Yacht Safety

Yacht Incident Management Plan

This  plan  applies to all incidents where: there is an injury requiring immediate medical attention; any vessel is significantly damaged; or there is a danger of these occurring and assistance is required. This includes collisions, running aground, man overboard and onboard injury.

Yacht incident Managment Plan

Special Regulations Annual Yacht Safety Equipment Inspections (Audits)

Please read this page, top to bottom. Everything you need to know to properly prepare for an audit is here. If you have any questions, ask an auditor BEFORE your audit

On this page you can find:

• Do I need an inspection?

• Audit dates and times.

• How to book an audit.

• Audit fees.

• Links to all documents required for a successful audit.

• How to prepare for an audit - including special notes covering:

          -VHF Usage.
          -requirements for fire extinguishers.
          -requirements for lifejackets/PFDs.
          -Australian Sailing ruling on Dutch doors  and keyed locks in the Companionway

• Common mistakes that cause an audit to fail.

• What to do on your audit day.

• About the auditors.

DO I NEED AN INSPECTION?

ASC Sailing Instructions require all yachts participating in ASC races to have a  completed, current Category 7 compliance form (or better) AND an ASC Additional Equipment Form lodged with the Club before racing.

Compliance forms expire after 12 months.

Yachts must also comply with the Maritime N.S.W Authority Safety Equipment Regulations.

AUDIT DATES

Special Audits for Classic Yacht Regatta.

Audits to be completed within these times.

09:00-13:00 Sat 17th Feb, 2023

09:00-13:00 Sat 24th Feb, 2023

HOW TO BOOK AN AUDIT

Bookings keep audit days efficient. Without a booking there is no guarantee an auditor will be available to audit your vessel.

Allow a half-hour on board for CAT 7.

To make a booking, contact David Evans pinkpigproductions@bigpond.com or 0438 224 926. When booking, please supply: Boat name, owner’s name, mobile phone and category for which you would like to be audited.

AUDIT FEES

Non-members (including non-financial members) will be charged the $50.00 for any audit regardless of whether they are successful or not.

All fees collected go to the Club.

DOCUMENTS

You will require most (if not all) the documents below to complete a successful audit.

Click the links to view/ download.

Sailing Rules RRS 2021-2024 (The Blue Book)

Special Regulations (safety equipment guidelines 2021-2024)

ASC Sailing Instructions 2023-24 required only for events sailed under these instructions.

Classic Yacht Regatta Sailing Instructions will be available here when published

The documents above must be carried on board. Either hard copy or digital copy are acceptable BUT digital copies must be available on your device without the need for the internet.

Audit Forms (All Cats available at this link including 7 & 5) -  NB: Audit forms are regularly amended, only the most recent iteration, available from this link, is acceptable.

ASC Additional Equipment form: lists items required by ASC's Sailing Instructions over and above items Australian Sailing requires.

PREPARING FOR AN AUDIT

Before the Audit Day

Conduct a SELF AUDIT. The auditor's role is NOT to do the audit from scratch, their role is to check you have done your own audit correctly.

How to perform your SELF AUDIT:

Print out the relevant AS Special Regulations Equipment Audit Form (eg CAT 7), AND  the ASC Additional Equipment Form,  then complete both documents aboard your boat. Do this prior to the date of your scheduled audit to give you time to add or replace anything outstanding or out of date on the list.

Initial, tick OR mark as N/A, EVERY line as you check each item. Each item starts with the regulation number so you can look up the full regulation in the Special Regulations (Safety Equipment Guidelines 2021-2024). If you are unsure your item complies, read the full regulation; if still unsure, then contact an auditor BEFORE your scheduled audit.

NB. Remember, just because it passed last year, doesn't guarantee the same item will pass this year: rules change; interpretations change; new precedents are set; and things quickly sneak past their use-by-dates.

SPECIAL NOTES:

VHF RADIO Usage

Under the Radio Communications Act, ANYONE using a VHF must be licenced.

Special Regulations require all CAT 5 (and above) vessels to demonstrate that at least one member of the crew has a VHF licence. CAT 7 auditees may be asked to demonstrate knowledge of VHF usage.

