Ribeye & Ropes - Hot Tips on Training & Safety

Training

A Ribeye is a seriously powerful craft so it is essential to take professional instruction, to learn local rules and regulations and always wear a personal flotation device or life jacket when boating.

Here at Ribeye we put a real emphasis on training.  Many of you will have boated before but we all must be aware that things can go wrong.  It’s easier in your car when you can pull over onto the hard shoulder, but at sea, it can be very different.  Getting your boat/crew prepared and doing some basic safety checks before you leave could save lives, possibly yours!

We strongly recommend that you do a training course. Contact your Ribeye Sales Centre to arrange a course with a Ribeye preferred training school. Or come to Ribeye’s Dartmouth HQ where you can take the course with our local sea school. At the same time you can take the opportunity to visit the HQ and see Ribeyes being rigged and assembled to the customer’s specifications.

 

For full details of Ribeye Preferred Schools visit http://www.ribeye.co.uk/ribeye-training.html

 

In our training section, we will give you regular features on training, safety, and maintenance.

Let’s start with some essential safety tips before you even think of leaving the harbour.

Preparation for Sea

Make sure your kill cord is fitted correctly and always wear it.

1. Do you have enough suitable lifejackets on board for you and your crew?
2. Check that everything onboard the boat is secure before leaving, no trailing ropes, nothing that can fly out of the boat at high speed.
3. Do you have engine spares, including spare oil?
4. Do you have an alternative method of steering?
5. Will you be out at dusk/dark, do your navigation lights work?
6. Does your VHF work, and do all your crew know how to use it?  (You must have an operators licence to use a radio – this is a 1-day course at RYA training centres, and have your set registered with Ofcom.)
7. Do you have enough fuel for your trip and some spare fuel?  If so, are you carrying it in a safe container?
8. Does your bilge work, and do you have a manual bailer to hand?
9. Do you have an anchor and chain/warp on board?  Do you know how to use it; this could be in an emergency to stop you drifting into danger?
10. Do you have a first aid kit, and have you had some basic training in first aid?  (The RYA does a 1-day First Aid at Sea course.)
11. Do you have some emergency drinking water, in case you are temporarily stranded?
12. Have you plotted a course, and do you have a suitable chart on board?  (This is now the law!)
13. Do you have a compass on board, and know how to read it?
14. Check the tides; is there enough water under you to make the trip you have planned?
15. Check the weather, are the conditions suitable to take to the water, and leave the shelter of the harbour/river?
16. Always check the engine for oil, and when you do finally start the engine, check that the tell tale is running.
17. If you are doing any coastal cruising, ensure you have a suitable flare pack, and you know how to use them.
18. Should you have a liferaft?  This will depend on your proposed cruising area, (see below for details of the “Boat Safety Handbook” an RYA publication, which will help you further with this decision).
    
    

This list is not exhaustive but will enable you to make a start at being safer at sea.

I would strongly recommend that you get some formal training in the form of an RYA course.  For limited accommodation boats, such as RIBs, the best course to do is the RYA’s Powerboat Level 2 course.

This 2-day course covers all the safety items we have listed above, along with loads of close quarter boat handling, anchoring, picking up a mooring buoy, man-overboard, not to mention high speed manoeuvres and some basic navigation.  It is also great fun!  Another advantage of this course, is that if you successfully complete it, you can apply for your ICC (International Certificate of Competence), which is the equivalent of a driving licence for boats up to 10m in most of Europe.  You will need this if you are looking to hire a boat whilst on holiday.

There are, of course, more advanced courses, which you can take, as you become more familiar with powerboating.

The RYA publish a book called the “Boat Safety Handbook”, this gives you a more detailed list of all the equipment your boat should carry, depending on the size of the boat and the sort of trips you intend to make.

A

 

  Anchoring

 

I believe anchoring is one of the most important boating skills and one should know how to anchor before setting out. If your engine fails in shallow water, knowing how to anchor properly could stop you from getting into serious trouble. Make sure your instructor takes you through the procedure while you are preparing for the RYA Powerboat Certificate. On a lighter note, it’s a great thing to do if you want to stop for lunch somewhere or go to the beach.

 

Firstly you must make sure you have a suitable anchor, enough chain and warp, with a means of attaching it to your boat.

 

Choosing an anchor will depend on the cruising area you favour. Different anchors have better holding in say, mud or rocks, so you need to familiarise yourself with the condition of the seabed you will be anchoring in. You will also need to consider the stowage on your boat, and limited accommodation boats, such as RIBs, don’t have great stowage for large cumbersome anchors.

