What should you or our crew be trained for? It depends on how close and fast you can get help.
If you’re near your homeport and only minutes from help, not much training is needed. If you’re traveling in a group or with supervision, as in a regatta or rendezvous, you are much safer and often professionally covered.
If you’re going offshore for more than eight hours, however, having more training could potentially save a life.
In this article is a chart of actions with the recommended level of training as well as the number of crew (whether you are inshore or offshore) who should be trained. Note: As this is a limited article, I will not be able to address the many variables that are inherent in discussing this issue.
This list was created with the assumption of fully crewed boats. You always need a backup; therefore, in a two-person crew, both need to be able to handle everything.
There are many avenues to get training. America’s Boating Club | United States Power Squadrons offers first-responder training, CPR training and onboard medical preparedness training. We are available to do this at all national meetings. Unfortunately, lately too few have signed up for us to expend the resources to provide the classes. What I suggest is for any group of five or more to directly contact the Safety Committee and request a class, at the time of your choosing during the week of a national meeting.
At home, the American Red Cross and the American Heart Association provide great courses with nationally recognized certificates. For more extensive training, I recommend the American Red Cross for advanced training. Wilderness Medical Associates International offers great extensive training programs that are one to three weeks long but expensive. REI also provides courses that are locally available, and most hospitals have a voluntary emergency medical services program open to the public.
For boaters crossing oceans, you should have a medical telemedicine service. I believe the Thomas Jefferson University Hospital offers an EMS training program that is the best and one of the oldest in the country.
Participate in a medical survey
The issues of safety and medical needs on the water are concerns we all share. I am conducting a survey of medical events that have occurred on your boat or any boat you were on with the intention of producing a statistical list that will in turn make us more aware of what we can expect to happen on our boats. Hopefully, we will then be better prepared for any medical problems that arise, leading to a safer and happier experience on the water. You can take this questionnaire online. Your responses will be anonymous.
