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NSW Sailing & Safety at sea Cheat Sheet by

Sailing & Safety at sea in New South Wales

VHF Radio Channels

Usage
Channel
Distress, safety and calling
16
Working channels
72, 73 or 77
Weather
67
Sydney Harbour Master
12
Mayday alert
When in distress and grave and imminent danger.

Mayday x 3
This is yacht {name of vessel} x 3
Mayday {name of vessel}
{MMSI if distress alert sent}
{position of vessel}
{nature of distress}
{number on board}
Over

Pan Pan alert
When you need to send an urgent message but you’re not in imminent danger.

Pan Pan x 3
All ships x 3
This is {name of vessel}
{MMSI if urgent alert sent}
{position of vessel}
{nature of distress}
{number on board}
Over

Weather Forecast Sources

Boating weather NSW 131236
Bureau of Meteor­ology (bom.g­ov.au)
Local newspaper, radio or tv
Marine rescue

Alcohol limits

Descri­ption
Limit
Commercial vessels
0.02
England
0.02
Rest of the World
0.05
Note: These limits also apply to vessels under anchor. Marina Berths, Jetties & Swings Moorings do not apply.

Man Overboard Procedure

Turn on engine & assign spotter
Sail on a reach
Tack & drop Jib
Sail back on a reach using Main as accele­rator
Pick up victim (downwind if vessel is smaller)

Collision Regula­tions

Power gives way to sail
Port tack gives way to starboard tack
Overtaking vessel must give way
Windward vessel keeps clear on same tack
Head on, both yield to starboard
Note: In Sydney Harbour all vessels must give way to ferries.
 

Required Safety Equipment

Personal floatation devices for all on board
Paddles or 2 x means of propulsion
2 x buckets
Anchor
Fire exting­uisher
First aid kit
Water proof torch
Overboard retrieval gear
YA rule book
Sharp knife
Orange V distress sheet
Portable nav lights & battery
Flares (Orange hand or red parachute)
Marine radio
EPIRB
Sound signals (Air horn, whistle or bell)

Distress Signals

Flares (Orange hand/f­loating or red parachute)
Raising and lowering arms
EPIRB
Ball over square shape
Continuous sounding of fog horn
Code flags N over C
SOS light signal
Fire rocket flare straight above vessel. 15o downwind in heavy winds or at 45o in low cloud.

Sound Signals (Rule 34)

Signal
Meaning
One short blast
Altering my course to starboard
Two short blasts
Altering my course to port
Three short blasts
My engines are running in reverse
Five short blasts
What are your intent­ions?
One long blast entering bend
Possbily obscured to other vessels
Two long blasts, one short blast
I intend to pass on your starboard side
Two long blasts, two short blasts
I intend to pass on your port side
One long blast at interval in fog means 'Power vessel making way'. One long blast, followed by 2 short blasts at interval in fog means 'Vessel under sail making way'.

Fixing your position

Use a transit and measure depth below
Use bearings (2 or 3 point fix)
GPS
Radar
Passing an object on a chart
Transit and a fixed bearing
 

Beaufort Wind Scale

Category
Descri­ption
Wind Speeds
1
Light airs
1 - 3 knots
2
Light breeze
4 - 6 Knots
3
Gentle breeze
7 - 10 knots
4
Moderate
11 - 16 knots
5
Fresh breeze
17 - 21 knots
6
Strong breeze
22 - 27 knots
7
Near gale
28 - 33 knots
8
Gale
34 - 40 knots
9
Servere gale
41 - 47 knots
10
Storm
48 - 55 knots

Marine Weather Wind Scale

Descri­ption
Wind Speeds
Strong wind
26 - 33 knots
Gale
34 - 47 knots
Storm force
48 - 63 knots
Hurricane force
64+ knots
Note: Calculated as averages over 10 minutes. Gusts can be up to 40% higher. Waves may be twice the forecast height.

Waves & Weather Formation

Waves are living energy created by the sun
The bigger the gap between waves, the bigger the waves
Distance travelled by wave determines its energy

Types of Moorings

Colour
Usage
Yellow
Private
Orange
Commercial
Blue
Police
General rule is you can't moor on anybody's berth without permission from the official channels.

Types of Sails

Colour
Material
White
Datcron
Brown
Kevlar
Blue
Spectra

Types of Knots

Type
Usage
Bowline
General purpose
Sheet bend / Reef knot
Join two ropes
Rolling hitch
Take a load
Figure 8
Stopper knot
Clove hitch
Mooring
Round turn 21/2 hitch
Mooring
 

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