Safety & Rules On-board S.V Rio…
For your own safety and the safety of others on board. We believe, being on-board Rio, and especially sailing requires a set of rules, which every crew-member has to follow without question or discussion.
It may sound strict and rigid, even cruel. Every skipper has their own set of rules on-board his vessel, and they all carryout the same goal: to keep the boat and crew safe at all times.
Researching the accidents that take place on-board vessels like Rio, I concluded that the majority of them occurred due to human error.
These errors occurred because they ignored the on board house rules. Even though these house rules might sometimes sound and look like a captains ego-trip, all crew-members have to follow them and behave in line with them.
If you follow those (sometimes stupid) rules, the captain won’t have anything to complain on you while his attention would be focused to the navigation and handling the vessel.
Less obvious but completely true, the level of your safety on-board increases significantly.
Researching my colleagues’ and my own experience from aboard sailing yachts I tried to list some of the most important house rules on-board.
Travel Insurance
Wellness On The Sea is fully insured. We still recomend our guesst that you get your own ‘Charter Care’ comprehensive travel insurance for your complete peace of mind, please make sure that it covers all of the destinations and activities of your vacation.
The captain’s word is law:
There can be only one captain on-board. Captain’s orders must be obeyed without question or discussion because he has full responsibility of goods and lives aboard so he gives orders in order to safely do the maneuvers and bring the vessel to the safe port without injuries, damage or loss of life.
Captain’s decisions or orders could perhaps be discussed after the vessel is safely moored, over a glass of wine or a cooled beer. Still, only if the captain feels like explaining his decisions.
The equipment is not to be played with
No matter how robust deck equipment looks like, incorrect use of equipment leads to its damage in most of the cases.
There are no stupid questions:
They are at least 30 questions just for fun on board Rio. If you do not understand what the captain wants from you or anything else that you do not understand – feel free to ask. Crew-members.
Shipshape:
Every thing aboard Rio has its place. Starting with deck equipment (sheets, winches, handles, jammers, fenders, lines, etc.) they need to be stored tidy after use, including below deck – all drawers and hatches have to be carefully closed, all dishes, plates and cutlery have to be stored in their compartments, before casting off.
All the objects, which might be rolled over or broken, should be secured as well as the swimming toys (fins, goggles, towels and swimsuits), which have to be stored in the trunks instead of lying in the cockpit or on the transom. it only takes one boat to pass us close to produces a swell that makes a complete mess in the cockpit and the galley.
Safety first:
This rule should probably be stated on top of the list but its last place does not decrease its importance. Every captain should go through a safety briefing before taking off regardless of fine weather or experienced crew.
Every guest and crew-member has to be aware of the man overboard drill, their life jackets and all the fire extinguishers. In case of emergency everybody should obey the instructions by the captain (explained in the first bullet) who should know how to handle the life raft and manage the maneuvers of abandoning the vessel.
At the end of the day all (basic) rules mentioned above could be summarized in the first and the last – if you obey the captain and maintain the safety rules your stay on-board will be respected.
Please do not hesitate to send us your comments on our house rules. I believe it’s about self-responsibility to accept them and make sailing lots and lots of FUN!
