1. Aye, Aye, Captain!
The captain of the sailboat is responsible for all activity aboard the vessel, including the safety of the crew and passengers. He needs to know waterway rules. The captain or someone he appoints needs to be on lookout at all times, and the marine radio needs to be kept on and tuned to the Coast Guard channel. The captain also needs to ensure that crew members are aware of basic sailing skills and emergency procedures.
2. Where's Your Life Vest?
The U.S. Coast Guard requires safety equipment on all boats. You must have a personal flotation device (PFD) for each person aboard. If your sailboat is longer than 16 feet, you must also have a throwable PFD aboard. A boating safety harness is also a good idea for a sailboat; this safety line of about 6 feet will attach to a sturdy structure somewhere on the boat and allow you to go on the top deck safely in high winds or rough sea conditions. Other safety equipment includes fire extinguishers, horns, flares to use as distress signals, and a radar reflector to use in reduced visibility conditions.
3. Man Overboard
You should prepare an emergency plan in case someone falls overboard. Practice this with your crew to ensure sailing safety. If someone does fall overboard, first yell "overboard" loud enough for crew members to hear. Then throw a PFD to the person in the water. It's vital to have one or more crew members act as spotters to keep sight of the victim in the water. This is especially important in rough water.
4. Shine a Light on Your Trip
Sailboats are required to have lights. Running lights must be on when the boat is underway. Sailboats should have two lights on the bow (the front of the boat), a red light on the port (left) side and a green light on the starboard (right) side, and a white light on the stern (the back of the boat). When the sailboat is anchored away from the dock, a white light on the mast must be turned on. This light needs to be seen from all directions.
5. Know When It's Your Turn
Sailboats usually have right-of-way in all water when they are moving under wind power. An exception to this is when the sailboat uses motorized power. Its classification then changes to a power boat, and it must follow the rules for power boats. This usually means the largest boat has right-of-way. If a sailboat is overtaking another boat, the rules also change, and the sailboat is referred to as the "give way" boat. But it's important to use common sense. If another boat appears not to know waterway rules, give it right-of-way. Don't cause an accident just because the waterway rules are on your side.
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