Safety at Sea - a
Lifestyle
Going
to sea always has been and remains inherently dangerous. Sailing a
complex
square-rigger can be particularly dangerous unless an attitude of
safety
consciousness is developed by every member of the crew –
including the
trainees. For example, one must automatically make sure that doors are
properly
secured so that they will not swing out of control when the ship rolls
or tacks
and that portholes are properly dogged to prevent flooding. Particular
attention
must be paid to housekeeping: a tonic can left on deck can easily cause
a bad
fall if stepped on during a roll and a book not secured can easily
become a
missile hazard. What might be harmless horseplay ashore becomes
potentially
dangerous behavior at sea. In short, safety at sea is a way of life.
There
are several safety rules that are particularly important on a sailing
ship:
SAFETY
IN DAILY LIFE ON BOARD
Some
important regulations to avoid problems while sailing on
Мир:
- No
electric appliance with the effect of heating is allowed to be used
unless you
have the permission of the responsible officer
- Smoking
is absolutely prohibited below decks. On deck it is only allowed around
the deck
houses behind the foremast. Always smoke on the lee-side of the wind. Never
throw a cigarette overboard. There are green baskets on deck
where you can
dispose of your completely extinguished cigarettes.
- All
garbage has to be deposited in a special room opposite the entering
door of the
men’s toilet (inside of the toilet). Absolutely NOTHING goes
into the sea! All
garbage will be burned in our incinerator; except glass and metal will
be
disposed of on shore.
- The
toilets and pipes seem to be the most sensitive installations on board.
Remember:
NOTHING GOES INTO THE TOILET, THAT HAS NOT BEEN EATEN BEFORE!
Don’t even put
any soap inside, because the toilet-water is being cleaned and the soap
would
destroy the helpful bacteria.
- The
good water on the ship is limited. Please use water economically,
otherwise
there will have to be restrictions.
- Entering
the engine room is permitted only with permission.
- The
quarters of the crew members, their mess rooms and living rooms (=
“carpet
area”) are absolutely off limits, unless you receive an
invitation.
- Don’t
manipulate any lever, switch or button without permission.
- Don’t
use a flashlight on deck during the night.
- Don’t
shout, cry or whistle. Noises could be dangerous in real cases of
emergency,
because orders will not be heard.
- Never
open a porthole at sea without permission.
- Never
step on ropes, because they are round and could roll.
- Never
sit on the main rail or the bulwark, on bollards or the pin rail.
- "Common
sense " is a sailor’s best protection. Even if you only THINK
that
something is not correct, inform your officer of the watch.
- Long fingernails don’t last long on a sailing ship. Please cut them short, before they
break which may cause an inflammation.
- Personal
things have to be stowed away, so that they can not cause any danger
even with a
rough sea.
SAFETY
IN THE RIGGING:
- Never
climb into the rigging without permission of the watch officer and
the watch bosun.
- Lay
aloft only on the weather side. If a ratline carries away or you lose
your grip, the wind will blow you onto the shrouds instead of overboard.
- When
laying aloft, you must hold on to the shrouds and not to the
ratlines. The ratlines, which are of light line, occasionally carry
away even
with the best of preventative maintenance.
- Gear
that can be dropped, possibly injuring someone, should not be
brought aloft. Watches, ballpoint
pens, lighters, knifes, hats,
and the like must be left below. Gear (also photo cameras and
handycams) that is
brought aloft must be secured.
- Safety
harnesses must be worn aloft at all times. Until aloft,
the clip should be hooked into the belt so that it cannot foul. In
going aloft,
running rigging should never be used for support nor for hooking on
with a
safety belt since it may become slack. Standing rigging, jackstays,
safety stays,
and fixed pieces of gear should be used instead.
- The
traditional rule of one hand for the ship and one hand for yourself
still applies, even with safety belts. When working, both feet should
be on the
footropes or flemish horses.
- Unless
instructed otherwise, no one is allowed to sit or stand on the
yards.
- Inform
the watch bosun and the bridge when you have safely returned from the
rigging.
- As
a rule you will always be accompanied by a member of the crew when
aloft. What he or she says is valid, no matter how strange it sounds to
you.
SAFETY
DURING MANOEUVERS:
- Be
careful during manoeuvers. The blocks on the sheet, if not controlled,
may easily gyrate and hit someone on deck; hence the name widowblock.
- Don’t
step into loops of ropes, because they might tighten around your
leg – and pull you down or even hurt you badly.
- When
working with lines, a sufficient number of people must be assigned
according to wind conditions. Bad rope burns can easily occur if a line
is
undermanned, not to mention damage to the sails. Be especially careful
with
pulling halyards and downhauls – if you run with these ropes
over the deck
beware you may damage your hands when the movement comes to an
immediate stop!
The important command “brosili” in Russian language
orders you to let the
rope go immediately.
- It
is particularly important to keep hands away from blocks when hauling
and to stand clear of bights. Such lines often run so fast that one can
be
caught without warning in the block or bight.
- In all
shipboard manoeuvers, and especially sailing manoeuvers, absolute
silence must be maintained except for necessary commands and reports.
(after a
worksheet from Nicole Graf and Sergey
Timoshkov)