1. Before Leaving Home
1.1 Weather Forecast
- Check the forecast at one of the following sources and decide if you are experienced enough to sail in the predicted conditions. If you are not, contact the captain for that day.
- Wind strengths: The actual force exerted on a sail is proportional to the square of the wind speed. Thus, e.g. a Force 6 has 3 times the “weight” of a Force 4!!
- Note: Forecasts are a prediction, not a guarantee: they can, and have been wrong!
Weather forecast sources:
- TV:
- Aertel page 160
- Forecasts after the news
- Radio:
- General forecasts after the news
- Sea area forecasts: RTE Radio 1 FM: 0602, 1253, 2355
- Web:
- Met Eireann - Sea Area Forecast
- Understanding the forecast: www.met.ie/marine/marine_sea_area.asp
- Beaufort scale: www.met.ie/climate/wind.asp#beaufort
- Current conditions in Dun Laoighaire harbour www.dlharbour.ie
- Windguru: www.windguru.cz/int
- Magic seaweed: http://magicseaweed.com
- Synoptic charts: http://www2.wetter3.de/fax.html Choose the link on the left - UK Met Office (Bodenanalyse/Boden +24 etc.)
- Phone:
- Met Eireann via mobile phone: http://mobile.met.ie
- Weatherdial: 1550 123 855, or for Dublin Bay 1550 123 854
- FAX: 1570 131 838: follow voice prompts, code 0021 for sea area forecast.
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1.2 Tides
Check the times of high/low water at one of the sources listed below. You should then know if you will be sailing with/against the tide – it will be more difficult to return if you will be sailing against the tide.
- Launching: if launching at a low water level you will need to leave your boat’s trolley near the top of the slipway.
- Directions: Remember that tide directions go TO a compass heading while wind directions come FROM a compass heading (i.e. a southerly tide is flowing to the south, a southerly wind is coming from the south).
- Wind against tide: The sea state will be much rougher if the wind and tide directions oppose each other.
- Wind & Pressure: Predicted times and heights of HW and LW take no account of the effects of wind and atmospheric pressure (which may affect the predicted heights).
- Daylight savings time: You may need to take account of Daylight Savings Time as tide tables for Irish waters are published for GMT/UT, i.e. during summer time add 1 hour to times listed in tide tables.
- Terminology: UT-1 means that you should subtract 1 hour from local time to obtain UT/GMT (e.g. for the European mainland).
- Strength of tide: There are roughly 6 hours between high water and low water, and similarly, 6 hours between low water and high water. The depth difference between high water and low water and between low water and high water will change by a certain amount.
A rule of thumb is that the height of tide will change by 1/12 of it’s total in the first hour, 2/12 in the 2nd hour, 3/12 in the 3rd hour, 3/12 in the 4th, 2/12 in the 5th and 1/12 in the 6th hour. Thus, the tide will be strongest in the middle 2 hours and weakest in the first and sixth hours.
Tidal data sources:
- Tide tables on the Web:
- ISA: www.sailing.ie, select “My Boat”.
- Easy Tide: http://easytide.ukho.gov.uk/EasyTide/EasyTide/SelectPrediction.aspx?PortID=0615
- Dun Laoghaire tide tables: purchase for €2 from Viking Marine.
- Dun Laoghaire tidal stream diagrams
- A current Nautical Almanac (e.g. Reeds).
- Newspapers
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1.3 Stena HSS
Check departure and arrival times and stay out of its way! If you impede the HSS you, not the club, will face a severe fine (approximately €5,000).
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1.4 Notices to Mariners
These are updated regularly:
- Dun Laoghaire Harbour: www.dlharbour.ie/content/notices/index.php
- Marine safety directorate: www.transport.ie/
- Commissioners of the Irish Lights
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1.5 Personal Safety Gear
Mandatory:
- Buoyancy aid: By law you MUST wear a buoyancy aid. Ensure that it fits correctly – as somebody may need to lift you out of the water by your buoyancy aid. See the lifejacket brochure at: www.safetyonthewater.ie. Make sure that there is a whistle attached.
- Wetsuit or Drysuit: It must be adequate for the time of year.
- Sailing knife: Tie it on to your buoyancy aid, in an accessible place, with a lanyard of arm’s length. It could save your life if you get wrapped in ropes beneath the water.
