Mayday, Mayday, Mayday!!!

Linda and Jim Barrett were responsible for last night's informative and entertaining Training Session (great job, you two!). Titled "Getting Home Safely", their presentation began with amusing video clips of not-so-safe boating practices before preceding to the basic principles for operating a vessel during and after an emergency.

Several items of information were of particular value to this First Mate and I intend to implement these practices aboard:

1. Have a boating departure checklist
2. Have all crew (guests included) practice using the radio. Keep handy at the radio the protocol for issuing both Securite and Mayday calls
3. File, post, or email a friend a float plan before departing on a cruise. Here's a link to one of the float plans distributed last night
4. In addition to practicing crew overboard maneuvers, shake it up a little by instituting a change of watch every so often. Put the First Mate at the helm while the Skipper takes the lines .... what's the worst that can happen? Everyone gets a little practice in and observers might learn some new words along the way!

Regarding the Change of Watch idea - perhaps this could be a theme for one of our cruises this season. What do you think? Should we end the season with our First Mates at the helm?