“Safety, safety, safety”
With the tragic news of Hans Horrevoets perishing in the Atlantic Ocean during the crossing from New York to Portsmouth for the Volvo Ocean Race the words “safety, safety, safety†continue to swirl around my mind.
Some weeks ago, an extremely respected sailor forced upon myself and other crew members that safety was his top priority with a no exceptions stance that all rules must be followed.
“Get your grab bag. Check your EPRIB battery is full. Ensure the batteries in your strobe are working. Make sure your harness is firmly secured around your body. And for goodness sake, strap your harness to a strong holding point somewhere on the boatâ€
As these rules where recited over and over again, without any thought of the monotonous tone, the skipper drilled into his crew that regardless of the events that unfold, the safety of the souls on board was his number one priority.
Some saw this as being over protective, but as I sat and listened, I began to realise the extreme importance of crew safety, and held to every word he spoke as though he were God quoting the Bible. For He shall not be held of blame for the blood of ones ignorance.
It was an eye opener, and as I think of the tragedy surrounding the death of a talented yachtsman, I remember back to delivery from Brisbane to Fiji, which I completed in early 2005.
There was no safety drill…
There was no direction to the fire extinguisher, EPIRBS, or first aid kit…
There was no advice of what to do in the event of an MOB (man overboard)…
I look back… And it scares me to my core…
What would I have done? I didn’t even know where the life rafts were kept!
The magical wonder of the oceans and seas now reflect a potential graveyard for all those stupid enough to believe it will never happen to them.
We are not bullet proof.
We are not above the laws of risk.
We are merely pawns in this game of chance destined by nature of our survival.
Remember… Respect the water, because it sure as hell won’t respect you…
“Safety, safety, safetyâ€
Adrian Finglass