Recommended:
- Sailing gloves: Full finger length neoprene gloves are recommended for cold weather sailing.
- Booties: Neoprene socks are also recommended for cold weather sailing.
- Cag/windcheater: This will protect you from windchill.
- Rashvest: This extra base layer will keep you warmer during cold weather sailing. Choose one with full length sleeves.
- Hat: Wear a suncap for warm weather, or a warm hat for cold weather sailing.
- Shorts: Wearing shorts over your wetsuit will protect your wetsuit.
- Whistle: Tie it to your buoyancy aid, within easy reach.
- Suntan lotion: Remember that UV rays can penetrate clouds and burn you. This effect is increased by reflections off the sea. The breeze may keep you cool enough not to notice the burning until it is too late!
- Sunglasses
- Food and water
Note: Safety boat crew should wear plenty of layers as they will get cold quicker than dinghy crew.
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1.6 Collision Prevention
Become familiar with the basic collision regulations. See Appendix 1 in: www.safetyonthewater.ie/upload/general/9650-0.pdf.
- In a nutshell: Avoid collisions at all times!!
- Lookout: Maintain a proper lookout at all times, and in all directions – especially before a manoeuvre. Regularly check the area ”below” or to lee where visibility is obstructed by your sails.
- Starboard rule: When each boat has the wind on a different side, the boat that has the wind on the port/left side shall keep out of the way of the other boat.
- The boat on starboard tack may shout “Starboard” at you.
- If a vessel with the wind on the port side sees a vessel to windward and cannot determine with certainty whether the other vessel has the wind on the port or the starboard side, it shall keep out of the way of the other boat.
- Windward rule: When both boats have the wind on the same side, the vessel that is to windward (closer to where the wind is coming from) shall keep out of the way of the vessel that is to leeward.
The other boat may shout “Windward” or “Up, Up” at you.
- Overtaking: An overtaking boat must always keep clear.
- Head-on: In a head-on situation, always alter course to the right (starboard), i.e. pass other boats Port to Port.
- Crossing: When two boats are crossing, the boat on your right (Starboard) has the right of way – you should keep clear, by either altering course or slowing down, to pass astern of the other vessel.
- Narrow channels: Power does not necessarily give way to sail when vessels are navigating in narrow channels (e.g. the marked channel in Dun Laoighaire harbour). In most cases small craft can sail outside the main channel – check the chart for depths and hazards. You must not impede the Stena HSS.
- Beware of inexperienced sailors: Don’t push your luck by forcing your ‘right of way’ – perhaps the other boat user doesn’t know the rules. You should do whatever is necessary to avoid a collision – take early and clear action to avoid a collision.
- Speed: Craft should at all times proceed at a safe speed, considering weather conditions, traffic density, visibility, depth of available water, and the craft’s manoeuvring qualities.
- Racing: In addition to the standard regulations above, those club members participating in dinghy racing (such as the Frostbites or DBSC) should familiarise themselves with the rules of racing. These may be downloaded from the ISA: http://www.sailing.ie/inside/default.asp?pageId=543
- In addition, here is a useful “Racing Rules Quiz” (using animated scenarios) which can help greatly with understanding the rules and putting them into practise! www.ukhalsey.com/RulesQuiz/quiz_list.asp
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1.7 Know your knots
Practice the following knots:
- Figure of eight: a good stopper knot
- Round turn and two half hitches
- Bowline
- Clove hitch
- Rolling hitch
- Reef knot: for tying in reef points
- Sheet bend: for joining 2 ropes – once they both remain under steady strain
See www.animatedknots.com/indexboating.php
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2 Before Setting Sail
- Weather: Check if the weather (forecast & actual) has deteriorated since you last checked the forecast (by checking www.dlharbour.ie on a phone with web access). Do not sail if you are not experienced enough for the conditions.
- Offshore winds: An offshore wind becomes considerably stronger as you sail away from the shore. Ensure that your sails are appropriately reefed if necessary, and that you are able to handle the wind strength in your intended sailing area.
- Shore contact: The captain should ensure that somebody ashore knows when your group will return and who they should contact if you do not (Coast Guard: 112 or 999).
- Dinghy setup:
- See the Vago and Magno manuals at: www.sailingindublin.ie/MembersOnly/Contact/task.php
- Position the boat head to wind.
- Do not untie the forestay before setting up the jib, otherwise the mast will fall down!
