Safety Boat Provision

Safety Boat provision, when available, is provided for the safety of persons in or on the water.

The priority is always, therefore, the rescue of people and not their equipment.

All safety boat drivers are required to have a PB2 certificate kept up to date with refresher courses every two years.  The PB2 course is available through the Training Centre at a heavily subsidised fee for members who undertake safety boat duties throughout the season.  The course includes launching, mooring, anchoring and recovery plus all the boat driving skills required for basic competence in a powerboat with a focus on our local conditions.  This should provide the skills needed to recover a person from the water, to stand off and to come alongside another vessel to transfer passengers or to offer assistance.

In addition we also offer Safety Boat training.  This course provides the skills required when acting as an escort craft, safety boat or coach boat for a fleet of dinghies, windsurfers or canoes, or for racing or training activities. It includes preparation, boat handling, dinghy rescue, windsurfer rescue, kayak or canoe rescue (which can be covered as theory), towing, end-of-day procedures, safety, suitability of craft, local factors, communication, rescuing other water users and elements of race management and mark laying. 

Ideally we would like all safety boat drivers to have attended safety boat training, and all of our paid helms have. We do realise that not every PB2 qualified driver wishes, or has the time available, to do this training.  As a result the rescue skills relating to watercraft will vary considerably.  Experienced water users may be in a position to offer advice on the best way to e.g. recover or tow their vessel, but this is of secondary importance at all times to the safety of anyone in the water. 

Remember:

• Safety boat helm and crew are volunteers and are their to ensure the safety of people and not their equipment
• If a safety boat helm is in any doubt about the condition of a person in the water - remember fatigue and hypothermia can set in quickly in cold water - then that person is the priority
• Safety boat helm and crew will do their best to recover watercraft but this is at the risk of the owner of the craft
• it may not be possible to return a craft or persons to shore immediately if the boat has to attend other emergencies

Last updated 4:48pm on 15 April 2024