If your VHF radio is handheld, it must:

• be CHARGED for the audit (to demonstrate fitness for purpose)
• have the VESSEL'S NAME permanently marked on it
• have a lanyard (AS Special Regulation 4.16.1)

Fire Extinguishers

Extinguishers can be self-tested in accordance with the notes that follow AS Special Regulation 4.04 up to five years from manufacture. (Date of manufacture is stamped on the cylinder)

Australian Standard 1851-2012 mandates that all portable extinguishers be pressure-tested every 5 years. Extinguishers presented older than 5 years must be accompanied by proof of professional pressure-testing within the last 5 years (for smaller devices, it is cheaper to buy a new extinguisher.)

Auditors will also check to see if extinguishers are still "fit for purpose",  eg not rusty.

Lifejackets / PFDs

Regulation 5.01 A lifejacket must display the Australian Standard it was manufactured to. If the jacket is manufactured overseas,  the onus is on the owner to demonstrate that the overseas standard is equal to, or better than, the Australian Standard.

INFLATABLE PFDs must be serviced/tested to the specific manufacturer's instructions (usually annually). A CERTIFICATE must be provided for each PFD showing that its testing regime is up to date.

Only some manufacturers allow self-testing and provide a (downloadable) blank certificate with a checklist; this form must be completed including date of inspection and signature of the person responsible for the inspection. If there is no self-testing provided for by the manufacturer, generic certificates will not be accepted and the jacket must have proof of professional servicing.

Australian Sailing Companionway Hatch Ruling (CAT 5 and above)

"Dutch doors" have been ruled non-compliant as blocking devices for companionways.

In the same ruling,  access to the companionway using a key, has also been disallowed. The complete ruling can be found here (NB: the Feb 2020 ruling quotes the now-out-of-date regulation numbers, but compliance with the intent is still required.)

Spares (CAT 5 and above)

Regulation 4.15.1 requires spare parts on board. The minimum spares ASC auditors expect are:

• fanbelt,
• water pump impeller
• fuel filter cartridge.

COMMON MISTAKES THAT CAUSE AUDITS TO FAIL:

Incomplete Paperwork.

First Aid Kits

• missing or out-of-date items. (Even bandaids and sunscreen have useby dates.)
• missing or incomplete list readable from the outside of the kit (so as to prevent the need to open the kit to know what it holds.)
• non-waterproof container.

Inflatable PDFs

• not serviced according to the manufacturer's specs.
• evidence of service missing.

Navlights not working.

WHAT TO DO ON YOUR AUDIT DAY:

The owner/skipper or their authorised representative must be on board during the audit. .

No ASC tender service on audit dates unless it is a scheduled sailing day. You may be required to provide transport for the auditor to your vessel from the ASC pontoon.

Bring your boat and find a spare mooring off the Club. If tide and space allow, audits can be conducted alongside the pontoon. Phone your auditor to confirm arrangements.

Equipment required for the audit MUST BE LAID OUT BEFORE the audit to enable the schedule to run to time.

At the beginning of the audit please provide :

• signed and completed Australian Sailing Equipment Audit form demonstrating a self-audit has been completed.
• Additional Equipment forms from other Clubs can be presented at this time.
• evidence of your boat's current insurance policy... the Club does not need to keep a copy, only sight the policy (electronic evidence is acceptable). Details are required on ASC Additional Equipment form.
• VHF license (CAT 5 or above)

The ASC auditor verifies that your SELF AUDIT complies with the category you choose (eg CAT 7 or 5) and Avalon Club requirements.

Upon satisfactorily completing the audit...

You will receive a signed copy of your Cat form. It is up to the boat owner to provide this form to an event's organising authority and/or upload it to  SailSys.

IMPORTANT

Owners must ensure continuous compliance in the Category for which they have been successfully audited. Equipment Auditors may undertake spot checks during the season.

About the Auditors

Like all positions at Avalon Sailing Club, the Safety Equipment Auditors are volunteers. They give their time to be trained and certified by Australian Sailing. They organise and conduct free audits for the benefit of their fellow Club members. Please respect this time freely given.

Avalon Sailing Club and its auditors reserve the right to refuse an audit.

David Evans pinkpigproductions@bigpond.com 0438 224 926

Ian Craig 0419 625 298