- Connect the rudder before setting up the mainsail (so that the mainsail does not blow about and hit you).
- Ensure that your dinghy is correctly setup and safe to sail, ask an experienced sailor to check it.
- Take down the mainsail before you move your boat to the slip. Keep the jib furled until you are on the water.
- You must have a paddle on board, a means of bailing, if necessary, and that a painter is attached. Paddles, bailers, the rudder and spinnaker poles should be tied to the boat.
- Tie a mast float to the head of the mainsail.
- Check the buoyancy tanks.
- Reef the sails if necessary (reef the jib if you reef the main).
- Ensure that the bungs are in.
- Don’t use granny knots! - ensure that the mainsail can be quickly lowered or reefed on the water.
- Laser Vago’s + Topaz: Secure the centreboard in position (so that it will not swing inboard if you capsize).
- Sailing plan:
- Listen carefully to the captain’s talk and be familiar with the signals to sail to the safety boat or to sail for home.
- Decide how to launch and return to shore safely – taking account of wind direction and strength, and the proximity of other boats.
- Launching:
- The safety boat should be the first boat to be placed in the water.
- Do not launch until the captain asks you to launch and do not leave the harbour until the captain says that you may do so.
- Be wary of hurting your back when moving boats and do not allow any booms to hit your head!
- Stay well clear of boats on moorings.
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3. On the Water
- Know your limits: Talk to the captain & return home if you cannot handle the conditions or if you are becoming cold, sunburned, tired, ill or dehydrated.
- Sailing area: Stay within the agreed distance of the safety boat and other dinghies.
- Collisions: Keep a good lookout at all times and ensure that the way is clear before performing any manoeuvres.
- Capsizes/Man Over Board: If another dinghy capsizes, heave to close by if requested by the rescue boat’s crew. Ensure that the boat is head to wind and that all sheets are uncleated before attempting to bring the boat upright. You should have previously trained for: recovering a capsized dinghy, getting back on-board, getting your crew aboard, and recovering a man overboard if the dinghy has sailed on past their position.
- Coming alongside: Do not let your fingers get squashed between boats.
- End of session:
- Furl the jib before you reach land.
- The safety boat should be the last boat out of the water.
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4. After Sailing
- Forestay: Tie on the forestay before taking down the jib, otherwise the mast will fall down!
- Problems/Damage: Report any problems/damage to your boat to the captain (even if you caused it! – accidents happen…).
- Shore contact: Do not waste the emergency services time by going to the pub and forgetting to tell the shore contact that you have returned safely!
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5. Information for Captains
- Weather: Cancel the session if the boats’ conditions, weather conditions or experience levels do not permit safe sailing.
- Crew Allocation: Try to divide the experience between the boats as necessary. Ask all crews if they need their boat checked before launching.
- Safety Boat: Ensure that the safety boat is adequately provisioned (see below) and has sufficiently experienced crew.
- Log: Fill in the log before & after sailing. Record any incidents.
- Sailing Plan: Provide a safety talk before launching (include: launching, coming ashore, weather, tides, sailing area, safety signals, capsize procedures, distance to safety boat, appoint a lead boat.)
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6. Safety Boat
The safety boat is used for all sailing sessions and is manned on a rotation basis decided by the captain. There should be 2 crew on-board, at least one person should be ready to enter the water if necessary. There is a speed limit of 8 knots in the harbour area and approaches.
The engine should be switched off within 2 boat lengths of anybody in the water.
Check before departure
- The petrol tank should be full (the engine is run on a 100:1 petrol oil mix) and it should be tied to the boat.
- Fix the anchor to the boat and store it in the storage box.
- Oars and oar locks should be on-board.
- Connect a towing bridal and tie the towing warp to it. Ideally, bring a spare towing warp.
- Engine must be firmly clamped on, also use the safety clip.
- Emergency stop cord attached (must be attached to helm’s leg at all times)
- Ensure that the bung is in.
- A whistle, mobile phone (& preferable a waterproof, handheld VHF radio – check the batteries) should be carried by the helm. Each crew member should carry a sailing knife.
- NO SMOKING ON-BOARD AT ANY TIME
- Items to carry:
- First aid box
- Flares (in date)
- Space Blanket
- Spare spark plugs + a spark plug spanner
- Bailing bucket
- Spare emergency stop cord (in case the helm falls overboard - a crew member can then motor back to pick-up the helm)
- Electrical tape (e.g. for small leaks in lines)
- Manual engine start cord – in case the main cord breaks.
