try to do their course as group. Working with the people you are most likely to be in the water with provides a more realistic training experience.

Sunday followed with additional theory topics from Emergency Strategies to Search & Rescue, First Aid and Pyrotechnics drew another practical session. Again many students had never ignited a flare and were positive about the opportunity to do so as part of this course.

Drummoyne Sailing Club was the venue for our practical flare demonstrations, which drew some interest from the Sunday lunchtime crowds, who wanted to know where all that orange smoke was coming from.

Roger Hickman, Chairman of the CYCA Sailing Committee, presented sessions on Saturday and participated in the Wet Drills. Commenting on how excited he is that people are supporting this training and pushing their crews through this course. 'I want all my crew to do this course as a matter of their training, its invaluable in teaching them about survival principles' said Hickman.

Some people may see this course as training for disaster, but Kearns & Hickman both say the whole purpose of this course is to prevent marine emergencies through the development of correct procedures & crew training.

Getaway Sailing Adventures are running more courses over the next few months. Courses can be completed weekdays, nights or on weekends; we have options to suit everyone.

Participants who already have the CYCA Safety Certificate or other equivalent qualifications may only need do the Wet Drill and exam, and are able join these parts of a Getaway course to complete their certification. Wet Drill and exam cost is $195.

The full course costs $345 and includes textbooks and all theory notes and all practical sessions.

Contact Getaway Sailing Adventures today on 91 811 911 to book your course.

http://www.getaway-sailing.com