 

Below is a list of some of the more widely used anchors and their holding capabilities:

 

BRUCE - GOOD HOLDING TO WEIGHT RATIO, AWKWARD TO STOW
DELTA - GOOD HOLDING TO WEIGHT RATIO, DESIGNED TO STAY ON BOW ROLLER FOR SELF-LAUNCHING, SO NOT GREAT FOR RIBS.
DANFORTH - GOOD HOLDING TO WEIGHT RATIO, STOWS FLAT, CAN BE HARD TO BREAK OUT OF MUD
FISHERMAN’S - GOOD FOR ROCKY/WEEDY BOTTOMS, AWKWARD TO STOW, POOR HOLDING IN SAND AND MUD
PLOUGH - GOOD HOLDING TO WEIGHT RATIO, HARD TO STOW, MOVING PARTS CAN CAPSIZE
GRAPNELL - EASY TO STOW, POOR HOLDING, MUD WEIGHT, ONLY SUITABLE FOR RIVER USE

THE RIBEYE ANCHOR IS A GRIP ANCHOR, WHICH IS SIMILAR TO THE DANFORTH AND IS MOST SUITABLE FOR RIBS. THERE ARE TWO KITS TO CHOOSE FROM, DEPENDING ON THE SIZE OF YOUR CRAFT. THE ANCHOR IS EASY TO STOW AND COMES WITH CHAIN AND WARP ALREADY ATTACHED.

When anchoring you need to consider the length of chain/warp to carry.
The chain is there for two reasons, firstly to prevent rope being worn away by the seabed or cut by sharp rocks. Secondly, to make the anchor work! A length of heavy chain keeps the pull to the anchor low down, along the seabed, and works as a shock absorber preventing the boat snatching at it as she rides the waves. The more chain you put down, the better the anchor will hold. But chain is heavy and it is a problem to stow a great weight onboard a small RIB apart from the handling of a large amount of chain. As a reference the length of chain/warp you put out should be as follows: 4 x the maximum depth of water in chain alone or 6 x the maximum depth of water if using a mixture of chain/warp. (This is 6 x the maximum depth of water you are likely to encounter during the time you are anchored).

 

Make sure you refer to almanacs for information re the range/depth/time of tide, which covers all the time, you are at anchor.

 

If you are using a mixture of chain and warp, a minimum of the first two metres needs to be of chain. The chain helps the anchor to dig in and is hardier on the seabed than warp.

 

It is a good idea to mark up the chain/warp, so you know how much chain/warp you are putting out. This is particularly necessary if you are anchoring amongst other boats. If you have too much chain/warp out your turning circle may be wider than your neighbours.

 

WHEN ANCHORING CONSIDER

1.  - Choosing a sheltered position, and consider the wind direction, now and later.
2.  - Taking a trial run to access the depth.
3.  - Avoid main channels, power lines, and use charts to identify sea bottom and obstructions.
4.  - Prepare your anchor and line in advance, working out how much chain/warp you should put out.
5.  - When preparing to anchor motor into the strongest element, whether it is wind or tide.
6.  - At your chosen point, stop the boat and drop the anchor to the seabed, ensuring the anchor is made fast to the boat. As the vessel drifts back ease the required amount of chain/warp out.
7.  - In a strong tide, especially once the anchor bites into the seabed, the warp will become tight. Anything that the anchor rope has taken a turn around is likely to be dragged over the side – so mind your legs.
8.  - In an offshore situation with no fixed reference points visible, it may not be clear which direction the tide is flowing in and how strong the flow actually is. Such a scenario requires care as the anchor is lowered and action needs to be taken as soon as the seabed is reached with the direction of the current being assessed before there is enough warp down there to enable the anchor to get a grip.
9.  - Engage reverse briefly to dig the anchor in.

 

AFTER ANCHORING
Check the anchor is not dragging, identify a transit and check this at intervals, or take a bearing on a fixed object.

If you find that your anchor is dragging, you may need to re anchor.

If the anchor becomes jammed drive in a slow circle to unjam it.

 

TOP TIPS
Make sure anchor warp/chain are attached to your boat.

 

The anchor is most likely to become dislodged when the tide turns, re check your anchor regularly, particularly after high/low water.

 

Most people anchor using the cleat bonded to the top of the bow tubes, or fix the rope to a ‘U’ bolt inside the boat and then leave it over the tube. This is fine in sheltered water but not at sea. It is preferable to form a loop in the anchor rope when sufficient has been paid out and then clip the painter, which is attached to the bow eye of the boat into the loop. Now the boat is anchored off a strong point low down in the boat, and there is no rope digging into the front tubes. When the time comes to retrieve the anchor, the joint between the anchor and the painter can be brought to hand simply by pulling in the slack part of the anchor warp which is laid in the boat.

 

If you wish to leave your anchor in situ and go off skiing or suchlike, simply attach a buoy to the anchor rope. Then you will be able to come back to the same spot.