Dinghy Capsizes
- In most cases capsizes are righted by the helm and crew. The function of the Safety Boat is to assist where non-standard situations arise or when either the crew or the helm have spent too long in the water.
- The safety boat should remain close (in neutral) as it observes the capsize recovery
- The safety boat should keep an eye on other boats and assist the most urgent site if there are a number of capsizes.
- The engine should be turned off within 2 lengths of people in the water. Any approach should be made head to wind. A towrope or oar can be used to bring people closer to the safety boat.
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7. Training
See www.sailingindublin.ie/MembersOnly/Contact/skills.shtml for recommended reading.
Skills that you must be able to perform
- Recovering a Man Overboard.
- Heave-to.
- How to reef your sails – both on land and on the water.
- Righting a capsized dinghy.
- Always hold on to the boat
- Check with each other to ensure that you are both OK and keep communicating throughout the capsize
- If beating to windward the helm can usually climb over the hull onto the centre-board as the boat capsizes (i.e. a dry capsize)
- If necessary drop into water to avoid turtling (completely inverting) the boat
- Helm gets on the centreboard as quickly as possible
- Make sure all sheets are uncleated, take down the spinnaker, get the boat head to wind
- The helm should usually have enough leverage to right the boat and scoop in the crew
- If head to wind and the helm alone cannot get the boat upright, the crew can also climb onto the centreboard
- If wearing a harness, be careful that the hook does not damage the hull when climbing in
- Inform the captain and come off the water if you are too cold after a capsize.
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8. Racing
All members who wish to participate in the dinghy racing series (organised by the DBSC (summer) or the DMYC (winter)) should have the following qualifications/abilities:
- ISA level 3 dinghy qualification
- Be capable of determining if the weather conditions are suitable for your participation
- Ability to rig your own boat
- Be capable of launching and landing your boat in strong winds, without assistance
- Be capable of sailing to and from the racing area (which may be outside the harbour) without safety boat cover
- Ability to sail home from the racing area, alone, if conditions become too strong for you
- Have taken part in capsize training within the past year and proved your ability to recover from a capsize, recover your crew and continue sailing
- Have proven ability to reef sails on land and on the water
- Have taken part in race training sessions within the past year (which covered racing rules, starts etc)
- Have proved knowledge of racing rules and general sailing rights of way in the race training sessions
- You are responsible for organising speedy repairs following any damage to the boat that you were sailing in
It is your personal responsibility to decide whether or not to participate in any race given the weather conditions, your abilities and health and that of your crew on any race day. Do not race if you and your crew are not up to it!
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9. Equipment Maintenance
All dinghies and the safety boat should receive maintenance checks three times a year (at the start of the summer season, mid-summer season and at the start of the winter season). All relevant equipment in the container should also be checked.
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10. Safety Links
- RNLI (includes excellent booklets to download): www.rnli.org.uk/what_we_do/sea_and_beach_safety/sea_safety
- www.rnli.org.uk/upload/complete_eCD/fscommand/pop_up_safety.htm (Sea Safety Guide)
- Safety on the water (includes excellent brochures to download): www.safetyonthewater.ie
- The safe operation of recreational craft (Irish Coast Guard booklet) www.safetyonthewater.ie/upload/general/9650-0.pdf
- Irish Sailing Association:
- www.sailing.ie
- ISA safety leaflets: Send the Request Form Rachel Solon, Training Administrator, Training@sailing.ie
- Irish Coast Guard: www.ircg.ie (phone 112 or 999)
- Marine Safety Directorate: www.transport.ie/marine/MaritimeSafetyDirectorate/index.asp?lang=ENG&loc=1933
- Notices to Mariners
These are updated regularly:
- Dun Laoghaire Harbour: www.dlharbour.ie/content/notices/index.php
- Marine safety directorate: www.transport.ie/
- Commissioners of Irish Lights: www.cil.ie
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11. Contact the Safety Officer
Safety Officer: David S. Byrne
Phone: 086 4094231
Email: dsptbyrne@gmail.com
Please do not hesitate to contact me if you have any safety related questions or comments.
I would also appreciate any comments or suggested improvements regarding the safety information provided on this website.
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